Spotless Starling - Page 3 of 11 - Valencia Birding

2 Day Birding Break in Valencia

I recently provided a 2 day birding break in Valencia for a couple of returning clients from my home town of Sheffield. It was fantastic to welcome Jonathan and Caroline back to Valencia and to spend these days together with them. They first came last autumn when they visited the wetlands of Albufera de Valencia and the mountains with us. They were keen to see Albufera again, but in winter and also wanted to visit the steppe, in particular to see Great Bustards. This time they were visiting with friends and were combining a cultural city break with a couple of days of birding. On day one, we made the short trip to Albufera, and started birding as soon as we began the journey by watching a Booted Eagle who has made Valencia port his winter home this year. We then visited a reserve area where we sat in a couple of hides for a while and enjoyed views of Shelduck, Teal, Marsh Harrier and more Booted Eagles. We then spent a little time watching a rice field that held plenty of Snipe and in the surrounding reeds we saw Tree…

Winter Birding in Albufera de Valencia.

Last week, I provided a day of winter birding in Albufera de Valencia for a client from England. Paul, a lovely man from Exeter was visiting his daughter here in Valencia and wanted to discover in more detail the bird life of the region. He was particularly interested in the wetland species and really wanted to see Bluethroat amongst others. After the short journey from the city, we made our first stop at one of the park´s reserves. Frosty mornings are a rare thing here at sea level, but today was an exception – cold, crisp, no wind and a beautiful clear blue sky providing excellent winter birding conditions. Here we began by a small lagoon where we enjoyed views of Black Tailed Godwit, Marsh Harrier, Black Winged Stilt, Teal and Shoveler, as well as a pair of Greylag Geese, not a common sighting this far south. As we walked back through the woods to the car we had views of Chiffchaff and a Hoopoe. We then had a little time to pay attention to the rice fields before our next visit to another reserve area. So, we drove along…

2019 New Year Bulletin.

We´d like to begin this short bulletin by wishing everyone a bird-packed, happy and healthy New Year. Thanks to the ongoing support of our clients and friends, 2018 was a busy year for us at Valencia Birding. We were fortunate enough to introduce an array of new clients to the delights of birding in the Valencia region as well as having the privilege of welcoming back many returning clients and friends. We enjoyed some great trips too, making the most of the wide range of habitats that the Valencia region offers. Mountains, forest, steppe, Mediterranean desert, saltmarsh, wetlands, sea and coast, rice fields, olive groves and farmland all provide their own speciality species. This diversity, coupled with the eastern Spain migration flyway that we´re lucky to have on our doorstep, gave us some amazing sightings throughout the year. Looking ahead to the New Year, we´re already busily taking bookings. These days, our reservations tend to fall into one of three types: Day trips for those who wish to combine bird watching with a cultural visit to the beautiful Mediterranean city of Valencia. This option is increasing in popularity as the blend…

Birding and seawatching trip to Albufera of Valencia

I recently provided a birding trip to Albufera de Valencia for two clients from England who as experienced birders had travelled to Spain many times but never to the Valencia region. After I collected them from their accommodation in the city centre, we made the short journey to Albufera Natural Park where we stopped in the main pier of the Albufera lake to enjoy nice views of Sandwich Terns and Marsh Harriers. Our next stop was in the main reserve area of the park, and after a short visit to the information center we headed to the observatories in a restricted area where we were surprised by a juvenile Night Heron. We realized it was injured so I manage to catch it to take it to the recovery center. After this episode we continued birding in the reserve. From one of the observatories we had views of an Iberian Grey Shrike, Flamingos and Zitting Cisticola. Later from the observatory tower we enjoyed good views of thousands of Red-crested Pochard, Pintail and many waterfowl that winter in this area. Our next stop was planned to be in the Village of El…

Birding trip to the mountains of Valencia

Recently, I was delighted to provide a birding trip to the mountains of Valencia for a client from Scotland who now lives in Honduras. After a few days of stormy weather we were happy to see blue skies and sunshine. After a short drive into the highland interior of the Valencia region, we stopped for a coffee break before heading into the mountains where we spotted the first Griffon Vultures, one of the target species for the day. We also had nice views of Barn Swallow, House Martins and Common Swift. We then had views of another target bird – the Short-toed Eagle. Just few meters ahead of us we spotted a pair of Black Redstarts that were breeding in a ruined farm building, also the call of Sardinian Warblers caught our attention. We continued our way to the source of the river, one of the best spots to observe dippers in the Valencia region. We also had a good view of a Great Spotted Woodpecker and Golden Oriole and we were entertained by a Blue Tit constantly visiting its nest. A little further in the valley, we stopped to listen…

4 Day Birding Break in Alicante and Valencia

The recent weeks have been especially fulfilling as we´ve been fortunate enough to welcome back many returning clients and friends. Alastair and Christine had previously spent a few days birding with us and this time they were looking for a 4 day birding break in Alicante and Valencia. They had enjoyed visiting the cultural sites in Alicante including the castle, museums, roman sites and art galleries and wanted to follow this with 4 days of birding and later a few days in the historical centre of Valencia…a great combination! On day one I collected them from their hotel in Alicante and we made the short drive to one of the region´s inland sierras. The previous week had seen temperatures plummet and a little snowfall but despite being cold, today had dawned bright and with very little wind. They were keen to see Alpine Accentors, a very popular bird for clients who visit in winter. Having stopped for a morning coffee and to collect sandwiches, we started our walk. We made our way up through a forest where we saw Coal Tits and Long Tailed Tits. A Mistle Thrush swooped up…