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A wonderful 2 day birding break from Valencia

A few day ago I was delighted to provide a wonderful 2 day birding break from Valencia for three ladies from the USA. Fi had contacted us requesting 2 day trips, one to Albufera Natural Park and another one to the steppe for her and two more friends Lili and Elise. The first day of the trip had arrived and I went to collect them from their hotel in Valencia city. To my surprise, Elise was 93 years old, unbelievably fit and with a amazingly bright mind! She has been birding all over the world and as well as Lili and Fi, she wanted to enjoy the birdlife of Valencia. The plan was to spent a relaxing birding day in this important wetland area, so first we drove through the northern rice paddies where we spotted hundreds of Glossy Ibis, Gulls and Spotless Starlings. Before the next stop we had a coffee break, where Elise had the brilliant idea of taking a boat ride on the Albufera Lake. Indeed it was, because we got really close to thousands of Red-Crested Pochards as well as many Marsh Harriers. After a break…

Birding at Albufera de Valencia during migration time.

Earlier this month, I was delighted to provide a day of guided birding in Valencia for a family group who have been such regular clients that they´ve become firm friends. Such days are always special, so I´d been looking forward to seeing John, Amanda and Spencer since they booked the trip earlier in the year. Birding at Albufera de Valencia during migration time is always fascinating as there´s usually a surprise sighting, and the species diversity is fabulous. We arrived at our first stopping point within a protected reserve area and spent a short time in a hide watching Glossy Ibis, Black Tailed Godwit, Marsh Harrier and some recently arrived Teals. The next hide gave views of Little Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Dunlin and a juvenile Shelduck. As we left the reserve, we had views of Long Tailed Tits and Zitting Cisticola. Before moving to the next spot, we stopped briefly for a morning coffee and to buy a few things for the picnic lunch. Fully stocked and refreshed, we then stopped by a coastal lagoon where we sat in the shade and scanned the surroundings. We were delighted to see…

ValenciaBirding.es

We´re delighted to announce the launch of our Spanish birding website www.ValenciaBirding.es! ¡Ya tenemos nuestra página web de birding en Castellano! Si quieres consultarla, entra en www.ValenciaBirding.es Best wishes & saludos, Dave & Yanina.

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…

Mountain birding trip in early spring

A few days ago, I was delighted to provide a mountain birding trip for two of clients from Scotland. They were experienced birders and after few days visiting Valencia City, they wanted a day out in the mountains to discover the birdlife of the area. After I collected them from their hotel, we drove less than an hour to this beautiful mountain area. On the way, we had to speed down to enjoy a flock of Glossy Ibis and a pair of Short-toed Eagles displaying. Ones in the area, our first stop a family of Serins catch our attention, suddenly the first Griffon Vultures started to show up with the background’s call of Sardinian Warbler. In the Second stop, the distinctive call of the frogs didn’t take our concentration on spotting the majestic Egyphtian Vultures, we were extremely luck to see them mating and displaying. Further on the gorge, we had nice views of Firecrest and Crag Martins flying everywhere. It took us some time to arrive to the Griffon Vultures’ colony, an amazing spot at the end of the gorge where also Peregrine Falcon and Egyphtian Vulture use for…

Guided bird watching trip to Albufera Natural Park

Last week, I was pleased to guide a couple of clients from New York, USA. They were experienced birders who wanted to discover the birdlife close to Valencia City. After I collected them from their apartment, we drove directly to the first reserve area. After a short walk, we arrived at the first observatory where we enjoyed nice views of Garganey, Black-tailed Godwit and Avocet. Then we moved to the next hide from where we had great sightings of Booted Eagle and Marsh Harrier. On the way to the next stop and reserve area, we had good views of Meadow Pipit and were able to compare the differences between it and a Water Pipit. A special bird for Linda, as it was a lifer and one that she was able to identify by herself. In the next reserve we enjoyed good views of Wood Sandpiper, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt and Purple Swamphen. We decided to finish the day in the northern rice paddies area, which was a great choice as we spotted a beautiful Red Throated Pipit, Caspian Gull and thousands of Glossy Ibis, Ruff and Flamingos. It had been an…