Valencia Birding - Page 13 of 27 - Valencia Birding

Photographic Trip to Albufera de Valencia

Today I was delighted to provide a photographic trip to Albufera de Valencia for two clients from Manchester, UK. Having collected them from their apartment central Valencia, we drove for half an hour to a reserve area in the heart of the natural park. Even though it was raining lightly, it didn´t stop us from having a fantastic birding day. The first stop was after a short walk by the forest to some hides located in a restricted reserve area, where we enjoyed great views of a large varity of waders, such as Bar-tailed Godwits, Black-winged Stilts and Little Stints. Next stop was in a green filter and reserve area where we got nice shots of a Booted Eagle. We also had great views of Purple Swamphens and Glossy Ibis. Driving by the rice paddies gave us great views of of raptors such as Common Buzzards, Marsh Harriers and Kestrels, we also enjoyed a Black Stork in flight. To finish a magnificent birding day, we stopped in a small lake close to the sea, where we were delighted to see Black-necked Grebes and Audouin Gulls. It had been a great…

2-Day Birding Break on the Steppe and in Albufera

A few days ago, I had the pleasure of providing a 2-day birding break on the steppe and in Albufera de Valencia for a family from Slovenia. However, the real birder of the group was Maks, a 14 year-old boy with an amazing knowledge. Day 1 – Steppe Having collected them from their hotel in the city, we made the journey inland and up onto the high steppe area close to Valencia. After a morning coffee stop and a briefing on the species that we were likely to see, we headed across the rolling plains where had great views of Crested Lark and Hoopoe. The first lagoon held Greater Flamingoes and Lesser Black backed Gulls. We stopped by an old farm where we enjoyed views of Corn Buntings, Rock Sparrows and Spotless Starlings. The high steppe eventually gave us views of one of the day´s key species – the Great Bustard. Initially we spotted two males, albeit at long range. Then our patience was rewarded with great views of a group of 12 birds. At the same time, we were also fortunate enough to see two Little Bustard, and Little…

2-Day Bird Watching Trip from Valencia

I recently provided a 2-day bird watching trip from Valencia for an experienced birder from UK. Colin wanted to discover the birdlife of the region, but only had two available days. So, we designed a trip that would maximise his time and enjoyment. Day 1 – Albufera Natural Park After a brief coffee stop, we visited a number of natural reserves, where we had great views of Booted Eagle, Flamingos, Purple Swamphen, Spoonbill, Whiskered Tern and a huge diversity of waders. Albufera is an excellent site for waders in autumn. After an interesting drive through the rice paddies where we had fantastic views of thousands of egrets and herons, we finished the day with a brief visit to a sports field where we had great views of Hoopoe, Crested Lark and Serin. The species list for the day included… Booted Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Flamingo, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Purple Swamphen, Moorhen, Coot, Little Bittern, Squacco Heron, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great-crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Little Grebe, Mallard, Teal, Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Gadwall, Shelduck, Great Cormorant, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit,…

Spring has arrived in Valencia!

Early this week we had a great day of guided birding with a lovely couple from UK. They were taking a break in Valencia and wanted to see the diverse bird life of this superb area. As the spring migration is now well and truly underway, we visited one of our favourite coastal wetlands, a site that offers crucial resting and feeding grounds for thousands of migratory birds. This time of year is always very exciting as new species are arriving daily. Today was no exception. Some of the most interesting resident species included Penduline Tit, Booted Eagle, Purple Swamphen and Audouin´s Gull. We were lucky to enjoy good views of a favourite winter visitor that´s still here…the Bluethroat. However, maybe the surprises of the day were the new arrivals and the birds on passage. These included Red Rumped Swallow, Whinchat, Reed Warbler, Sub Alpine Warbler and Pied Flycatcher. Barn Swallows and House Martins were also constantly passing through in huge numbers It´s such a pleasure to share days like these with our clients and to show them some of the amazing bird life of Valencia. The species list for…

3 Day Birding Break

February of this year proved to be a very busy month, with many clients from Northern Europe having organised winter birding trips with us. The combination of a little sunshine, some fascinating winter visitors and the anticipation of early spring migrants can make late February a very attractive time to visit the Valencia region. One of our trips was provided for the Ornithological Society of Northern Ireland. We had designed a 3 day trip that took in diverse habitat including steppe, coastal wetlands and the Natural Park of Albufera de Valencia. They had spent a few nights at the beautifully converted farmhouse of L´Alqueria del Pilar in the village of Banyeres de Mariola in inland Alicante. On our first day, from there we made the easy journey up to the highland steppe of Castilla de la Mancha. Day 1 – Steppe At over 900 metres above sea level, this can be a very cold region to explore in winter but with adequate clothing and planning it makes for a wonderful birding venue. One of our first species was the magnificent Great Bustard, specifically a group of over 20 males. We stopped…

A stormy day in Albufera de Valencia

Last Sunday, Yanina and I were pleased to provide a day of guided birding for a client from UK. Thomas was spending the weekend in Valencia and had arranged a trip with us. Despite it being a stormy day in Albufera de Valencia, we managed to adapt the trip to miss almost all of the heavy rain that fell that day! Having collected Thomas from his hotel in central Valencia, we made the short trip to Albufera, where we began the day in a protected reserve. We were welcomed by the explosive song of Cetti´s Warbler, and with a little patience we soon had views of this elusive little bird. The reed beds also gave views of Great Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler (we were fortunate as they are at the point of departure for their autumn migration) and Fan-tailed Warbler. A juvenile Night Heron passed overhead. The first lagoon gave good views of Marsh Harrier, Little Grebe, Garganey, and eventually a Green Sandpiper. As we walked through the reserve, we were treated to views of huge flocks of Glossy Ibis, well in excess of 100 birds. We then spent a…