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Birding in Albufera de Valencia

A few days ago, I had the pleasure to organise a day of guided birding in Albufera de Valencia for a couple from Norfolk, England who were visiting Valencia aboard a cruise ship. They were experienced birders, keen to discover new species from this region. After I collected them from the Cruise Ship Terminal in Valencia, we drove to the first stop in a reserve area, which right now is becoming a local “hotspot”. We were delighted to have fantastic views of Booted Eagles and Marsh Harrier, also Little Grebe and Kingfisher were showing well right in front of us. We also enjoyed good sightings of many waterfowl and wader species. The second stop was in a restricted reserve and green filter area where we were welcomed by a large flock of Glossy Ibis flying overhead. Many Purple Swamphens and waders where feeding in the shallow water of the fields. Next stop was by a small lake, which by this time of the year becomes a great spot for wintering and migratory birds. Black-necked Grebes were among the target species here. It had been a special birding day with many great sightings….

Birding in Albufera Natural Park

Last week I had the pleasure of guiding two clients from Holland to the Albufera Natural Park. They were both experienced nature photographers and birders who wanted a day off from the city. The Albufera Natural Park is located just 18 Km from Valencia city centre and is one of the most important wetlands in Europe, so it makes for a very easy birding trip. We began by visiting one of the best reserve areas in Albufera. Once inside the reserve, we enjoyed great views of Black-winged Stilts, Little Grebes and Flamingos. After a short walk through the forest we arrived at the second hide, from where we saw hundreds of Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings resting on the lagoon. Next stop was at a restricted reserve area where we had lunch whilst enjoying great views of Great White Egret, Marsh Harriers and Gadwalls. In evening we decided to stop beside a lake beside the sea, an amazing hotspot for Black-necked Grebes and Audouin’s Gull. We ended the day in the rice paddies where we hoped to see Booted Eagle and Glossy Ibis. It had been a great birding day spent with…

2 Day Birding Break in Valencia

Last week we were delighted to provide a 2-day birding break in Valencia for a group of 3 clients with whom we´ve been in touch with for a while. All living apart (France, England and Wales) they had arranged to meet up in Valencia and to include in their holiday a 2-day guided birding trip with us. We´d been fortunate enough to meet one of the group at Birdfair in the UK in August, so were really looking forward to welcoming them to Valencia. To provide two very different trips, we´d decided to spend one day at the extensive wetland site of Albufera de Valencia and the second up on the high steppe. Very different habitats indeed. On day one, I collected the group from their apartment in the city and we made the short journey to Albufera, discussing their wishes and priorities for the trip. We drove into the Natural Park and made our first brief stop by some rice fields where we discussed the rice growing cycle whilst watching Cattle Egrets and Marsh Harriers. A Lesser Black Backed Gull passed over us and a large flock of Spotless…

Guided bird watching in Albufera de Valencia.

This week I provided a day trip for a brother and sister from the Netherlands. They were in Valencia for a short break and had contacted us previously to arrange a day of guided bird watching in Albufera de Valencia. Our first albeit brief stop was in a reserve area where had views of Red Crested Pochard, Black-winged Stilt, Marsh Harrier and Booted Eagle. We then moved to a lagoon that is always worth a visit as at this time of year it can provide great views of waders. We saw Little Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Kentish Plover and Greenshank to name a few. We also enjoyed watching Black Necked Grebe on the water. Our next stop was at a restricted reserve area where we relaxed and spent the a good while exploring the lagoons and reed beds. This was a great visit and among the many sightings that we had there were Temminck´s Stint, Caspian Tern, Purple Swamphen, Night Heron and Audouin´s Gull. We´d enjoyed some fabulous views of some great species, but wanted to end the day with a drive across the rice fields. This gave views of Glossy…

January 2017 Bulletin

Another bird-packed year has passed, filled with many happy memories of special times spent with lovely people in beautiful locations, watching amazing birds. As we look forward to another new year, we´d like to begin as always by thanking you all for your support during 2016 and by wishing you a very happy 2017. General News Our day trips have continued to prove very popular, and this year we´ve been delighted to see an increase in teenagers and young people that we´ve guided. We´re very much aware that the future of birding and conservation lies in their hands, so we´re always gratified when we see such interest. Our proximity to some incredibly diverse habitat is a constant benefit to us, and we look forward to another year of guiding our clients through some of Europe´s best wetlands, salt marshes, highland forest, mountains and steppe. A point worthy of note here is that after a lengthy period of dry weather during much of the year, our region saw some incredibly high rainfall during December 2016. Although this caused some practical problems in the immediate term, it has served to boost the…

Species List for La Drova & Barx Valley

As a point of reference, general information and interest, here is the species list for the valley in which we are situated. Species are listed alphabetically and include residents, summer visitors, winter visitors and birds seen occasionally or on passage. Alpine Swift, Barn Swallow, Black Redstart, Blackcap, Blue Rock Thrush, Blue Tit, Booted Eagle, Chaffinch, Cirl Bunting, Coal Tit, Common Chiffchaff, Common Cuckoo, Common Hoopoe, Common Kestrel, Common Magpie, Common Nightingale, Common Raven, Common Stonechat, Common Swift, Corn Bunting, Crested Tit, Dartford Warbler, Dunnock, Eurasian Blackbird, Eurasian Buzzard, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Crag Martin, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Eurasian Griffon Vulture, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Siskin, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, European Bee-eater, European Goldfinch, European Greenfinch, European Robin, European Serin, European Starling, Firecrest, Golden Eagle, Great Grey Shrike, Great Tit, Green Woodpecker, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Hawfinch, House Sparrow, La Drova, Long-tailed Tit, Meadow Pipit, Melodious Warbler, Northern House Martin, Northern Wryneck, Peregrine Falcon, Pied Flycatcher, Red Crossbill, Red-billed Chough, Red-legged Partridge, Red-rumped Swallow, Redwing, Rock Dove, Rufous-tailed Robin, Sardinian Warbler, Short-toed Treecreeper, Song Thrush, Spain, Species list, Spotless Starling, Spotted Flycatcher, Tawny Owl, Western Rock Bunting, Whinchat, White Wagtail, Whitethroat, Woodchat Shrike, Woodpigeon,…