Trip Reports

Here´s a short piece and a brief video on the Whiskered Tern (scroll down to see the video).  This is largely a migratory species, typically wintering in Africa, for which the extensive coastal wetlands of the Valencia region provide ideal breeding habitat.  They nest in colonies, often close to gulls and feed on crustaceans, insects, small fish and amphibians. In adult breeding plumage, one of the key ID features is the grey breast as well as the dark red stubby bill which is a little shorter on female birds.  They have a black cap and white cheeks, the latter said…

I´m posting this update to keep everyone informed of the situation here in Spain and to add a few personal comments. The Situation In Spain Spain is undergoing a gradual and controlled return to “normality” with a staged approach that´s designed to safeguard as much as possible against further outbreaks. The method is a phased approach, with restrictions and practices being amended as each phase passes. Regional and national governement are in regular contact with every sector of the economy in order to establish specific safety measures and operating practices. As of today (18th May 2020) from a legal perspective,…

As previously detailed, here in Spain, we´re now enjoying a little more freedom as the Covid-19 lockdown is being gradually eased.  We have a short time-slot in the mornings and again in the evenings when we´re able to go for a walk within a 1km radius of home.  I´m not yet able to make the short trip to my local wetlands, beach or to the mountains that I can see from home, but the new situation has given me the opportunity to look much closer at the bird life that´s on my doorstep. Only last night, whilst strolling around the…

For the past seven weeks, my birding has been confined to what I can see from the balcony.  Although, as detailed in previous articles, this has often revealed a few surprises, it´s obviously been very limited.  I also have to say that I don´t feel too comfortable standing there with a pair of binoculars in case it causes unease or discomfort amongst the neighbours.  However, a few days ago, whilst reading in the living room, a bird song caught my attention.  After searching through the trees that fill the square below the balcony, I found it – a Willow Warbler!…

As those who know my philosophy of birding will already be aware of, I place great emphasis on looking closely at and paying particular attention to the bird life that surrounds us, even the most common species. In a recent article, I mentioned this as having particular relevance during the Corvid-19 lockdown, when most of us are confined to birding in our gardens. It can not only help us to appreciate the beauty of our more common birds, but also helps us to easily spot something that maybe a little out of the ordinary. Well, today I´d like to bring…

This has been the first post for a while, so before I begin, I´d like to say that I hope that you´re all keeping safe and healthy and wish you all the very best as we make our way through these tough times. For more than obvious reasons, I can´t write much about any recent birding trips!  However, it´s always interesting to see what´s passing through in the skies above Valencia and what´s about in the area immediately surrounding our apartment.  I hope that you´re all enjoying the bird life that´s close to you, be it in your gardens or…