Wetlands of Valencia in Autumn
Last week I provided a day of guided birding for a great couple from UK. James and Claire are very keen birders, and wanted to combine a cultural visit to Valencia with some bird watching with us at the local wetland reserves. The wetlands of Valencia in Autumn are fascinating as resident birds, winter visitors, summer visitors and passage migrants all “overlap” making for some very interesting species lists! After a short drive from the heart of the historical quarter of Valencia, we arrived at one of our favourite wetland sites. Claire and James had expressed an interest in walking,…
Autumn birding on the steppe
Last week, I enjoyed a super day of autumn birding on the steppe with two returning clients from England. Both very keen birders, they were keen to see the fabulous species that this unique habitat holds. Within just over an hour´s drive from Valencia, the high steppe and lagoons provide a completely different habitat from those found at the coast or the mountains. Our first stop beside an area of floodwater gave views of Black-necked Grebe, Little Grebe, Black-winged Stilt, and a huge flock of Spotless Starling. The day had started well and the weather was on our side too…
Birding in Albufera de Valencia.
Last week I was delighted to welcome back returning clients Bill and Maureen, this time with Bill´s brother and sister-in-law, John and Maggie. It was great to see them again, and this time our detination was the Natural Park of Albufera de Valencia. Their previous trip with us was to a different wetland site, so they were very interested to see what birding in Albufera de Valencia held in store… Having met close to Valencia we made the short journey into the park where we began our trip at one of the area´s restricted nature reserves. We made several stops…
2-Day Bird Photography Trip.
Last weekend I was delighted to provide a 2-day bird photography trip for a client from Argentina. Despite his humble and friendly nature, he was one of his countries leading bird photographers and has supplied material to numerous books, publications and apps. This was his first photography trip to Spain, so he wanted to capture some quality shots of birds from different habitats. Most species were new for him as they obviously differ from those of South America, so even common species were of interest. Day 1 – Albufera de Valencia. We arrived at Albufera de Valencia as the…
Birding and a Cultural Break in Valencia
Last week I provided a day trip for a couple from England who were combining birding and a cultural break in Valencia before moving on to central Spain. Although they had travelled extensively in Spain, this was their first trip to Valencia, and they were especially keen to see the birdlife of our local wetlands. Having collected them from there hotel in Valencia city centre, we made the short journey to one of my favourite local reserves. The weather was perfect – not too hot, but with clear skies and a slight breeze. We began our walk by the beach,…
Birding the local wetlands
Last week I was delighted to provide a day trip for a client from New Zealand who was visiting Valencia and wanted to see the local bird species. A retired vet and therefore extremely knowledgeable naturalist, he was interested to see the birdlife of our region as well as to see how our nature reserves are handled. Having made the short drive from the historic quarter of Valencia, we walked along a dune system, looking onto a system of coastal lagoons. This is obviously migration time, so Barn Swallows were constantly passing through. The reeds surrounding the lagoons gave views…