Albufera is Spectacular in Winter!
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of providing a number of trips to Albufera for some lovely people from the UK, USA and Austria. All trips were different, but a common theme was the huge gatherings of Flamingos and Glossy Ibis that were absolutely spectacular. Greater Flamingos bred at this site in 2023 for the first time, and it’s very likely that they’ll do so again in 2024. Watch this space for news on that. The population of Gloosy Ibis has rapidly increased in recent years too, to such an extent that they often appear to whirl…
Osprey Reintroduction Project
Since the spring of this year, I’ve been proud and honoured to be a collaborator and to form part of the support team of the Osprey Reintroduction Project to the Pego-Oliva Marsh Natural Park in the Valencian Community of Eastern Spain. This incredible journey has involved two trips to the Scottish Highlands with Itzy Colodro Sainz and later with Carlos Torralvo, both of Fundación Migres, where we worked very closely with the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation. During the second trip, 12 Osprey chicks were carefully selected and taken from suitable nests, all under strict licensing conditions, and were subsequently housed,…
Alicante Wetlands in the Summer
Today´s trip was my first since my illness caused by the tick bites that I suffered in June, so it felt good to be back in the field with clients, especially as Bruce and his son Archie were returning clients, so we already knew one another. As Red Knobbed Coot was on their list of priority species, we headed for the southern wetlands of Alicante, one of the best areas in Spain to see this bird. Birding in Alicante is often surprising, and it’s also home to some of Spain’s most successful conservation projects. After a quick coffee, we got…
TICK BITES – A Personal Health Scare and a Warning to Others
I’m writing this post having just spent almost two weeks in hospital. I can honestly say that I’ve never felt so ill in my life. Prior to this episode, I was fit, strong and healthy. I will return to being so, but I want to share my story with you all. Why? Because the same could happen to anyone, but with some prior knowledge and safety measures, it can be avoided. The problem – A TICK BITE. A few weeks ago, I was in Scotland, collaborating in a conservation project. With only a few days left of the trip, I…
A Day in the Mountains
19th May 2023 My second day with Maria and Jane was spent in the mountains of Valencia. We made the comfortable journey into the highland interior, stopping for a coffee and to pick up sandwiches before we enjoyed a walk along a wooded riverside path. Searching for Golden Oriole! A raptor soon flew into view before circling above us, and turned out to be a dark-form Booted Eagle. A Black Wheatear made a brief appearance before disappearing into a nest crevice on a crag above the woods. We then heard the wonderful song of Golden Oriole, my first of the…
A Spring Day at the Valencian Wetlands
17th May 2023 Maria had contacted me the previous year in order to arrange a couple of days of guided birding as part of their holiday in the Valencia region. She’d managed to arrange a trip that involved a rail journey from the UK to Spain, stopping on the way to visit the Ebro Delta, before travelling onwards to Valencia. The trip was to celebrate her partner Jane´s birthday, so I was very keen to provide the best possible birding days for them. Squacco Heron After many email exchanges, we finally met in person, and travelled to our chosen wetland…