3 Day Birding Break from the Historical Town of Xativa (March 2023)
Few clients have travelled as far as James to visit the region, so when he told me he was coming from Australia, I was keen to help him to design something special! As part of his longer stay in Spain, he wanted to visit the city of Valencia for a few days but to stay in a smaller, more relaxed place. After some discussion, we opted for a three night stay in Xativa, three days of birding in different habitats, and then I would leave him in Valencia after our third day so he could spend a few nights there.…
3-Day Birding Break in Late February
Having previously met Ralph and Brenda from the UK, I was really looking forward to providing this trip for them. Both exceptionally experienced birders and very much part of the birding fabric of the UK, it was a privilege to be out with them and to share with them this corner of Spain. Day 1 : Wetlands. To maximise habitat diversity, we opted to spend our three days together at the wetlands, steppe and mountains. Day one was at the coastal wetlands of Valencia where we enjoyed a long but leisurely walk along the beach, through reed beds, pasture and…
A morning at Albufera de Valencia
14th February 2023 Earlier this week I was able to fit in a morning´s birding at Albufera de Valencia for Ted who was visiting his family in Valencia. As we drove from the city centre past the port, a Booted Eagle glided over the car, surely a good omen for the day ahead! Our first stop was at a nature reserve with a couple of hides that looked over lagoons and reed beds. Chiffchaffs were flitting around in the scrub in huge numbers, as is usual here in winter. Black Redstarts seemed to be everywhere we chose to look! A…
3-Day Bird Photography Trip in Alicante
January 2023 For the first time since the pandemic, I was delighted to welcome back Stephen from the UK. An experienced and well travelled wildlife photographer, he was keen to make another trip to the Valencia Region, this time to focus largely on Golden Eagles in the mountains of Alicante. I collected him from Alicante Airport in the afternoon and we drove into the mountains where he checked in to a small hotel in the historical village of Biar. Biar, Alicante The next morning we made a relatively early start to ensure that we were in the photography hide as…
2-Day Trip : Steppe & Albufera de Valencia.
Just before Christmas, I had the pleasure of welcoming Larry and David from the USA back to Valencia. I met them last winter and we spent a day at the coastal wetlands of Valencia. This year, Larry spent a day with me on the steppe, followed by a day at Albufera when David also joined us. Day 1 – Steppe We had originally planned to go to the steppe the previous year, but bad weather had forced a change of plan. So, when the day dawned bright and with no wind, it was somewhat a relief! Our first stops on…
2-Day Trip : Albufera & Mountains
Earlier this month I had the pleasure of meeting Martin and Jessica again. Both very keen and well travelled birders, they spend a large part of their lives in Spain. Martin is also an author of various works relating to birding. Our first day was to be spent at Albufera where we began our trip in a hide from where we saw good numbers of Greater Flamingo, Teal and Shelduck as well as Stonechat and Kingfisher. The next hide gave views of shorebirds on a small island, including Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt and Snipe. Greater Flamingo &…