Day 2 of a 4-Day Twin Centre Birding Break
Our day on the steppe was followed by a trip to the mountains in the interior of Alicante, so after a relatively short but comfortable drive from Xativa, we were soon drinking coffee in a village and discussing the plans for the day. Our first stop was a dramatic ravine with towering limestone cliffs. The bushes arond the parking area held Sardinian Warbler and plenty of singing Serins. We also enjoyed good views of Blue Rock Thrush, Black Redstart and Crag Martin. Blue Rock Thrush Perhaps the most spectacular bird of the morning was the Griffon Vulture. This area is…
Day 1 of a 4-Day Twin Centre Birding Break
I have recently come to the end of a great little trip that I designed together with a couple of clients from the UK. Alan and Jeanette were looking for a birding trip that could include a few free days during which they could enjoy some cultural sites. Therefore, we designed something that included a stay in the historical town of Xativa followed by a few nights in the city of Valencia. This all worked out beautifully and our birding trips included steppe, mountains, forest and wetlands. Day 1 – Steppe We left Xativa on our first day together and…
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…