James Lowther
Well-known member
Towards the end of May, myself and my girlfriend Carol spent a superb three days birding in Valencia, eastern Spain with Jules Sykes. Compared with Andalusia, Extremadura and the Pyrenees this area doesn't get much attention from visiting birders but believe me, it is simply superb, and provides some species even those areas can't or don't - most notably TRUMPETER FINCH (the real deal, not the grotty vagrants which hang around power stations 
) and RUFOUS BUSH-ROBIN.
The supporting cast was also top-notch, including:-
Audouin's Gull, Whiskered Tern, Purple and Squacco Herons, Little Bittern, Spoonbill, Marsh Harrier, Little Ringed Plover, Savi's, Great Reed and Moustached Warblers around Oliva (the small town where Jules is based.)
Golden and Bonelli's Eagle, Chough, Crag Martin, Nightingale and Cirl Bunting in the beautiful Val de Gallinera.
Great and Little Bustards, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Great-Spotted Cuckoo (!), Stone Curlew, Calandra, Short-toed and Thekla Larks, Rock Sparrow and calling Quail on the vast plains of Albacete province.
White-headed and Marbled Ducks, Roller, Red-necked Nightjar, Collared Pratincole, Purple Swamphen, Montagu's Harrier, Slender-billed Gull, Flamingo, Glossy Ibis and Southern Grey Shrike in the wetlands and dwarf pine scrub within a stone's throw of the Alicante coastal resorts (also home to the Bush-Robins).
More Bonelli's Eagles, Crag Martins and Thekla Larks, plus black and Black-eared Wheatears, Rock bunting and Pallid Swift at the 'Trumpeter Finch site' in amongst the freakiest mountain scenery this side of Cappadocia.
In addition to regular Hoopoe, Cattle Egret, Red-Crested Pochard, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, kentish Plover, Bee-eater, Woodchat Shrike, Spotless Starling, Red-rumped Swallow, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian warbler, 'Spanish' Wagtail, Crested Lark and Serin.
On top of all this, Jules is simply a top bloke, and i reckon just about the perfect 'guide' - easy-going but enthusiastic, as other BF members (Edward, John Moonie, Eagle) can no doubt testify. Towards the end of an extremely heavy stint (like a semipalmated plover ) of driving and birding round Alicante local birder Malcolm Palmer who had joined us for the day commented 'it's been a long day for you Jules', to which he replied 'it's a pleasure.' I believed him too. His rates are also very good (particularly in my case ha ha).
We stayed at the b&b run by Jules' wife Amanda and himself, and again I have to say the welcome and hospitality was second-to-none. What Jules is to birding, amanda is to, errr, b&b-ing. Sitting on the roof terrace sharing a few cold beers with them at the end of a hard day peering at sun-baked lumps of earth and trying to turn them into Sandgrouse was a great reward.
In short, I cannot recommend Jules and Amanda's 'operation' enough. (Check out http://www.olivaramatours.com for more details). If you are heading to the Costa Blanca and fancy slipping away from the 'delights' of Benidorm and the like for some quality birding time - or even if you fancy checking out an underwatched and under appreciated area of a very well watched and well appreciated country, Jules and Amanda have the answer!!!!! (is that enough exclamation marks?)
Anyway, enough of my ramblings (can you tell we enjoyed ourselves?).
James
) and RUFOUS BUSH-ROBIN. The supporting cast was also top-notch, including:-
Audouin's Gull, Whiskered Tern, Purple and Squacco Herons, Little Bittern, Spoonbill, Marsh Harrier, Little Ringed Plover, Savi's, Great Reed and Moustached Warblers around Oliva (the small town where Jules is based.)
Golden and Bonelli's Eagle, Chough, Crag Martin, Nightingale and Cirl Bunting in the beautiful Val de Gallinera.
Great and Little Bustards, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Great-Spotted Cuckoo (!), Stone Curlew, Calandra, Short-toed and Thekla Larks, Rock Sparrow and calling Quail on the vast plains of Albacete province.
White-headed and Marbled Ducks, Roller, Red-necked Nightjar, Collared Pratincole, Purple Swamphen, Montagu's Harrier, Slender-billed Gull, Flamingo, Glossy Ibis and Southern Grey Shrike in the wetlands and dwarf pine scrub within a stone's throw of the Alicante coastal resorts (also home to the Bush-Robins).
More Bonelli's Eagles, Crag Martins and Thekla Larks, plus black and Black-eared Wheatears, Rock bunting and Pallid Swift at the 'Trumpeter Finch site' in amongst the freakiest mountain scenery this side of Cappadocia.
In addition to regular Hoopoe, Cattle Egret, Red-Crested Pochard, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, kentish Plover, Bee-eater, Woodchat Shrike, Spotless Starling, Red-rumped Swallow, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian warbler, 'Spanish' Wagtail, Crested Lark and Serin.
On top of all this, Jules is simply a top bloke, and i reckon just about the perfect 'guide' - easy-going but enthusiastic, as other BF members (Edward, John Moonie, Eagle) can no doubt testify. Towards the end of an extremely heavy stint (like a semipalmated plover
) of driving and birding round Alicante local birder Malcolm Palmer who had joined us for the day commented 'it's been a long day for you Jules', to which he replied 'it's a pleasure.' I believed him too. His rates are also very good (particularly in my case ha ha).We stayed at the b&b run by Jules' wife Amanda and himself, and again I have to say the welcome and hospitality was second-to-none. What Jules is to birding, amanda is to, errr, b&b-ing. Sitting on the roof terrace sharing a few cold beers with them at the end of a hard day peering at sun-baked lumps of earth and trying to turn them into Sandgrouse was a great reward.
In short, I cannot recommend Jules and Amanda's 'operation' enough. (Check out http://www.olivaramatours.com for more details). If you are heading to the Costa Blanca and fancy slipping away from the 'delights' of Benidorm and the like for some quality birding time - or even if you fancy checking out an underwatched and under appreciated area of a very well watched and well appreciated country, Jules and Amanda have the answer!!!!! (is that enough exclamation marks?)
Anyway, enough of my ramblings (can you tell we enjoyed ourselves?).
James
