Birding in East Spain (1 Viewer)

Please, let me start a new section about birding in East Spain. Unfortunately, it is an area too often overlooked as a birding destination. However, it is indeed a region as rich in birds as many of the famous birding spots in Spain.
I would like to start the post with my recent trip to the South of Alicante province. The area holds a number of salt flats and lagoons which are really worth visiting.

I have had the pleasure of guiding a friendly Danish couple, Stefan and Sys. Despite the sometimes uncomfortable wind, we managed to observe a good number of species. Our first visit was to “El Clot de Galvany” where we watched from the hides: Black-wing Stilts, Little Ringed Plovers, Common Teals, Shoveler, Pochard, Coots, Little Grebes, Red-Legged Partridge, Cattle Egrets and one of the targets of the trip, two beautiful males White-headed Duck. After that, we followed the path and found Dartford and Sardenian Warbler, Purple Heron, Hoopoe, Song Thrush and Little Owls calling.

We jumped into the car and continue the tour heading off to the Salinas de Santa Pola. As usual, we found a great number of Flamingos feeding and Shelducks on the background. Gorgeous Slender-billed Gulls in breeding plumage were observed from a short distance. Great Crested Grebes, Avocets, Lesser-Black Back, Yellow-legged, Black-headed Gulls and a Sandwich Tern were also observed. Then, we drove to the SE hides on the Salinas. In the salt pans, Black-tailed Godwits fed intensively while a male Kentish Plover and Yellow Wagtail displayed calling. Pairs of Avocets were fighting each other to delimitate their territory, scaring a Little Egret.
On the islands, there were around 40 pairs of Mediterranean Gulls, some of them mating. There were also over 100 Common Terns, and a Whiskered Tern was heard. Flocks of Dunlins and Little Stilts moved close to the path. Serins and Greenfinches sang on the pines’ top.

Our last stop was in the Hondo de Elche. As we were driving, we watched a solitary Red-crested Pochard in a pond and lots of Crested Larks in the farmland. Whereas we were having lunch in the picnic area, we were delighted by the “bark” of Little Bittern and the close views of Red-Knobbed Coots which have been released in the reserve following a reintroduction programme of this endangered species. Stefan searched among the migrants Martins, Swallows and Swifts and found 4 Red-rumped Swallows. After finishing our lunch we walked to the hides watching Marsh Harriers, Stonechats, Coots, Shovelers, Black-necked Grebes, Common Pochards, Greater Flamingos, Chiffchaffs and two White-headed Ducks. From the reeds we could heard the called of the Great Reed Warbler and Penduline Tits. Zitting Cisticolas displayed with their undulating song-flight.
Sadly, the tour comes to end but before that, we enjoyed a coffee in a local restaurant with a lot of taste. The owner, very kindly showed us the wine cellar, much to Stefan and Sys delight.

Thats a great day out.

Hi Ben! Yes, we had a nice day out. The migration is bringing interesting species such as Subalpine Warblers, Great Spotted Cuckoos and Garganeys. Spring time is great for birdwatching!

A nice summary, and a great day out! I'm hoping to make it to el Clot de Galvany for the first time in 2 weeks, during my annual Easter visit to the region. El Hondo is a wonderful reserve, and a great place to see white-headed duck and many species of heron, a good variety of warblers, and one of my favourites - the huge purple swamphen!

This Petrola trip report is about the guiding I did in the area yesterday. It is 8:30 in the morning and I am meeting Peter and his wife in a petrol station near L'Alcudia. I suggested them to take this tour as this area looks superb at the moment!

These well preserve steppes are among the best birding places in all East Spain.
Our first stop in a lagoon revealed Greater Flamingos, Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, Common Sandpiper, Gadwalls, Shelducks, Dunlins, Redshanks and Gull-billed Terns. It didn't take long before I locate 4 Long-tailed Sandgrouses, Hoopoe and Calandra Larks in the nearby fields. Ten minutes later a group of Black-bellied Sandgrouse flew at some distance which made us very happy!. Christine did very well finding our first Great Bustard, which was followed by two males and few more females. We have been just 40 minutes and we have seen all this amazing birds! Both Sandgrouses and Bustards usually occurs in the same area.

Later, we stopped in a second lagoon finding Kentish and Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwits, Whiskered Terns and 2 Temminck’s Stints. So far so good!. A solitary Stone Curlew flew above the lagoon. In front of us, there was a stone wall where I found Crested Larks, a Rock Sparrow and a flock of Spotless Starlings.

We continue driving to the Petrola lagoon to find Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Sanderlings, Little and Cattle Egrets, Marsh Harriers, Zitting Cisticolas, Bee-eaters, Black-necked Grebes, Common and Red-crested Pochards, Yellow Wagtails, Shovelers, 2 stunning males White-headed Ducks and Black Terns. The island on the back of the lagoon, was very busy with large numbers of Greater Flamingos and Black-headed Gulls breeding. Peter spotted on the top of the reeds a Great Reed Warbler singing. Reed Warbler and Savi’s warblers were also singing from the reeds and a Cuckoo from the farmland close to the lagoon. Before we moved to the next place, we watched a Nightingale on an almond tree.

Finally, we move around the farmland to find Short-toed Larks, around 15 Great Bustards, Linnets, Corns Buntings and finches. In the last lagoon, there were a wide variety of waders previously mentioned, besides Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stints.

I hope you enjoy this Petrola trip report! More information about this tour can be found in our Great Bustard Tour

This is a birdwatching trip report La Mancha and Serrania de Cuenca from May 29th to June 4th. We arrive to our hotel in the evening of the 29th after a birding trip in the Pyrenees, please find the trip report here.

Day 1. Serranía de Cuenca

After having breakfast in our hotel in Villalba de la Sierra, Lee and I have a quick look to the poplar trees behind the hotel and find a beautiful male of Golden Oriole. Next, we set off for the first stop in La Serranía de Cuenca where we watch Alpine and Common Swift, Blue Rock Thrush and Black Redstart. Later, we walk around Uña lagoon seeing Great Reed Warbler, Iberian Green and Great spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, Griffon Vulture, Booted Eagle, Short-toed Treecreeper, Marsh Harrier and Bonelli’s Warbler.
Our next stop is in the Spring of Cuervo River. As we walk along the path we find 4 different species of orchids (Narrow-leaved Helleborine “Cephalanthera longifolia”, Red Helleborine “Cephalanthera rubra”, Green-winged Orchid “Anacamptis morio” and Common Spotted Orchid “Dactylorhiza fuchsii“). It is really worth to visit the area for the beauty of the waterfalls and the interesting limestone formations. Keep in mind that during weekends the Cuervo River can be crowded, so better to visit in a week day.
Regarding birds, during the walk we watch a Booted Eagle taking off from a black pine, Firecrests feeding their fledged chicks, a Jay eating a tasty worm, and an Iberian Chiffchaff. After that, we walk near Vega de Codorno seeing Melodious Warbler, Yellowhammer, Black-eared and Northern Wheatear, Nightingale and Rock Sparrow. As I follow a Hobby with the binoculars, other raptors join; for few minutes there are 5 raptors in the sky! (2 Hobbies, an Egyptian Vulture, a Common Buzzard and a Booted Eagle) What a great place for raptors! We have been listening two different Cuckoos and Lee who is from U.S.A., is very keen to see this European specie. We creep along the meadow to watch the shy Cuckoo fly off. Close where it is, we see a Fallow deer.

Day 2. Serranía de Cuenca

We start the day walking along the Júcar River to see a 19th century watermill and some birds such as Iberian Green Woodpecker, Cetti’s Warbler, Nuthatch and Wrens. During the morning we visit the fields around the hotel, seeing Bee-eaters, Black-eared Wheatear, Crested Lark, Woodlark, Rock Sparrow, Orphean Warbler, Crested Tit, Hoopoe, Red Kite, Woodchat Shrike and an Iberian Hare. Then we visit and Las Majadas where we find badger scat, a Melodious Warbler, Crossbills and Yellow Ophrys Orchid “Ophrys lutea” and butterflies such as Adoni’s Blue, Moroccan Orange Tip, Black Veined, Cleopatra, etc.
After having lunch, we visit Beteta to find Bonelli’s Warbler, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle and Griffon’s in their nest looking after their chicks. Nice view! Along the path we also find a Narrow-leaved Helleborine and “Pinguicola mundi”, an interesting endemic Butterwort.

Day 3. La Mancha Húmeda

Today we head off to the lagoons of La Mancha. In route we have good views of Montagu’s Harriers. The first stop is in Manjavacas lagoon where we find Fan-tailed Warbler, Marsh Harrier, Shelducks, Gull-billed and Whiskered Terns, Kentish and Ringed Plover, Black-winged Stilt, a Common Redshank and a Little Stint in full summer plumage. Lesser Kestrels hunt in the nearby fields and a Little Owl peer at us from the wall of an abandoned hut. Later, we visit the Lagoons of Pedro Muñoz and find Lapwing, Gadwall, Spotted Starlings, Greater Flamingos and other species seen previously. About noon, we are in the lagoons of Alcázar de San Juan. There, Lee makes the most of two pairs of White Storks and chicks in their nest. We also see juveniles and adults of White-headed Ducks, Black-necked Grebes, Red-crested Pochard, Mediterranean Gull, Black-tailed Godwits, Savi’s Warbler, Bearded Tit, Common Redshank and Wood Sandpiper. In the last lagoon, we find a Black Kite and few pairs of Lesser Kestrel which breed in the area thanks to the construction of a “primillar” (buildings which imitate the countryside houses to allow them to breed there). After that, we drive to our Hotel in Belmonte.

Day 4. Tablas de Daimiel National Park

Today we visit the Tablas de Daimiel National Park. A quick stop in the entrance reveals a pair of Penduline Tits, which are really abundant this year in the park. In the same place, we watch about 8 pairs of White Storks in their nest, Great Crested Grebes, Cattle and Little Egret, Purple and Night Herons. Later, during a short walk in the reeds we observe Great and Reed Warblers, Nightingales, Marsh Harriers, Little and Black necked Grebe, Savi’s Warbler, Common Pochards, Squacco Heron,Little Bitterns and Spoonbills in their breeding colony in a group of tamarisk trees. Later, after lunch, we drive around the nearby farmland seeing a beautiful pair of Rollers, Lesser Kestrels, Hoopoe, Crested and Calandra Larks. With already 30ºC, we decide to drive back to the hotel.
At 7:30 p.m. we meet at the bar of the Hotel to have some refreshments with our local contact. He is going to show us a bird which I know Lee is very keen to see. Thirty minutes later, we stand in the opposite cliff of an abandoned quarry watching a chick of an Eagle Owl, what a beautiful view! Besides, Bee-eaters delight us with is beauty. They breed just few meters away from the Eagle Owl. My congratulations to the owners of so well manage hunting ground! We encourage landowners to protect raptors as a tourism resource.

Day 5. Dehesa Munera and Lagunas de Ruidera

Few minutes after setting off to the South of the province, a large bird fly above us, I say: It’s a Great Bustard; Lee reply:“You are kidding”. No, I am not. There it is, a solitary Great Bustard.
One hour later we are in the Dehesa of Munera where we see Sardinian, Dartford and Spectacled Warbler. That’s fantastic, two new species for Lee. As we drive through the countryside, we find Thekla Lark, more Spectacled Warbler, Booted Eagle, Black and Red Kite, Iberian Grey Shrike, Hoopoe, Spotless Starling, Corn Buntings and Woodlark. After that, we go to the Lagunas de Ruidera Natural Park. In this beautiful spot we watch Purple Heron, Crested Tit, Blue Rock Thrush, Great Crested Grebe,Azure-winged Magpie, Ocellated Lizards and a wide variety of butterflies: Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Western Dappled White, etc.

The temperature is over 30ºC, so we go to the Hotel to rest after 14 following day birding around Spain.
I strongly recommend visiting La Mancha and Serranía de Cuenca. Both are superb areas for birding and are unfairly overlooked as a birding destination. I hope you find useful this birdwatching trip report La Mancha. For some pictures of this trip report, please click here.

Have a nice day

Pau Lucio
Birdwatching Spain

Today I have had the pleasure to guide Richard in the Alicante area. After picking him at 6:30 (we wanted to avoid the heat), we set off to los Monnegres for our first targets. It doesn’t take long before we watch our first Black Wheatear, following by two mores. Then, we drive few minutes to visit an area where I found last May two territories of Rufous-tailed Scrub-robin. In the second attempt we find a gorgeous male.

Our next destination is El Hondo. There we find the third target of the day, the White-headed Duck. A group of 5-6 ducks diving, most of them juveniles which is excellent!. We also find a good number of birds such as Collared Pratincole, Squacco and Purple Heron, Red-knobbed Coot, etc.

We stop for some refreshments in San Felipe Neri before driving to the Salinas de Santa Pola. As I drive, I find a Roller in a Palm tree, so I pull over the car to watch it. Nice bird!

In the Salinas, we find another target Slender-billed Gull and Audouin’s.

Bird List

Purple swamp-hen
Shelduck
Common Pochard
Red-Crested Pochard
White-headed Duck
Red-legged Partridge
Little Grebe
Night Heron
Squacco Heron
Purple Heron
Little Egret
Cattle Egret
Greater Flamingo
Common Kestrel
Common Coot
Red-knobbed Coot
Black-winged Stilt
Avocet
Collared Pratincole
Little Ringed Plover
Ringed Plover ?
Kentish Plover
Whimbrel
Common Redshank
Common Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Gulls (Audouin’s, Slender-billed, Yellow-legged, Black-headed etc)
Terns (Gull-billed, Sandwich, Little, Common and Whiskered)
Bee-eaters (heard)
Roller
Rufous-tailed Scrub-robin
Crested Lark
Stonechat
Black Wheatear
Fan-tailed Warbler
Reed Warbler
Sardenian Warbler
Shrikes (Woodchat and Iberian Grey Shrike)

And common birds (finches, swifts, Martins, Jackdaw, Starlings, etc).

Tomorrow, we will visit the steppes of Albacete to look out particullary for Black-bellied Sandgrouse and Little Bustard.

Have a nice day

Pau Lucio
Birdwatching Spain

Very nice! This just about describes a trip around "my Spanish patch"! Which I will back on in just over a week's time

Where did you see the red-knobbed coot? Was this the neck-ringed bird at El Hondo, or are there more places to see this species?

Hi

Alicante is a fantastic place for birding. At the moment increasing the numbers of migrants, particularly waders.

There were one or two (I can't remember) Red-Knobbed Coots with collar in the lagoon besides the visitor center. During my last visits I have seen it/them there. Some time ago, I saw one in the ornithological route (North Gate), probably from the reintroduction. It is very rare to find one which doesn't belong to the reintroduction programme (most have neck-ring, but not all).

Just as a curiosity, a few months ago I spoke with one of the men in charge of the reintroduction project. Apparently, all the reintroduction of RKC in Spain have been unsuccessful except in the Balearic islands. As soon as they are released, they disperse and die (predators, accidental haunting, low population to mate, etc). In the other hand, in Balearic islands they are unable to disperse as they would have to cross the sea. This isolation make them to get together and finally to breed. Interesting, isn't it?

Enjoy your holidays

Regards

Steppes of Albacete Trip report 30/07/2014

On the second birding day with Richard we set off to the steppes of Albacete. Before the sun rose, we were positioned in the favourite spot of Little Bustards. After 10 minutes searching with the scope “bingo”, we found a party of 10 Little Bustards, among them a beautiful male. All the cereal fields have been harvested which helps to spot these elusive birds, as there is no much place to hide. We stayed for 1 h getting cracking views of theses superb birds. On the nearby fields Short-toed Lark and Stone Curlew called and different groups of Great Bustards were seen.

Then, we drive to the second area to look for our second target, Black-bellied Sandgrouse. On the wire Iberian Grey Shrike and Corn Bunting were perched. Later, we found a pair of Pint-tailed Sandgrouses which were flying quite high. Around 30-40 minutes later a group of Black-bellied Sandgrouses crossed the sky in front of us, amazing! Having seen the two targets, we drove to the Petrola lagoon to find there Black-necked Grebe, Greater Flamingos (approximately a nursery of 150 juveniles and 15-20 adults), a White-headed Duck, Shelducks, Black-winged Stilts, Kentish and Little Ringed Plovers, Common Sandpipers, a Ruff, a Pallid Swift, Linnets, Common Pochard, a far distant pair of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, etc.

After that, we drove through the fields seeing Great Bustards, Bee-eaters, a Marsh Harrier, a Common Buzzard and finches. The temperature was already above 30ºC, so we moved to the last lagoon seeing in route a Black-eared Wheatear. In the lagoon, we found juveniles Gull-billed Terns, Reed Warblers, Coots and other common birds.

All in all, a very satisfied birding day to one of the best birding area in East Spain. Thanks Richard.

Have a nice day

Pau Lucio

Aquatic Warbler in Pego Marshes

The migration is already here!

Part of my work involves bird ringing and doing research in the coastal wetlands along Eastern Spain (Valencia and Alicante provinces). During this week, I am ringing in Pego marshes. Today, we have caught a wonderful juvenile Aquatic Warbler and yesterday one of my colleagues caught a Kingfisher from the Czech Republic. Besides, apart from the residents there are interesting migrant birds around such as: Eleonora's Falcon, Hobby, Bee-eaters, Black Kite, etc

You can see the picture of the Aquatic Warbler here

Good birding

Pau Lucio

A Kingfisher from the Czech Republic, that's quite a record i would have thought.....

Laurie:t:

Serranía de Cuenca is definitely a very diverse and interesting area for birding. By the way, Pau, in which area at Vega del Codorno did you spot the yellowhammers? I haven't seen this species yet at Cuenca!

Cheers from Cuenca,
Fernando

rollingthunder said:

A Kingfisher from the Czech Republic, that's quite a record i would have thought.....

Laurie:t:

Click to expand...

Hi Laurie,

Yes, it is amazing the distance they can fly considering that they depend on open water to fish and also are not designed to fly long distance. Two or three winters ago (I can remember), some colleagues captured one kingfisher in the Albufera de Valencia (just 70 km North from Pego Marshes) with a ring from Poland. Amazing!

Cheers

Pau

fdokykcu said:

Serranía de Cuenca is definitely a very diverse and interesting area for birding. By the way, Pau, in which area at Vega del Codorno did you spot the yellowhammers? I haven't seen this species yet at Cuenca!

Cheers from Cuenca,
Fernando

Click to expand...

Hi Fernando

They were in the meadows on the left once you crosses the town, following the CUV-9211 towards los Perales.

Cheers

Reef Egret x Little Egret at the Albufera de Valencia

This morning I have been birding in the Albufera de Valencia which is the 3rd largest wetland in Spain. During this time of year it is likely to find rarities in the Albufera. It's 17000 hectares work as a magnet attracting lots of species during the migration. Apart from seeing the common species such as Purple-swamp hen, Squacco Heron, Collared Pratincole etc. and large number of migrant waders (up to 15 species), I manage to find an hybrid of Reef Egret x Little Egret (photo). It is considered a rarity in Spain. It wouldn't take long before more rarities are seen in this interesting birding spot.

Have a nice day

Birding day in the Steppes of Albacete

Today I have the pleasure to guide John in the steppes of Albacete. Yesterday we visited Pego marshes and the mountains North of Alicante province. So today, we have been of habitat to look for very special birds.

Short bird list


Black-necked Grebes
Cattle Egrets
Montagu’s Harrier juvenile
Osprey
Marsh Harriers
Greater Flamingos
Little Bustards group of 6
Great Bustards 15 approx.
Black-winged Stilts
Avocets
Stone Curlews group of 4
Ringed Plovers
Kentish Plovers
Common Sandpiper
Ruffs
Little Owl
Bee-eaters
Hoopoe
Calandra
Short-toed Lark
Tawny Pipit 3 feeding in a stubble field
Black-eared Wheatear
Northern Wheatear
Subalpine Warbler
Willow Warblers
Rock Sparrows 30
White-headed Duck 2

In my opinion, one of the best birding spots in East Spain.

Have a nice day

Monnegre, Salinas de Santa Pola and el Hondo tour

Yesterday was my 3rd and last day birding with John. We started very early in the Monnegres where we found Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Iberian Green Woodpecker, Black-eared Wheatear, Serin and other common birds.

Our second stop was in the Salinas de Santa Pola. There we watched Little, Sandwich and Whiskered Terns, an Osprey catching and eating a fish, Greenshanks, Turnstone, Sanderling, Spotted Redshank, Oystercatchers, Gulls (Mediterranean, Slender-billed, Audouin's, Black-headed, Yellow-legged), Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, Egrets and Herons (Little, Great White, Squacco and Grey), Collared Pratincole, Pallid Swift ( a late migrant), Grebes (Little, black-necked and Great Crested), Whimbrel, Green Sandpiper, etc.

Our last stop was in the Hondo. The temperature was above 30ºC but we have at least a nice breeze. The most relevant species were Gull-billed Tern, Green Sandpiper, Marsh Harriers, Common Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Bee-eaters, Raven, Cattle Egret and a Red-knobbed Coot from the VOLCAM hide.

For more information about this tour, please click here

Have a nice day

Pau Lucio

Some great sightings - as you say an area less well known than others in Spain.

Which way was the Pallid Swift going? They don't start breeding until next month in SW France....

Albufera de Valencia shorlist

Today I have guided Verna and Bob from Canada in the Albufera de Valencia.

Shortlist


Red-crested Pochards
Cattle Egret
Little Egret
Squacco Herons
Little Bittern
Purple Heron
Great White Heron
Glossy Ibis (40+)
Greater Flamingos
Marsh Harriers
Purple swamp-hen (2ad+1 juv)
Oystercatcher (1) Not very common
Black-winged stilts
Collared Pratincole (50+)
Little Ringed Plovers
Ringed Plovers
Turnstone (3) Not very common
Dunlins
Curlew Sandpipers
Little Stints
Wood Sandpipers
Green Sandpipers
Common Sandpipers
Common Redshanks
Greenshank
Common Snipe
Ruffs
Little Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern (3 in total, at least 1 juv)
Kingfisher (lots, it is good year)
Sand Martin
Bluethroat (2 gorgeous ad males)
Fan-tailed Warbler
Cetti’s Warbler

Compleate trip report here

Have a nice day