Alicante Birding (1 Viewer)

[nawalahuja]

Hello Fellow birders, I am visiting Alicante for a few days and will be staying in Benidorm. And will have two maybe 3 mornings for bird watching.
Looking for advise on what are the best areas to visit.
I have not birded much in Europe so most species will be targets.
1. I gather El Hondo is a great place to visit. is it good /safe to go alone? are the birding trails easy to locate without a guide?
2. what are the other area/s one should to visit.
Tx

 

[foresttwitcher]

In case it helps, here is a link to ebird hotspots centred on Benidorm and filtered for May (just zoom in / out & click on the pins for details): https://ebird.org/hotspots?env.minX...5&env.maxY=38.66619614136528&mr=on&m=5&yr=all

 

[Hotspur]

Hello Fellow birders, I am visiting Alicante for a few days and will be staying in Benidorm. And will have two maybe 3 mornings for bird watching.
Looking for advise on what are the best areas to visit.
I have not birded much in Europe so most species will be targets.
1. I gather El Hondo is a great place to visit. is it good /safe to go alone? are the birding trails easy to locate without a guide?
2. what are the other area/s one should to visit.
Tx

El Hondo is safe and amazing. Trails at the visitor centre are easy but the Vistabella Road is a little more tricky as you have to park at intervals. The main gate of El Hondo (different to the VC) is only open at set times (it was Saturday mornings) and you have to pre-book. They speak English and that is well worth it.

From Benidorm I think Pego Marshes are also a good shout - similar to El Hondo. Also worth checking out Sierra del Maigmo for raptors, Rock buntings and the like.

Alcoy and Font Roja have Griffon Vultures which are cool, and Ive seen Bonelli's Eagle at the latter.

Further south you have Santa Pola salinas, which can be good but are quite hard to bird.

I have never had any issues with anti-social behaviour or theft in the 17 years I have been visiting the area but I have always been careful with my belongings in the car.

 

[nawalahuja]

El Hondo is safe and amazing. Trails at the visitor centre are easy but the Vistabella Road is a little more tricky as you have to park at intervals. The main gate of El Hondo (different to the VC) is only open at set times (it was Saturday mornings) and you have to pre-book. They speak English and that is well worth it.

From Benidorm I think Pego Marshes are also a good shout - similar to El Hondo. Also worth checking out Sierra del Maigmo for raptors, Rock buntings and the like.

Alcoy and Font Roja have Griffon Vultures which are cool, and Ive seen Bonelli's Eagle at the latter.

Further south you have Santa Pola salinas, which can be good but are quite hard to bird.

I have never had any issues with anti-social behaviour or theft in the 17 years I have been visiting the area but I have always been careful with my belongings in the car.

Thank you James. Any good area for Bustards and Sandgrouse in the region ?

 

[Hotspur]

Thank you James. Any good area for Bustards and Sandgrouse in the region ?

Yes - you have to head up to the plains south east of Albacete but very doable.

Estacion de Bonete Estación de Bonete ZEPA, Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain - eBird Hotspot
This is on the road between Bonete and Higueruela. Particular north of the bridge, I have had many bits and pieces including both species of Sandgrouse, Bustards, Dotterel and Larks. Also south of the bridge I have had a few bits. Rock Sparrows breed at the farmhouse by the railway.

Heading south out of Bonete towards Corral Rubio is also very good for Great Bustard particularly with many traditional areas. You can keep going to Petrola as well. I believe Spanish Imperial Eagle has colonised the hills to the west and are occasionally seen nearby.

 

[nawalahuja]

Yes - you have to head up to the plains south east of Albacete but very doable.

Estacion de Bonete Estación de Bonete ZEPA, Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain - eBird Hotspot
This is on the road between Bonete and Higueruela. Particular north of the bridge, I have had many bits and pieces including both species of Sandgrouse, Bustards, Dotterel and Larks. Also south of the bridge I have had a few bits. Rock Sparrows breed at the farmhouse by the railway.

Heading south out of Bonete towards Corral Rubio is also very good for Great Bustard particularly with many traditional areas. You can keep going to Petrola as well. I believe Spanish Imperial Eagle has colonised the hills to the west and are occasionally seen nearby.

 

[nawalahuja]

El Hondo is safe and amazing. Trails at the visitor centre are easy but the Vistabella Road is a little more tricky as you have to park at intervals. The main gate of El Hondo (different to the VC) is only open at set times (it was Saturday mornings) and you have to pre-book. They speak English and that is well worth it.

From Benidorm I think Pego Marshes are also a good shout - similar to El Hondo. Also worth checking out Sierra del Maigmo for raptors, Rock buntings and the like.

Alcoy and Font Roja have Griffon Vultures which are cool, and Ive seen Bonelli's Eagle at the latter.

Further south you have Santa Pola salinas, which can be good but are quite hard to bird.

I have never had any issues with anti-social behaviour or theft in the 17 years I have been visiting the area but I have always been careful with my belongings in the car

In case it helps, here is a link to ebird hotspots centred on Benidorm and filtered for May (just zoom in / out & click on the pins for details): https://ebird.org/hotspots?env.minX...5&env.maxY=38.66619614136528&mr=on&m=5&yr=all

In case it helps, here is a link to ebird hotspots centred on Benidorm and filtered for May (just zoom in / out & click on the pins for details): https://ebird.org/hotspots?env.minX...5&env.maxY=38.66619614136528&mr=on&m=5&yr=all

Thank you Pete. Since it is a family trip, I have limited time on hand, two half days at most. So to cover some of the star species, I was thinking of spending one of them at El Hondo. And other one at Bonete.
Should I swap it with any other area? May be nearer to Benidorm. I also see that one of the main trails at El Hondo (Ruta Roja) is open only Saturdays but I might not be able to go then. Are the White headed Duck, Red Knowbbed Coot and Marbled teal seen in areas available for visit on other days of the week? Thanks

 

[njlarsen]

For El Hondo, we do have a nice write up right here in the opus. Some of this includes my own observations which were done before all the rain that led to flooding in the surrounding areas, so I expect there to be more water now.

El Hondo - BirdForum Opus

www.birdforum.net

Niels