Me and my wife Gwen have just returned home after spending a superb few day with BF member Jules Sykes and his wife Amanda at their b&b in Oliva, Valencia. During our five day stay we went birding around Oliva beach, Pego marsh, the steppe area around Petrola, Clot de Galvany, Santa pola Salinas, the mountains above Crevaillant and El Hondo reserve. In the five days we achieved 128 species of which 24 were lifers for me. Thanks to Jules excellent knowledge of this very under-rated area we achieved all our target birds and much more. Here is a full list of what we saw.
Great Crested Grebes
Black necked Grebes
Little Grebe
Balearic Shearwater *
Cormorant
Cattle Egret
Little Egret
Grey Heron
White Stork
Glossy Ibis
Greater Flamingo *
Shelduck
Mallard
Gadwall
Pintail
Shoveler
Teal
Pochard
Red-crested Pochard
Common Scoter
White-headed Duck *
Osprey
Booted Eagle
Bonelli’s Eagle *
Marsh Harrier
Hen Harrier
Common Buzzard
Sparrow Hawk
Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Red-legged Partridge
Moorhen
Coot
Purple Gallinule *
Great Bustard *
Little Bustard *
Avocet
Black-winged stilt
Little-ringed Plover
Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover *
Lapwing
Sanderling
Dunlin
Curlew Sandpiper
Temminck’s Stint
Little Stint
Wood Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Redshank
Spotted Redshank
Greenshank
Black-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Snipe
Jack Snipe
Black-headed Gull
Slender-billed Gull *
Med Gull
Yellow-legged Gull *
Audouin’s Gull *
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Sandwich Tern
Razorbill
Black-bellied Sandgrouse *
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse *
Stockdove
Collared Dove
Little Owl
Hoopoe
Kingfisher
Ring-necked Parakeet *
Iberian Green Woodpecker
Wryneck
Skylark
Crested Lark
Thekla Lark *
Lesser Short-toed Lark *
Calandra Lark *
Crag Martin
Swallow
Water Pipit
Meadow Pipit
White Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Bluethroat
Black Redstart
Northern Wheatear
Black Wheatear *
Stonechat
Blue Rock Thrush *
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush
Blackbird
Blackcap
Sardinian Warbler *
Dartford Warbler
Moustached Warbler *
Zitting Cisticola
Reed Warbler
Cetti’s Warbler
Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Penduline Tit *
Southern Grey Shrike *
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Raven
Common Starling
Spotless Starling *
House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Rock Sparrow *
Chaffinch
Brambling
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Siskin
Serin
Reed Bunting
Cirl Bunting
Corn Bunting
* = Lifers
This must be one of the best weeks birding I have ever had. Have a look at Jules website www.olivaramatours.com
Hi Gary
Thanks for the kind comments, it was a real pleasure.
Kind regards Jules
Here are a few shots taken during the week.