Birding tours Costa Blanca

Costa Blanca a perfect destination for birdwatching and beautiful beaches just two hours away from UK

If you are thinking about joining some birding tours in Costa Blanca, this trip report might interest you.

We offer two different birding tours Costa Blanca: El Hondo de Elche and Salinas de Santa Pola and Pego Marshes and forest birds. However, if you are keen in natural history, I would recommed you to read these articles about orchids, butterflies and dragonflies in Valencia.

This trip report corresponds to the Pego Marshes tour booked by Pete and his friends. 

It is 9:00 and I am picking up Pete, his wife and another nice couple from Denia. Five minutes after picking them, we drive down hill and hear the call of a Wryneck.

Twenty minutes later we arrive to the Pego Marshes and we are welcome by Cattle and Little Egrets along with two juveniles of Marsh Harrier. As we stop in the track to have a look out to the recently harvested rice fields. There we see a good number of Yellow Wagtail, Northern Wheatear and a juvenile Purple Heron.

I phone to my colleague Emilio who is ringing in the Marshes. He is one of the member of the ringing group I belong to. We (Pit-Roig Group) ring birds every day during August and September in order to study the post-breeding migration and the importance of the coastal wetlands in Spain. Emilio tells me that he has a Bluethroat and a Reed Warbler in his hands! So we drive off to the bird ringing station.

I am glad that Pete can observe his first Bluethroat! It is a juvenile female so it has nearly no blue. 

After releasing the bird, we drive around the marshes watching interesting birds such as Hoopoe, Kingfisher, Common Sand, lots of Whinchats, Little ringed Plover, Crested Lark, Fan-tailed and Great Reed Warbler among other. The sun is up and temperatures are increasing, so we move to Pego to have some refreshments.

Birding in Alcoi mountains and Serra Mariola

After that, we drive to the Alcoy mountains in search of the Griffon Vultures and other forest species. Firstly, we stop under a Aleppo Pine to have lunch. Up in the tree we see a short-toed Treecreeper, Coal and Crested Tit flying around.

Once we have finished our lunches, we go straight to the Griffon Vulture colony. It is midday and temperature climbs, perfect to watch these majestic raptors gliding over us. After that, we take a stroll along the path that goes to the feeding station and see a Sardinian Warbler and a small flock of Crossbills.

To sum up, there is very interesting variety wildlife to observe in one of our birding tours Costa Blanca. Should you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us or visit our tour calendar.

Have a nice day!