Spain Birdwatching - Guided Birding In Spain
Costa Blanca Birding
Other Birding Sites
The famous reserve of El Hondo, rich in wildlife throughout the year,
is a fantastic place to go birding in the area. The trip will be either
to the Reserve area at the North Gate on a Saturday morning or to the
Visitor Centre area covering El Rincon and La Raja lagoons on any other day.
Either location is teeming with birds and is a 'must visit' in the area.
In winter, this reserve is famous for the number of Spotted Eagles present
along with lots of other raptors. It used to be the stronghold of Marbled Duck
in Europe but this species has become somewhat elusive recently.
Steps are in place to re-introduce the bird, and it is likely that it will be seen,
particularly during spring and summer.
Add-on options are for an extra couple of hours around the Boundary roads,
the northern side during spring and summer for easy Roller, or in the winter months,
the Vistabella Road for all sorts of wintering species and resident larks.
Typical species that may be seen are:
All Year
Shelduck, Shoveler, Marbled Duck, Pochard, Red Crested Pochard, White Headed Duck,
Quail, Black Necked Grebe, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Little Bittern,
Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Grey Heron, Glossy Ibis,
Spoonbill, Flamingo, Osprey, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Water Rail, Spotted Crake, Baillon's Crake, Purple Gallinule,
Red Knobbed Coot, Avocet, Black Winged Stilt, Stone Curlew,
Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Wood Sandpiper,
Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Black Tailed Godwit, Slender Billed Gull,
Mediterranean Gull, Little Owl, Hoopoe, Kingfisher, Iberian Green Woodpecker,
Crested Lark, Thekla Lark, Lesser Short Toed Lark, Stonechat, Blackcap,
Sardinian Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Moustached Warbler,
Fan Tailed Warbler, Savi’s Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, Bearded Tit,
Iberian Grey Shrike, Spotless Starling, Tree Sparrow, Linnet, Goldfinch,
Greenfinch, Serin and Corn Bunting.
Spring/Summer/Autumn
Garganey, Ferruginous Duck,
Night Heron, Purple Heron, Squacco Heron,
Short Toed Eagle, Montagu's Harrier, Honey Buzzard, Hobby, Collared Pratincole,
Dotterel, Little Tern, Gull Billed Tern, Common Tern, Black Tern, Whiskered Tern,
Turtle Dove, Cuckoo, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Common Swift, Pallid Swift, Alpine Swift,
Bee-eater, Roller, Short Toed Lark, Sand Martin, Swallow, Red Rumped Swallow,
House Martin, Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Nightingale, Redstart, Wheatear, Whinchat,
Subalpine Warbler, Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Wood Warbler,
Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher and Woodchat Shrike.
Winter
Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Pintail, Wigeon, Teal, Tufted Duck, Spotted Eagle,
Booted Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Buzzard, Peregrine, Merlin, Crane,
Golden Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Temminck's Stint, Little Stint,
Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Curlew, Snipe, Jack Snipe, Ruff,
Lesser Black Backed Gull, Wryneck, Skylark, Crag Martin, Water Pipit,
Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Robin, Bluethroat, Black Redstart, Redwing,
Fieldfare, Dartford Warbler, Chiffchaff, Penduline Tit
and Reed Bunting.
Vagrants and Rarities
Goldeneye, Bittern, White Stork, Black Stork, Golden Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle,
Bonelli's Eagle, Red Kite, Black Kite, Pallid Harrier, Goshawk, Black Shouldered Kite,
Lanner,
Red Footed Falcon, Eleonora's Falcon, Great Bustard, Little Bustard, Sociable Plover,
Marsh Sandpiper, Bar Tailed Godwit, Woodcock, Great Snipe, Buff Breasted Sandpiper,
Baltic Gull, Greater Black Backed Gull, Caspian Tern, White Winged Black Tern,
Eagle Owl, Barn Owl, Red Throated Pipit, Rufous Bushchat, Black Eared Wheatear,
Garden Warbler, Brambling and Waxbill have all been seen.
1 - El Hondo North Gate (Half Day)
The North Gate of El Hondo is the best place in the whole area to go birding.
The number of bird species that may be seen here is staggering, at all times of
the year. This area is only open on Saturday in the morning between 0815 and 1130.
It is the place to see Spotted Eagle in the winter and Moustached Warbler
throughout the year (best in Spring).
| No. of people | Cost |
| 1 or 2 | €60 |
| 3 or 4 | €80 |
| 5+ | €100 |
1 - El Hondo Visitor Centre (Half Day)
The Visitor Centre of El Hondo, whilst not as good as the North Gate area, is
still a good place to go birding. The lagoons hold large numbers of birds,
and it is a good spot for wildlife photography. The big advantage over the
North Gate is that it is open all the time. The best time to visit is in the
morning (as early as possible) and during the week as there is quite a bit of
disturbance at weekends.
| No. of people | Cost |
| 1 or 2 | €60 |
| 3 or 4 | €80 |
| 5+ | €100 |
1 - El Hondo Boundary Roads Add-On (2 Hours)
The Boundary Roads of El Hondo have a lot of good birds. In spring and summer
the northern road can be very good for Short Toed Eagle, Montagu's Harrier
and Roller. In winter the Vistabella Road and surrounding area can be good
for larks, raptors and rarities.
This add-on price is for either the North Gate trip or the Visitor Centre trip.
| No. of people | Cost |
| 1 or 2 | €30 |
| 3 or 4 | €40 |
| 5+ | €50 |
To make a booking please E-Mail me