30/dic/2015 We were lucky to provide a guided tour for two british "birdwatchers", Liz and Raymond...

30/dic/2015
We were lucky to provide a guided tour  for two british  "birdwatchers", Liz  and Raymond, in our last tour in 2015.
They had been in our area before but never spending a whole birding day in Albufera.
We picked them in Denia and our first goal was stop in Cullera cape where try to observe seabirds like Balearic Shearwater,  Audouin’s and Yellow-legged Gulls and Sandwich Tern.
Later we add some mountain species like Blue Rock Thrush, Crag Martin, Sardinian and Dartford Warblers,  Common Kestrel and some finches (Serin, Goldfinch and Greenfinch).
After a little stop for having a hot coffee we continue travelling  for the rice fields to search some of our other "target species" of the day.
Amazing sightings in this area were a huge grupe of Swamp Hens in the middle of  floaded paddy fields  and  dozens of Marsh Harriers which were delightfull for Liz, passionate of raptors. In addition, a non-aquatic bird,  Stonechat, was and exciting sighting  as well,  because Ray had never seen it before.
But the highlights were:
- an unspected pair of  Squacco Herons,  that remain in this unusual winter in the rice fields instead of migrate to Africa,  
-a fantastic encounter with one of the most enigmatic birds of the Natural Park for its irregular presence and their atypical habits  to be a nocturnal bird of prey: the Short-eared owl
- the Bittern. We had to be patience to observe it and, even though, we can’t say it was a calm observation, but we got Ray wrote down another “first time” in his list.
We also struggled to find the Glossy Ibis and only had a far sighting of Flamingos but we wanted to have a look to the lake and mark some ducks in our check list (Red Crested Pochard, Pochard, Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Common Teal and Shelduck and Ferrugineus Duck).
 And  finally we visited the sand bar that separates the lake from the sea: La Devesa, with different habitats like pine forest and coastal dunes.  Some new species there (tits, Short-toed Treecreeper, Larks,...) and one of the most beautiful moments of the day: a beautiful Common Kestrel in action capturing  insects and and eating them while flying. 
Our last bird seen was a beautiful Booted Eagle that ended our check- list in a final figure of 62 birds observed.
Before returning home  we could see one of the wonderful sunsets on the lagoon which was preceded by watching 
I want to thank Liz and Ray for trusting us and I wish we could meet again in the mountanin ranges of Valencia