Many thanks to Malcolm Palmer (El Presidente) for all his hard work compiling these site guides, although at the moment they are fairly basic it is our hope to expand on them and make them as concise as possible.

CLOT DE GALVANY

The Clot (the word means 'depression' or something like that in Valenciano) is situated between the busy N332 coast road between El Altet and Santa Pola, and the coast itself, where the burgeoning urbanisations of Santa Pola (Gran Alacant) and Elche (Los Arenales) almost meet. Here the coast road runs along the beach southwards from the resort of Arenales, and, just before the steep climb up to Gran Alacant, you can take a right, and find yourself adjacent to the visitor centre of the reserve, where there is an ample picnic area and parking space, and from where a nature trail is laid out.

The 'Monitors' there will usually be on hand to provide information, in the form of leaflets, but opening hours are not always predictable, and English is not necessarily either spoken or available in written form. It may be best to drive a little way inland along the same road, and park where there is an obvious gap in the fence.

From here you can walk to the right and obtain access to two hides. One overlooks the excellent Charco de Contacto, which has resident Purple Gallinule, and is often host to Marbled & White-headed Ducks as well as many other species. The other one is much newer, and it is hoped the pool will attract waders – this remains to be seen.

 The whole area around here is covered in good scrub, which attracts many small birds, and Wryneck and Iberian Green Woodpecker are frequent. Walking either left or straight on leads you into a well sign-posted four kilometre circuit of the whole reserve – a fine walk, especially in spring, when you may well see Rufous Bushchat and other rare species. A lot depends upon water levels, which in turn depend upon rainfall, but there is permanent water at some points – these are the best places to see White-headed Duck.

SANTA POLA SALINAS

To write a guide to the Santa Pola Salinas is almost superfluous, as you can't, in fact, miss them! Just drive down the awful N332 (beware – one of Spain's most notorious roads for accidents) southwards from Santa Pola, and you cross the shallow salt-pans, which have been producing salt since Roman times.

Two companies currently work the pans, and you will pass under the gantry of the first, and largest, the Bras del Port works, soon after leaving Santa Pola. If, indeed, instead of doing this, you turn left just before the great piles of salt and park, you can walk along the coastal grasslands and a length of relatively unspoiled beach – which, however, is often the place for nudists (binoculars may be an embarrassment!) This area is frequently the winter haunt of Richard's Pipit.

Back to the coast road, and park where the old tower has been disgracefully 'restored.' Here you should lock up and take great care of your belongings, as elsewhere in this area, but a good long look should result in views of Slender-billed Gull, Osprey and Sandwich Tern, whilst many other species are always possible, including Great White Egret and Spoonbill. Another stop, opposite to the entrance to the smaller Bon Mati saltworks requires great care, but should reveal good numbers of waders, and you will often find big flocks of Shelduck here, as well as impressive numbers of Avocet, Greater Flamingo and Black tailed Godwits.

No internal access to the Salinas is permitted, which is, on balance, no bad thing, in view of the sensitive nature of the breeding species, but, with patience, most birds can be seen from the neighbourhood of the road.

A preview can, incidentally, be obtained, in the form of a walk around the 'salt museum's' reserve on the outskirts of Santa Pola. Depending upon water-levels, the pools at the opposite side of the road can hold good wader numbers, too.

EL PINET SALINAS & BEACH

This area, although contiguous with Santa Pola Salinas, it belongs administratively to Elche. The Ayuntamiento have in recent years seen fit to build a huge urbanisation right up to the edge of the disused Salinas, but, as if to compensate, the Valencian Community has financed, with not a little help from EC funds, a new reserve, on which islands have been constructed, for breeding Common, Little & Whiskered Terns, Avocets, Kentish Plovers and Collared Pratincole. There is a good boardwalk, plagued, however, by dog-walkers and other noisy people, and the odd badly-constructed hide, seemingly designed for dwarves! Mediterranean Gulls have started to breed recently in the area, and, at passage times, anything can turn up.

The reserves is accessed from La Marina, by turning off the N332 coast road into that village, and heading down to the beach, then taking a left turn, and parking, leaving nothing on view in your car!

The sea itself is worth a look, especially in the winter months, as the bay here is fish-rich, and is often visited by big numbers of Balearic Shearwaters, and smaller representations of Razorbills, Gannets and other species, including divers, scoter and even skuas.

RIO VIÑALOPÓ

The River Viñalopó is, in fact, a stream which runs practically the length of Alicante Province, from north to south, discharging into the sea between Santa Pola and La Marina.

The little section treated here is approached by road. Leaving Santa Pola on the Elche road, after a couple of kilometres you reach a roundabout in front of an enormous 'Night Club.' Here take a left, and take the road for a good few kilometres, to just past the next roundabout, where the busy road crosses the eponymous stream.

Here everything depends upon water-levels. If there is just a little mud showing, waders can be very good, with Temminck's Stint virtually certain at almost any season, and Little Ringed Plover breeding. Bluethroat and Grey Wagtail winter, as do Common Snipe and other species. If what you see is a rushing torrent, or the whole lot is chocked up with vegetation, don't waste a lot of time!

EL HONDO – RESERVE AND ENVIRONS

The major wetland reserve of El Hondo ('the deep') de Elche is of international importance, both as a breeding site for rare and endangered species, and as a wintering and migration site.

In order to obtain visiting permission to the reserve itself, it is essential to call at the reserve's Visitor Centre, situated near the hamlet off San Felipe Neri, just outside Catral. The Centre is well signposted, and is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., then again from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., but not on Mondays. You can also obtain access by telephoning – 96 667 85 15 – and giving a day or two's notice. The helpful staff speak a modicum of English.

At the Centre itself, a pool sometimes holds waders, whilst a reedbed is a summer site for the small herons. A boardwalk takes you around the edge of a big lake, where grebes and duck are to be seen, and, in summer, Collared Pratincole breed. Glossy Ibis are frequent in the area.

Once you are able to enter the reserve, several hides are available, as well as a very good observation-platform, and a good variety of birds can be seen year-round, with winter or early spring possibly the best times, as raptors are numerous.

Outside the reserve, the road immediately to the south (known as the Vistabella Road) has many good vantage points. From here many raptors have been seen, including such rarities as Long-legged Buzzard, Lanner Falcon, Spotted Eagle, Black-shouldered Kite and Red-footed Falcon, whilst the fields across the road are annually visited by Dotterel, Little Bustard, Common Crane and sometimes Red-throated Pipit.

The whole area repays frequent watching, at almost all seasons of the year.

THE ISLAND OF TABARCA

This is a migration 'hot-spot' well worth a visit at appropriate times, and best in late April or September/October. If you can go the day after some dirty weather, so much the better! With luck, the island may well be teeming with small birds – if your luck isn't in, you can have a nice walk!

The first boat normally leaves Santa Pola at 10 a.m., though boats also run from Alicante and Torrevieja. These last are slower and later options, however, and Santa Pola is always favourite.

The sea-trip is usually uneventful, but, if it gets breezy, a few Balearic Shearwaters can show up to enliven the trip back. Once you arrive at the island, the best option is to head left into the prickly pear area under the old tower (with breeding Pallid Swifts), then out to the eastern tip of the island, before anyone else does and flushes all the birds!

 If there has been a 'fall' you will have a lot of hard work identifying warblers and chats in the thick cover. Another good area is around the church, where palm trees can hold a surprising variety of migrants. Check off-shore rocks for gulls, terns and waders, and, if it blows a little, seabirds occasionally come close to the eastern end of the island.

 Bottle nosed Dolphins are also occasionally seen here.

THE SIERRA DE CREVILLENTE

To try and develop a site guide to this long and complex range is not likely to meet with success.

The best that can be said is that the range acts as something of a guideline for migrating birds, especially raptors, as they head north or south on their annual travels. Then the few breeding raptors in the sierra (Currently 3 pairs of Bonelli's Eagles and 2 of Peregrines being the most notable) are stirred into action, as are resident Ravens. The Sierra is also home to several pairs of the newly-colonised Trumpeter Finches, which are in a remote area above Albatera, where there are also Rock Sparrow, Roller and, under the canal bridges, several pairs of Red-rumped Swallows.

Various pairs of Eagle Owl are to be found by insomniacs, as are Little & Scops Owls in some valleys, and Bee-eaters, Black-eared & Black Wheatears, Blue Rock Thrush, Crag Martin, Alpine Swift all breed. Recent colonising attempts by parties of Red billed Chough may have met with success. The energetic walker may well find something new in this largely under-watched area.

LAGUNAS DE LA MATA & TORREVIEJA

The Laguna de la Mata is administered as a Nature Reserve, the Visitor Centre being readily accesible from the N332 road just north of Torrevieja. Here information and leaflets are usually available, and a well-marked trail starts.

The lagoon is some way away, and a pleasant walk down to it through fields can be rewarding at migration times. A hide overlooks an island where terns both nest and rest, and many waders may be seen. Walking around the lagoon to the south, a good wooded are is often host to flycatchers, orioles and warblers at passage times, whilst adjoining shores are often worth scouring for more waders. In winter the numbers of Black-necked Grebes on the lagoon can be impressive. Another hide is close to the reedbed at the far, Montesinos end of the lagoon, approached from a small parking area, where car-theft is endemic, as in this whole area! This part of the lake is the best spot for waders and terns, and a pair of Montagu's Harriers is often to be seen. The area between the two salt-lakes used to be excellent for Stone Curlew and larks, and they are still to be found where ever there is no housing development. The very saline Torrevieja lagoon has a small breeding population of Audouin's Gulls on its margins, and is visited by large numbers outside the breeding season. A reedbed at the inland end can also be worth checking out.

SAN PEDRO SALINAS

The salinas of San Pedro del Pinatar require little in the way of a guide. Simply follow signs out of the town, to the northern 'pincer' of the Mar Menor, and you will find, when you have gone as far as you can go, a car-park on the left-hand side, with a boardwalk down to the beach.

It is worth checking out the beach for Whimbrel, Grey Plover and Turnstone, as well as small birds in the reeds on the way down, then it's back to the car-park, and work your way back along the road on another boardwalk, with a big lagoon on your right. I

n winter, this holds Pintail and other duck, as well as some good waders, and raptors often pass by. The larger salt-pans further back have good Greater Flamingo and Avocet numbers, as well as a lot of Slender-billed Gulls. Collared Pratincole breed here, and almost anything can turn up

THE MAR MENOR

This is more than just one site, and can best be dealt with under four main headings:-

A) Las Urrutias. This is a big, desolate area of 'set-aside' land just north of the village of that name. Always worth a look, it holds Lesser Short-toed Lark, is good in winter for a variety of larks and finches, as well as harriers. You may well find something else there!

B) Mar de Cristal Salinas. A small saltworks just outside Cabo de Palos, reached from a complicated junction off the dual carriageway: Very good for Audouin's & Slender-billed Gulls, as well as waders.

C) Cabo de Palos. Can be a good spot for sea-watching in the right weather.

D) Calblanque. This is the area of the south coast below La Manga Golf Club, with a 'wild' beach and an old saltworks. Excellent for migrants. A big cliff up on the right has a pair of Bonelli's Eagles, and Ravens are about too. You can see almost anything here. Beware of car-theft!