BirdingInSpain.com Clients Feedback

Thanks for yet another great trip; we enjoyed the relaxed and exploratory itinerary, the varied landscapes and the friendly, well-chosen hotels. I was fascinated by the massive granite stonework around Hoyorredondo and loved the nocturnal soundscape of cowbells and stork-clatter at Camasobres. We had good luck on the day up at Fuente De, with great views of birds we'll never see here while in a stupendous landscape unlike any in the UK. It made a change to have the picnic raided by Alpine Choughs rather than Herring Gulls. I still want to know more about those basilica-topped silos at Madrigal de Los Altas Torres and am marvelling at how far you backed out of that laguna at wherever-it-was. I make it 138 species plus loads of butterflies. Thanks for all the help with songs & calls for the former and diligent reference for the latter- on my own I'd have given most a shrug. It was interesting to learn the Spanish bird names too though, as I said at the time, I'd have been wiser to have applied myself to the phrase book. Never mind... Although you've done it before, guiding just one couple for a week is pretty close proximity, so I hope that for the most part we were tolerable or even agreeable company and thank you again for your thoughtful preparation and good company.

Thanks very much for a fantastic Winter Wallcreeper tour. It was a great success. The pick-ups, drop-offs, accomodation and food, and the lunchtime pic-nics and transport from site to site were all organised very well and very relaxed, comfortable and enjoyable. And the birds were even better than expected. Fantastic views of Wallcreeper and Lammergeier on several occasions. Watching the Lammergeier preening for over an hour was very impressive and your ability to find it on the rock face even more impressive. Great views also of Golden Eagles, Little Bustards, Ferruginous Duck, Goshawk. We missed out on the Bonelli's Eagle but were compensated with the Long-legged Buzzard. Thanks a lot. And I may see you on the Ebro in spring.

We’ve had a great time birding in Spain. Thank you for taking care of us. We surely had some good birds and so many species! More than we’ve hoped for. I’m very happy with the four new species Duponts and Moustached Warbler in particular made me very happy. Next time I’ll come later in the season to see the bee-eaters and rollers and all the other warblers!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Those words seem hardly enough to express Lucy and my true satisfaction with our birding trip. Your expert guiding and the friendship developed over the past 12 days has made this such a memorable experience for us. It has given us lots of stories to be retold with our friends, both birders and non-birders. Your knowledge of the birds, their habitats, behaviour, calls, size, shape and overall gizz are amazing. While your up close eyesight is suspect (Ha!Ha!Ha!) your distance vision is outstanding. Many times you spotted our target through your bins when the bird was so far off we needed the scope to verify. You helped fill the hours of driving by your knowledge about Spanish history (eg Civil War) or town vs city (it's not a city unless it has a cathedral). We have enjoyed hearing about your life (background, pre-Spain, pre-marriage, etc) plus learning about Florinda, Alex and David. We feel we know you much better for that. Positive review on your driving too as Lucy often gets motion sick and needs to be a front seat rider. The choices of lodgings were excellent. We enjoyed the unique features of each. Rest assured that we will spread positive reviews of your services to our friends and on social media. We want you to know that we truly appreciate all you did in the pre-planning of our trip so as to meet our expectations. In fact we can say you exceeded them!

We’ve had two previous, very successful, trips to Spain with Steve West of Birding in Spain (Asturias & Cantabria and Navarra & Aragón) so when we started thinking of a visit to Extremadura we naturally asked Stave to plan a two-week trip to suit our interests and preferred way of seeing wildlife (slow and easy all the way). He suggested 8 nights in Extremadura and 6 nights further north in and around the Gredos mountains to give a mix of habits and species and it all worked perfectly. As usual we didn’t concentrate entirely on birds and weren’t trying to see everything that flies, so while our bird list was a very satisfactory 162 species it also included good sightings of Roe, Red and Fallow deer, Iberian hare, Spanish Ibex, and mammals we weren’t so pleased to see – rabbits and mongoose. His familiarity with the areas got us to the right places so we could enjoy a wealth of wildlife including butterflies, moths, reptiles, amphibians, plants and, of course, fabulous birds.

Steve - Everything was perfect on our birding adventure! The accommodations were exceptional, and the food was great. Your expert birding knowledge combined with your knowledge of the area made our trip a success. We enjoyed meeting and getting to know your lovely wife and children as well. Thank you for making this service available. We will recommend you to our many birding friends.

I couldn't have asked for or wanted a better guide. You not only showed me the birds, but you also educated me on their behaviours and habits. I also appreciated your knowledge of the history of the areas we toured. And your passion and love of birds and birding is so evident. I could never thank you enough for such a wonderful experience.

Peter and I really enjoyed these birding days with you. We have seen a lot of new birds and have learned a lot from you about birds, their behaviour, their habitats, etc. It’s always a pleasure to be on excursion with you. Thank you for all the unforgettable sightings!

Hi, just wanted to say thank you again for a wonderful birding tour on Sunday. My mission was to see a Wallcreeper, and while I was so impressed with your knowledge of so many other birds and their songs, I really had tunnel vision on the Wallcreeper. Well, mission accomplished!

Made it back in one piece, can't say the same for all the souvenirs though. Hahaha! Wanted to send you a note and say how much I appreciated your flexibility, especially as circumstances evolved and changed. Face-to-face interaction proved decisive—and though it didn't look good for expected time of arrival at Barcelona, everything worked out perfectly! Your extensive bird knowledge (and patience with someone not as versed) was a big plus. Hope to see you on a future trip!

Thank You Steve, for an incredible birding experience. Over two days, our very keen son saw over 90 new species in Spain. But the mere counting of species does not do justice to the experience. The diversity of habitats, the sense of when to linger and when to move on, the chance to enjoy not just the spotting of a bird, but observe its habits, discuss its migration, consider its appearance in relation to the time of year. As a bonus, we enjoyed your easy and quick rapport with our family, your punctuality, lunches and coffee at local diners that gave us a sense for life in the towns we were passing through. You also graciously and patiently answered our questions about Spain itself, Spanish politics, and not infrequently the conversation would circle back to the birds we were seeking to observe, who are not immune to the movements, migrations, and decisions of the human community. We also picked up loads of information about the flora and fauna we were encountering alongside the birds. I will enthusiastically recommend your services to anyone seeking a first rate birding experience in Spain.

Steve,Thank you, thank you, thank you! Those words seem hardly enough to express Lucy and my true satisfaction with our birding trip. Your expert guiding and the friendship developed over these past 12 days have made this such a memorable experience for us. It has given us lots of stories to be retold with our friends, both birders and non-birders. Your knowledge of the birds, their habitats, behaviours, calls, size, shape and overall gizz are amazing. While your close up eyesight is suspect (Ha! Ha! Ha!) your distance vision is outstanding. Many times you spotted our target through the bins when the bird was so far off we needed the scope to verify. You helped fill the hours of driving by sharing your knowledge about Spanish history (re Civil War) or town vs city (it’s not a city unless it has a cathedral). We have enjoyed hearing about your life (background, pre-Spàin, pre-marriage etc) plus learning about Florinda, Alex and David. We feel we know you much better for that. Positive reviews on your driving too as Lucy often gets motion sick and needs to be a front seat rider. The choices of lodging were excellent. We enjoyed the unique features of each. Rest assured that we will spread positive reviews of your services to our friends and on social media. We want you to know that we truly appreciate all that you did in the pre-planning for our trip so as to meet our expectations. In fact we can say you exceeded them! We hope we can travel with you again should the occasion rise such as another cycling trip next year. Best wishes to you and all your family for health and prosperity.

Many thank for a fantastic birding photo trip in Catalonia. From the first contact up to the accommodation and food everything was perfect and very well organised, in a professional manner. Cherry on the cake the lammergeiers were present, and I came back home to France with beautiful pictures.

We had a lovely time and so enjoyed not only seeing so unexpectedly many birds, loads of them for the first time, but also being in your expert, excellent and inspiring company. We are all fired up to learn more about birds now and both regret not having started 50 years earlier. Thank you also for your book. I read the first two chapters aloud in the car (as part of the in-car entertainment system for the driver!), and we both really enjoyed them.

I cannot say enough about our two-day birding trip with Steve--it exceeded our expectations in so many ways! Steve thoughtfully planned our time in the Ebro Delta and surrounding area. He was always on time, took us to the birding hotspots, provided lots of information not only on the the birds we were seeing but also on Catalonia, was a pleasure to be around by providing good conversation and lots of laughs, gave us great hotel and restaurant recommendations, and even drove us to the train station with our bags so we wouldn't be late (or catch the wrong train)! We couldn't imagine a better guide and sincerely hope we will make it to Spain again, and arrange another birding trip with Steve! If you're looking for a guide look no further (seriously)!

Dear Steve, Just a short message to say many thanks again for your excellent guiding services over the last few days. We really enjoyed our time with you and benefitted from your superb field skills and knowledge and feel privileged to have been shown your adopted country. And it was great fun to be with you.

Just returned from our 3rd trip and now planning a 4th Steve West has produced another excellent 5 day tour, this time to Extremadura in winter. Great hotel, all our target birds found. 1,000s of Common Cranes, up close to Vultures and the stunning Spanish Imperial Eagle. As always Steve was good company, patience, has excellent knowledge and all that with a sense of humour.

Hello Steve and Florinda! We're back in Arizona, rested up and ready to travel to Wyoming for the rest of the summer. I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for the Marvelous May trip we recently went on with you. Everything worked out perfectly - the birding was excellent, the hotels and food were wonderful, and we enjoyed everyone's friendship and companionship while we were on the tour. I really appreciate that you were able to accommodate our needs when necessary. It was truly one of the highlights of our lives!!! I will post a few pictures when we get to WY and get settled in. Thanks so much!

Just a quick note to thank you for your assistance in making the necessary arrangements for my recent trip. In short it was exceptional! Alongside the actual trip itself I have to commend you on your cooperation and communication in its preparation, it was a pleasure to be able to deal with competent and professional people...often something of a rarity these days.

Unlike some of the others on the trip, this was my first time birding in another country, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. However, the fact that it was so enjoyable was undoubtedly due to being in the company of you both. From the moment you picked us up from the airport, we knew we were in good hands. Your bird knowledge Steve, I found to be extraordinary, and I would never have seen my 52 “lifers” without your help. Also, many thanks to you both for your help with Spanish translation and pronunciation. I am now seriously considering looking for a local Spanish conversation class. All the very best to you both, and I hope we get the opportunity to meet again in the not too distant future.

We’ve just come back from a fantastic 7 days “Marvellous May” birding trip with Steve and Florinda in NE Spain. From our first contact to our final goodbyes at the airport, we were treated with friendly professionalism. Steve’s knowledge of bird identification is outstanding (particularly his identification by call) and his brilliant local knowledge of good bird sites enabled us to “tot up” a trip list of over 190 species including some difficult and much sought after birds, such as Dupont’s Lark, Sandgrouse and Alpine Accentor to name but a few. The hotel accommodation, in all three locations we visited, were well run and friendly with good food and well stocked bars! Would I recommend using BirdingInSpain and Steve for a guided birdwatching holiday? Yes, in a heart beat !

Our trip to Iceland with you was hotly anticipated and it didn't disappoint. Thanks you for organising such an interesting itinerary. The scenery was magnificent as were the birds, seals, whales, etc. The Golden Plover sitting on a little mound while we all took photos was a particular highlight for me as was the Gyr Falcon and Great Northern Diver close to shore, but there were too many great sightings to list them all. We enjoyed the local food and our accommodation in various beautiful locations was perfect. As usual you delivered, Steve. Thank you and Florinda.

In September 2018, together with my non birding son, I went on a 10 day tour of Iceland led by Steve West of Birding In Spain. Steve worked tirelessly to find the birds and we had a very successful birding trip. He also managed to incorporate all the important ‘tourist sites’ and general wildlife into our trip. A very successful tour on a magical island that catered for everyone. We even got the Northern Lights. This was my third birding trip with Steve, he remains my first choice for guided trips

Many, many thank’s for a great week with BirdingInSpain. Well organized tour from start to finish, relaxed but still active birding days, very nice travel companions, an inspiring and knowledgable tour leader, fantastic sceneries, comfortable hotels and then of course all the great birds. Personally I recorded 185 different birds whereof almost 60 new species. To M. almost all birds were new and also she enjoyed her first birding tour. Would be nice to get together again for new birding adventures - please keep us informed about your future tours.

Thank you for putting together a most wonderful birding experience!

Three mates and I had a fantastic tour with Birding in Spain seeing 150+ species including all our targets including Bonelli’s Eagles, both Bustards and Wallcreeper. Steve West’s knowledge of the birds of the area is formidable, as are his call recognition skills. I remember one time he simultaneously identified by call three birds which sure enough popped into view. He’s also very good company. Great accommodation and comfortable vehicle. Later in the year I did their Lammergeier photography trip, which Florinda organised for me to perfection.

I travel frequently as vice president of the outdoor apparel company Patagonia, and when I can, I add a day to business trips for birding. I found Steve by a Google search, and I couldn’t have had a better day outside of Barcelona. Steve is an expert guide, but equally if not more importantly, an enjoyable companion. I’ll be coming back!

We both thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip with Steve who was an excellent guide, very helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. The area was stunning and the birding very rewarding for both the experienced and novice birder.

The 3 days in the bird hides were the highlight of my European trip and I'll treasure the memories. You organised everything brilliantly and I enjoyed meeting you and spending time with you.

Steve was excellent - very knowledgeable and quite an exceptional 'ear'for bird calls - if he were a Shearwater, would have no problem finding his nest in the dark!!

I have arranged 2 group trips with Steve, his patience in the planning stage and helpful suggestions, have made for 2 very successful and enjoyable trips. He worked very hard to find all our target birds on both trips, from Wallcreeper to Lammergeier in the mountains and Bustards to Sandgrouse on the plains. Always good humoured and very knowledgeable, not only on birds, but, butterflies, local history and culture. Now considered more of a friend than a guide to the North Herts Birders. We look forward to the next trip. Thank you for making it fun!

Thanks again for a great birding adventure and for sharing your knowledge. I particularly enjoyed the first day and the beautiful landscape in which the birds live ... Reading your book prior to the trip was a nice introduction to your area and the birds there.

Just wanted to drop you a line to thank you for an excellent trip. We both had a great time and the birding was excellent. Your choice of hotels was excellent and we would be happy to use them again.

We wanted to tell you again what a great experience it was birding with you while we were in Spain a couple of weeks ago. It was certainly one of the highlights of our family vacation.

Just to let you know we had a great time last week. I have rather a lot of shots to go through, Rollers stole the show for us this time, so we will have to come back for some Bee Eaters! Thanks for everything, roll on next time.

On behalf of a group of Aussies I would say that we thoroughly enjoyed the diverse landscapes and birds of Spain in the excellent company of Steve West. Steve combined film star looks [see Ben Kingsley in the ‘Birder’s Guide to Everything’], a great knowledge of the birds and their calls, care with selecting appropriate food and accommodation and patience to ensure our group had a great Spanish experience. Cheers and thanks again for a great trip!

Thanks again for such a great trip! We both thoroughly enjoyed the birding, the scenic wonders and, as ever, your company. ...Hope it's not too long before we see you again.

Thank you so much for taking us out, it was such a lovely day- We appreciate it.

We really did have a great time and appreciated all your hard work on our behalf - the hotel was great and the area stunning, we are still boasting to anyone who will listen about the variety and number of different birds we saw!

A good time was had by all - thanks for a successful inaugural tour of Spain’s natural areas. From my perspective it was just the right mix of birds, nature, and culture.

Thank you ever so much for your wonderful guiding which practically completed my entire wish-list! My trip was so successful and significant birdwise that I decided to write a report. I look forward to further birding adventures with you., , Book: I read your book completely and enjoyed it a lot. There is a lot of relevant information about the birds themselves, about conservation issues, and there is much humour and insight into human relations of birders and their guides and people at large. Congratulations!

Steve - thank you for your wonderful work in showing me all of my target species while in Aragon. Your knowledge of the area and the bird species, as well as your knowledge of Spanish history and Spain's birds in general are tremendous. I really appreciate all of your hard work at trying to find the birds - I could have never found what we saw in 2 days in 2 weeks had I been on my own.

Once again, thanks for your excellent & expert guiding on 16th/17th April, thoroughly enjoyed by all of us. The highlights for me at least were Dupont’s Lark, Bonellis Eagle, the Penduline tits & the Black winged Kite.

Huge thanks for your kindness and expertise especially in our journey in Lleida’s habitats and its fine and also endemic bird species, just what we had dreamed before in Finland. Fantastic.

Hi Steve, great trip. Really loved Spain as well as the birds. Have told all my friends best way to see Spain is to do a birding trip with you…thanks for your great company sense of humour and of course, the birds. Glad you liked the books. Cheers. Karen