Good luck with the hols Geoff -dont forget the kevlar

Seriously though to answer your question - I've never actualy been on a foreign 'birding' holiday unfortunately. I just have to fit it in around the normal family get away, and having two small children has radically reduced that option.

But, having said that I've had some remarkably good birding on cheap packages. the best was Majorca a few years ago when we stayed in Alcudia a couple of miles from S'Albufera marsh. What a place. Its well known so wont go into details about what I saw but it is brilliant as long as you avoid the tourists later in the morning on their family sized pushbike/cart contraptions.

One of the most unexpected 'good birding' occasions happened a couple of years ago when the whole family ended up going to Benalmadena (which to be honest was a nightmare for me as there just didnt seem to be any green around other than the big wheelie bins).

Anyway I soon discovered a large(ish) park close by with the usual suspects swallows swifts sardinian warblers etc. Out of desperation I decided I'd try going in the cable car up the 'mountain' at the back of the resort. Thought it might provide a raptor or two. When I eventuall got to the top there was nothing at first, then all of a sudden while watching a plane (I was bored) I noticed a Buzzard then another then a Monty's. There was a stream of raptors right back through the valley leading to a swirl with about 2-300 birds in it then a gap and another swirl. If I remember rightly I had Buzzard, Monty's Red and Black Kites, Egyptian Vulture, Bonellis, Booted and Short Toed Eagles and a couple of Sparrowhawks. In the space of half an hour they'd all gone moving up the coast to Gibraltar probably. Because I was high up I had absoluteyl crippling views of all of them, side on above below. Brilliant and all for a cheap package to costa del sol.

-- Edited by Craig H at 23:01, 2007-06-07

the missus has just picked the holiday location,malta late september and i,ve started to research the birding options i,ll have to consider for my 14 nights of 'fun' and it,s looking good for a raptor fest,let you know how i get on or if if you,ve been please tell. other sun traps i,ve birded a little salou spain,easy jaunt to ebro delta flamingos,bee eaters,kites and loads of other stuff bitez turkey,not much scops owl,shirke,but with a bit more plannning and finance caspian woodcock,wallcreeper were just a 2 hour journey away oulo deniz turkey,lots of small unidentified flirters,kingfishers and birds of prey(babdag mountain)is accessable from this resort. al tinkum turkey,bafa lake is an hours scooter ride from here but it,s huge and if you,ve no clothes on you,ll come back skeletal cos of the midges,but i did manage distant views of flamingo,one on one with egrets,kingfisher and loads of waders that i,ve still to identify were,ve you been on the cheap cheers geoff