Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Cudillero, San Esteban, Avilé and Xixón (Gijón), Asturias.

Friday 15 January 2016

Cudillero, San Esteban, Avilé and Xixón (Gijón), Asturias.

A day to the East of Gijón along the coast.

Village of Cudillero, Cudillero Harbour.

Jayne and I drove east along the coast to the sea side village of Cudillero which Jayne had found on the internet and it looked very nice. We drove over and dropped down into the nearby harbour where we had a walk along the harbour wall and out to the cross at the end.

Village of Cudillero, Cudillero Harbour.

On the way we saw Razorbill (Alca Común / Alca torda), Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

Cudillero Harbour.

We moved on into the town which was very nice but the shots on the internet had quite obviously been photoshopped a bit as it was quite a lot tattier in real life and the houses behind the front row were crumbling and a mess.

Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis) sat on a boat in the harbour.

We had a nice walk around and had a coffee and bought some pasteries before walking back to the car and got there just before the heavens opened yet again so we sat and ate our bits of pastry before heading slightly further along the coast to Cabo de Vidio and out to the light house.
On our way back towards Gijón we pulled off at San Pedro Beach and on the way down passsed through some wet woodland where I had good views of Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius) and at least two female Bullfinches (Camachuelo Común / Pyrrhula pyrrhula).

Bullfinch (Camachuelo Común / Pyrrhula pyrrhula).

Further along the track there were several Common Buzzards (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), a female Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone) and on the sand several Sanderlings (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) and Ruddy Turnstones (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

We drove back along the coast again calling in at Muros where we again had a walk along the front looking at some very large cranes which were still on the quey side. They were remains of a big coal industry that used to be important in the area.

Crane in Muros.

Later we continued on stopping on the beach at Salinas where we walked out on a path to La Pénona point where I got some nice photographs of a cracking male Black Redstart. As we walked back I spotted a strange looking contraption on the bank on the other side of the road and when we looked closer it turned out to be a pile of junk made in to several water wheels and piles.

Again moved on calling in breifly at Avila and then drove back to Gijón see both the Snow Geese (Ánsar nival / Anser coerlescens) and Whooper Swan (Cisne Cantor / Cygnus cygnus) on the banks of the Embalse.

Contraption near the beach at Salinas.

Once we were back at the hotel Jayne had a couple of house relaxing while I went for a walk down to the port and scanned the sea. In on of the bays I saw a diver quite close to shore so I tried to get some shots and it turned out to be a winter plumaged Black-throated Diver (Colimbo Ártico / Gavia arctica) a Spanish lifer.

Black Redstart at La Pénona point.

Whilst I was out I also saw a very smart Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Shag, Great Cormorant, Black-headed, Lesser Black-backed and Yellow-legged Gulls, several Razorbills and Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).