Gijon beach, Sidra Trabanco and Llanes, Asturias.

A start on the beach with Gulls, then a tour of the Sidra factory and a drive down to Llanes.

Adult Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis).

Jayne and I headed down to the far end of the beach at Xixón (Gijón) where Jayne sat for a while reading her Kindle whilst I checked the Gulls on the beach. 

Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

Straight away I found the adult Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis) which was mixed in with loads of Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), the 1st winter Common (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus), lots of Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and a single Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis),  Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres) and Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Out on the sea there were Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and as I walked back up the road towards the car I found a Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis) sitting on a pipe in the wall, several Mallards (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and a singing male Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus).

From here we drove through the countryside to Sidra Trabanco in Lavandera, we arrived and were given a very interesting tour by one of the guys who worked in the bar there and had a tasting of the Sidra with some local cheeses and bread which went down very nicely. 

Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla).

Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla).

During the time there I saw Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) and Blue Tits (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and on the way down towards the coast Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citrinella).

Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).

Once we were on the coast we drove along motorways towards Llanes where we parked near the Harbour wall and then had a walk in to the very nice town and then out on to Punta de Guruña seeing Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula). 

Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis form lusitanius).

In the centre of town we had some lunch before walking around the streets around to the fort and then back to the harbour wall where we spent some time watching some fishermen sort out their nets and feed the fish. 

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

Whilst there we saw Razorbill, Great Cormorant, Shag, Northern Gannet, Yellow-legged, Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls. 

Very large (30.000L) casks of Sidra.

We made our way back along the coast and then had a very nice night in the bars around Gijón.

Jayne in Llanes harbour.

Llanes town and harbour.

Llanes harbour.