Laguna de Boada and Nava and Palencia, Palencia Province.

Heading part of the way home with another Spanish Lifer.

Greater White-fronted Geese (Ánsar Careto / Anser albifrons) and others.

We were up and out fairly early and after fetching the car and having some breakfast we started to drive to our last nights stop in Monzón de Campos just to the North of Palencia. The journey south was only notable for the rain, snow and fog but once we were over the hills and down towards León things cleared up, I did see Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus),Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax) and White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) on the way.

View over the main pool from the tower hide at Laguna de la Nava.

I had put Laguna de Boada into the Satnav and she took us there but not before we had unknowingly passed several easier ways in. The track we went along was rough to say the least and we damaged beyond repair the Plastic engine protector which we had to rip off later. Anyway once at the Laguna I scanned the area and was very pleased to find a single Tundra Bean Goose (Ánsar Campestre / Anser fabalis fabalis) on the front edge of the 200 or so Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser). in the same area I also had views of Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), a single Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), lots of Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaria) and Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) as well as Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis). I could not see any of the other Geese that had been in the area so we went a few KMs up the road to Laguna de la Nava where I checked the first hide but apart from a few Greylags and a couple of Mute Swans (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor) it was quiet so I went to the opposite end of the area and walked out to the tower hide and scanned the water and fields from there which was far more successful. On the water there were many of the species already seen along with at least 15 Greater White-fronted Geese (Ánsar Careto / Anser albifrons), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), 10+ Great White Egrets (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and on distant fields a flock of 25+ Great Bustards (Avutarda Común / Otis tarda) which was a great way to finish the days birding.

We then went into Palencia for some lunch and later went up and checked in to the very nice little hotel in Monzón de Campos called La Concordia, which was family run and very nice. 

After dropping our stuff off we went back into Palencia and spent the rest of the day there having a very pleasant wander around the city centre before going back to the Hotel. We then went into the Restaurant opposite which was run by the hotel owners brother and had some of the best food we have ever had in Spain, it was a superb way to finish the final night of our winter trip off.