Laguna de Navaseca, driving North and Santander.

More wetland birding and finishing the drive North.

Pre tour day two with Brian and Jo.

Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

Jo, Brian and I headed back out to Laguna de Navaseca and parked by the second hide where we soon had a singing Savi's Warbler (Buscarla Unicolor / Locustella luscinoides) in view along with a stunning male Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) which showed well in the Tamarisks and reeds on either side of the road. 

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata).

Out on the water there were Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), 2x Black-tailed Godwits (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), 2x Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Cetti's (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Great Reed (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus) and Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus).

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata).

In the air we picked up House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus).

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata).

We drove around the rest of the pool on the tracks and enjoyed good views of Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata).

We decided to go in to Daimiel and find some food, so after a visit to Lidl we returned to the Laguna again and before we had even got out of the van we had a couple of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata) flying over and dropping down by the reeds. 

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

We got out of the van and had better views of the Sandgrouse which circled and dropped on to the mud on the margins of the pool giving us some good views next to a Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) and Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).

Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus).

As we watched these stunning birds we heard a small flock of Bearded Tit (Reedling) (Bigotudo / Panurus biarmicus) which showed really well for us and had a male Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) flyby.

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

We also saw Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser).

We drove North towards Tablas and as we drove across the fields heading there we added Short-toed (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla) and Crested Larks (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and along the Rio Guadiana Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), a Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) which only Brian saw, lots of Northern Lapwings, Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and further along the Rio near to Tablaswe made another stop picking up a breeding plumaged Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba), Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea), Collared Pratincole (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) as well as Clouded Yellow (Colias Común / Colias corcea), Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina), Small White (Pieris rapae) and by the Mill bridge at least 3 Rollers.

Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio).

From here we started the long drive North during which we added Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax) and Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus). 

Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio).

The three of us checked in at the Hotel and then went for a walk along the sea front where we had views of Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Black-headed and Yellow-legged Gulls, Common (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo) and Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis).

White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala).

Later in the evening Bob and Sophia arrived and later I picked up Judy and Mick from the Airports.

Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera).