Santander, Puerto Deportivo, Marismas Blancas, Barrio la Raba, travelling to Fuente de and at Fuente de.

A day along the coast and then into the mountains.

Pico's Day One.

Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo).

After a very nice breakfast at the Hotel Chiqui we had a walk along the sea front seeing the Common Terns (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes).

Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo).

We headed just along the coast where we checked out some pools along side the runways of the Santander Airport, on the smaller pool we had a pair of Mute Swans (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), one of which was sat on a nest, Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), a female type Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) which was carrying prey, House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti).

The Hotel.

On the Causeway between the two Pools we had a Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and several Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor). On the second bigger lagoon there was a group of summer plumaged Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), 3x Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), a single Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), a couple more Mute Swans, Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), 3x Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and right down at the far end of the pool singles of Common and Gull-billed Terns (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), a young Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus) on the far bank amonst the reeds, Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), a fly over Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) and as we walked back to Van a male Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus) flew passed us and out into the reeds.

View from the sea front.

We moved on down the road to the port where we parked and checked the perimeter fence adding Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), a family of Black Redstarts (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and in an area of grass Green-veined White (Pieris napi), Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshalli), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Small White (Pieris rapae), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and as we walked over to the waters edge and scanned the Estuary an Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus) flew over head scattering all the Common Terns. 

Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor).

We jumped back on to the motorway but were soon off again at a freshwater pool and tidal lagoon called Las Marismas Blancas where we had a look at the largest of the lakes and saw a pair of Mute Swans with four cignets, more Mallards, Common Pochards, Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), a surprising male Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula) which is normally only a winter visitor, Little Grebe, Eurasian Coot, plenty of Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) flying in to the reedbeds and whilst I waited by the van the others went to have a walk around the rest of the reserve but they did not pick up much new.

Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus).

Whilst I was waiting I picked up Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Blue / Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea), Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Clouded Yellow (Colias Común / Colias corcea), Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris), Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi), Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Musk Mallow (Malva moschata), White Clover (Trifolium repens), Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), Self heal (Prunella vulgaris) and Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca).

Green-veined White (Pieris napi).

Once the others returned we had a female Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) out amongst the Eurasian Coots, four Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus) which flew in and over the road on the tidal part of the area we we saw more Common Terns and a summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa) which flew in.

Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans).

We again moved on around the estuary where we had a walk along a track on the southern shore, in the sky above us we had a group of Black Kites with a Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) soaring with them.

Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi).

As we walked we also had Little Egret, Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Black-headed Gull, Carrion Crow, Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Great Tit, a singing Melodious Warbler (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta) and way out on the estuary Shag and a pair of Great Crested Grebes (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).

Musk Mallow (Malva moschata).

We started our drive out towards Fuente De with Bob seeing a Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) from the van, we stopping for some lunch in Unquera seeing Barn Swallow, House Martin, Common Swift, Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Mallards.

Field Eryngium (Eryngium campestre).

As we dropped south we made a stop along the Rio Deva and found Mouflon (Ovis orientalis), Griffon (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Song Thrush, Grey Wagtail and Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla).

Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae).

Once we were through Potes we made another stop and found an Immature Dipper (Mirlo Acuático / Cinclus cinclus) further on along the Rio Deva.

Purple Gromwell (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum).

We arrived at the Hotel in Fuente de and checked in, later we went for a walk across the meadows at the back and down the spring that I am guessing is the beginning of the Deva, on the fields we found Field Eryngium (Eryngium campestre), Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum), Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) and a stunning male Red-backed Shrike (Alcaudón Dorsirrojo / Lanius collurio) which showed well for us.

Pyrenean Germander (Teucrium pyrenaicum).

On a back as we walked towards the woods we had Purple Gromwell (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum), Mediterranean Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), Pyrenean Germander (Teucrium pyrenaicum), Rabbits bread (Andryala integrifolia), Yellow Rockrose (Helianthemum nummularium) and Man Orchid (Orchis anthropophora).

Comma (Polygonum c-album).

In the woodlands we had  Speckled Wood, Comma (Polygonum c-album), Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Cleopatra (Cleopatra / Gonepteryx cleopatra), Nottingham Catchfly (Silene nutans), Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca), Hedgerow Cranesbill (Geranium pyrenaicum), Wood Avens (Geum urbanum), Greater Yellow-rattle (Rhinanthus angustifolius), Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus), White Flax (Linum perenne), Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), Greater Masterwort (Astrantia major), Woodruff (Galium odoratum), Tuberous comfrey (Symphytum tuberosum), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs). 

Greater Masterwort (Astrantia major).

We returned to the hotel, freshened up and went down for a nice evening meal.

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

Tuberous comfrey (Symphytum tuberosum).

Greater Yellow-rattle (Rhinanthus angustifolius).

Man Orchid (Orchis anthropophora).