Fuente de Nava and Embalse de Aguilar, Palencia Province and Santoña area, Cantabria, Spain.

Some more birding as I travel North.

Going North and trip to UK, Day Two.

 

Dawn at Fuente de Nava.

I started the day off by heading out to Fuente de Nava and arrived in the area before first light as I was hoping for Owl species and it worked out well, as I drove on the approach road I saw a white shape perched on a road sign which stayed as I drove passed so I turned around and had very nice views of a Barn Owl (Lechuza Común / Tyto alba) in my headlights.

Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).

I continued on and parked on the first of the car parks, I put on a couple of extra layers as it was Piggin freezing before I walked out on to the short boardwalk leading to the screen over looking the reedbeds.

Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) male.

Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) male.

Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) male.

As I stood there watching the sun come up the first Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) started to get up and around along with Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and two Short-eared Owls (Buho Campestre / Asio flammeus) which were leaving there roost to feed on the fields.

Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).

Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).

As it got lighter I added Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and ust as I got back to the car I had a very smart male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) in the roadside ditch.

Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) adult.

Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) adult.

Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) adult.

Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) adult.

Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) adult.

Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) adult.

I Got back to the car and headed off North again to my second stop of the day at Embalse de Aguilar where a few days ago the second Short-billed Dowitcher (Agujeta Gris / Limnodromus griseus) for Spain had been seen but had departed so I did not expect to se it but thought I would have a look.

Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) Immature.

Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) Immature.

Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) Adult and Immature.

Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) Immature.

Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) Immature.

I did find a few waders including good numbers of Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) and Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) along with Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

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

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

Around the margins in the bushes and trees I had a female Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans) and Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) before I headed North towards Santoña adding Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and several Red Kites (Milano Real / Milvus milvus).

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

From the hide on the road into Santona I again saw the Male Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) as well as Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia) and Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus). 

Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis).

My last stop off the day before I headed to my hotel was in the Port in Santoña where I found Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis) and a Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) which sat up on one of the big light stands plucking it recent catch.

Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus).