Santoña area, Cantabria, Spain.

A rather damp day on the estuary and around the Port.

Going North and trip to UK, Day Three.

Ebird List first visit to hide.

Ebird List second visit to hide. 

Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica).

I got up and headed back to the Observatorio de La Arenilla near Santoña as it was raining and I thought it would be a good spot to sit out the showers. 

Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus).

Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica).

Whilst there I saw Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica), Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) as well as others, see list above.

A returning fishing boat.

Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis).

The weather cleared a bt so I went down to the Port and had a walk round checking through the Gull species finding Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) as well as Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).

The approaching rain.

The weather closed in rapidly so I decided to get a sandwich from a nearby bar and take it with me for a longer session in the Hide. 

Ready for some birding.

I arrived at the hide and set up along side a Spanish birder who had been there for a while, during this visit I saw a lot of the birds I had seen earlier in the morning but added quite a few more species including the Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) which flew in from the estuary and started to feed in one of the muddy channels. 

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) Phonescope pic.

Other species seen included an Immature Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus) and Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa). Other species on the Link above. 

Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) male.

Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) male.

Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) male.

Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) male.

Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) male.