Santoña Area, Cantabria, Spain.

Birding around all sides of the Marismas de Santoña.

Trip to Uk, Day Thirty Nine.

Ebird List for the Hide. 

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

Andy and I headed out towards Santoña Port, on the way we started things off with Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone).

Preening Shags (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis).

We reached the Port and checked out the Jetties in the pleasure boat part and soon found Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and just before we reached the Fishing part of the Port 2 Rock Pipits (Bisbita Costero / Anthus petrosus) which flew over us calling.

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

In the port we soon found Lesser (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) and around on the far side on a long wall where there were lots of Gulls roosting at least one but probably two Herring Gulls (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) and the regular Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides) which I have now seen several time.

Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides).

Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides).

Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides).

We returned to the car and drove right around to the far side of the estuary to a spot called Campo Dunar del Regatón de Laredo, we parked and walked out into the Dunes which were covered in a Dianthus Species which looked very like Dianthus broteri.

Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides).

Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides).

As we walked out towards the Estuary again we heard and then saw a small flock of Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) as well as Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Robin.

Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla).

From the Dune bank looking out over the water I was very pleased to see 160 odd Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla), Eurasian Wigeon, Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Black-necked (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer), Sandwich Tern, Yellow-Legged and Black-headed Gulls.

Wasp / Hornets nest.

On our way back to the car we spotted a Wasp / Hornet nest in one of the trees, a spectacular looking thing but I took the pictures with the 400mm lens as I was not going to get close.

Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis).

Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis).

Our next stop was up at Playa de San Martín at the tip of the sand bar where we ha a walk finding Meadow Pipit, Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis),  a closer Black-necked Grebe and a Black-throated Diver (Colimbo Ártico / Gavia arctica) which was diving regularly in mid channel.

Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis).

Next we took some narrow tracks out to Playa del Regatón where we scanned the Estuary from a different angle adding Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta) and Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).

Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima).

Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima).

Next we retraced our way around to Santoña and spent a while scanning the low tide mudflats, channels and pools finding the male Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) in it's usual spot as well as Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and another / same Great Northern Diver which was in the pools infront of the hide catching crabs.

On our way back to the hotel we stopped by a disused Quarry and added Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) above us and several Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser) on the saltmarsh below us.

Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer).

Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer).

We returned to the hotel, I went out for a walk around the edge of the village and saw Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), later we went to a bar and had a very nice meal.