Gijón, Asturias, Spain.

Start of a few days in Gijón, a town with memories.

Iglesia de San Pedro.

I left Porras after loading the car and making sure all was tidy for Elena the owner and heade West to Gijón but shortly after leaving the rain started and it threw it down for most of the day.

I arrived and as I could not check in until 14.00 I parked by the Rio Piles and walked out onto the sea front and took the paseo del muro de san lorenzo around to the right for a couple of KM or so, on the way I saw Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Black-headed  (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).

The rain just kept getting heavier and I was absolutly soaked so I rang the Hotel Santa Rosa and they kindly said I could check in a couple of hours early, I got the room sorted and then later at about 15.30 I noticed tha it had just about stopped raining so I went out again and walked out on to the Paseo by the Iglesia de San Pedro and walked the 4 KM or so back to Mirador Paseo Litoral where I had been this morning and back again via the Parque Isabel La Católica where I checked the pools.

On the Paseo I found a roost of around 40 Ruddy Turnstones and mixed in with them were 14 Purple Sandpipers (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritima) a species I had hoped to find at this spot.

In the park I added Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) and a good number of Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) which were coming into roost. All of these species appeared to be wild which was more than could be said for many of the wildfowl on the pool, several of which are on the Spanish list and would be lifers but don't think I would get away with it.

I made my way back to the hotel and almost made it back before the rain started again, I returned to my room were I got a phone call and my plans had to change.