Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Driving North, Observatorio De Aves De La Arenilla, Santoña Port and Mirador Montehano, Santoña, Cantabria, Spain.

Tuesday 13 December 2022

Driving North, Observatorio De Aves De La Arenilla, Santoña Port and Mirador Montehano, Santoña, Cantabria, Spain.

Travelling North from Santi's to Santoña for a bit of birding.

Ebird list for the Hide.

Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) Male.

I left Santi's after breakfast and drove North towards Santander and then across to Santoña, on the way I saw Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) and Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).

Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) Male.

Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus).

My first stop was at the Observatorio De Aves De La Arenilla where I sat and scanned the estuary at about half tide, As I arrived I picked up the resident male Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) mid channel, lots of both Eurasian Curlews (Numenius arquata) and Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), as well as good numbers of Eurasian Spoonbills (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), 50+ Northern Pintails (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), a large flock of around 250 Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla) which I realized later was only part of the Flock, Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), 5x Common Scoter (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra), a Razorbill (Alca Común / Alca torda) which I got better views of later near the port, a distant Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer), lots of Western Cattle (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) as well as a single Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba) which was feeding amongst the Spoonbills.

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

I moved just up the road and parked at the central point of the port and walked out onto the nearest of the larger jetties where I could see the full extent of the Brent Goose flock which must have numbered well over 400 birds.

Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer) just surfaced.

Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer).

Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer) taking a deep breath.

Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer) about to Dive.

I spent quite a while scanning the main channel in front of me and got better views of another Great Northern Diver, the Razorbill, Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus), 8x Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus) and Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla) after being flushed by photographers on a boat.

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

I returned to the hide breifly but did not add anything new so I started to make my way around to my hotel for the night in Escalante, on the way I made a stop at the Mirador Montehano and checked the river and marshes, just below me I had my fourth Great Northern Diver, more Black-necked Grebes, Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca) and big numbers of Western Cattle Egrets flying passed heading for their roost.

Razorbill (Alca Común / Alca torda).

I arrived and checked in at the Hotel Rural las Solanas de Escalante before going for a couple of beers and some food just up the road at Mesón Blanyfer.