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Saturday 15 January 2022

The Port of A Coruña, Galicia, Unquera on the border between Asturias and Cantabria and Santoña Area, Cantabria, Spain.

Ups and downs along the North Coast.

White-tailed Eagle (Pigargo Europeo /Haliaeetus albicilla).
I had planned to leave my accommodation early but after getting a message from Cosme about a Glaucous Gull (Gavión Hiperbóreo / Larus hyperboreus)which was seen last thing last night on one of the low concrete sea walls in the harbour.
I arrived before light and it was almost 09.00 before I could really start to pick out the birds but I found no sign of the bird, only seeing Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).
At just after 10.00 I decided to start my journey along the north coast to Santoña, as I drove I saw Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and  Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei).
On the way I turned off the motorway at Unquera and took the road to the coast and parked after a KM or so where I set up the scope and scanned the pylons looking for an immature White-tailed Eagle (Pigargo Europeo /Haliaeetus albicilla) which had been reported here, the bird was part of a contorvertial introduction project which is not suported by all the birders I have spoken to about it as they say there is no evidence that the species has ever been resident in the country.
White-tailed Eagle (Pigargo Europeo /Haliaeetus albicilla) Immature.
Anyway after a few minutes I found a bird perched on the largest of the pylons in the valley but it was still a long way off so I drove around to the far side of the river where I found two more birders sat by the railway line so I stopped for a chat. It turned out to be the coordinators for the project so I asked a few questions about what was happening and the young lady in charge was insistant that there is good evidence from bones found during excavation that the birds were here in the distant pastbut she also knew about the objections to the project. I asked her about what was going to happen in the future and she told me that so far 7 birds had been released, 6 were still in the area and one had wandered off to the Pyrenees.
The thing that surprised me most was when she said they were going to release another 100 birds in the same area at the end of the year, this sounds like one hell of a lot of birds to be competing for food in one area, I understand some will disperse but it still sounds like a lot of birds.
Anyway I continued on towards Santoña but first went to Molino de Santa Olaja and Casa de las Mareas but I did not find the hoped for Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser) but I did add Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).
I drove around to the hide which over looks the estuary near Santoña where I walked along the track heading away from the town and right at the end I found 3x
Common Scoters (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra) and the target Long-tailed Duck (Pato Havelda / Clangula hyemalis) along with Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer), Black-necked (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus) and Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope).

Friday 14 January 2022

Playa de Alba, A Coruña and Encoro de Cecebre, Galicia, Spain.

A morning in search of Caspian Gulls but with some help.

Caspian Gull (Gaviota del Caspio / Larus cachinnans) 1st W /2CY.

After all the help I had recieved from Cosme Damián Romay Cousido in finding Barrilete, the American Herring Gull (Gaviota Argentea Americana / Larus Smithsonianus) I was very happy when he said he would meet me at Playa Alba this morning and help me to find a good Caspian Gull (Gaviota del Caspio / Larus cachinnans) as the one I had seen a few weeks earlier in Malaga Province was not a classic looking bird to say the least.
Caspian Gull (Gaviota del Caspio / Larus cachinnans) 1st W/ 2CY not so classic.
We met at just after 09.00 and started to search the gull flock down on the beach below us, all the time Cosme was pointing out
European Herring Gulls (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) and in total there were at least a dozen of all ages along with Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) of different ages and Cosme spent ages going through the ways to identify each of them and by the time we had finished I realized how little I actually know about gulls and that I may need to spend more time on the North coast looking at them.
European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) 1st W /2CY.
European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) 1st W /2CY.
Anyway, after some time Cosme called me to his scope and said what do I think of a bird he had found and as soon as I looked and started to check the bird over I realized he had found a good Caspian but shortly after this he found an absolute classic bird which after a while came in a little closer.
European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) 1st W /2CY.
Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus).
European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) 1st W /2CY a big beast.
Other species seen during the Gull session included
Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone).
Out of control Dog.
After a while a young lady with a dog which she did not keep control of ended our mornings Gull watching when all the birds were flushed, inconsiderate dog owners are a problem everywhere it appears. We had been very sucessful and Cosme had an appointment so we headed off, I can't thank Cosme enough for his help getting the gulls sorted.
Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus).
Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus).
From here I headed to
Encoro de Cecebre again and checked one of the bays that Cosme told me about, on the way I saw the Egyptian Geese (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca) again and from in the bay a pair of Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba) x3.
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).
In the willows around the margin's I also saw Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus)and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) which was trying to get some sun.
Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila) male left.

Thursday 13 January 2022

Ria de Lires, Muxia, Galicia, Spain.

The brute I wanted to see, second time lucky.

Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla) immature.

With even more information from local birder Cosme Damián Romay Cousido about a good spot to look for Barrilete, the American Herring Gull (Gaviota Argentea Americana / Larus Smithsonianus) which had been returning to this area for winters since 2007 some 14 years.
Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla) immature.
Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla) immature.
Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla) immature.
I arrived at the site just after first light and after parking the car at the end of the road I walked back to a spot which over looked the low tide Islands in the river and the beach opposite.
Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).
Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).
Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).
I set up my chair, Scope and supplies and sat down for a six and a half hour stint of Gull watching, to start with it was cold and I mean cold so within half an hour I had lost all feeling in my feet and fingers.
Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) on their way into the fish farm.
After getting the blood flowing by having a walk into the sun I settled back down and soon found an immature
Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla) which was flying in from the sea and then sat on the far shore.
European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus).
European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus).
I also recorded Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), an almost adult European Herring (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) and masses of Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), several hundred Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), 70+ Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).
After another defrosting walk I sat back down and I was watching a Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) when the Guardia pulled up and I thought they were going to ask what I was doing but the one guy spoke good English and just asked why I didn't sit in the sun at the other end of the road as I looked frozen and they weren't wrong. After explaining that I was looking for Gulls and they like the beach opposite they laughed and went on their way leaving me dithering and wishing there was a cafe close enough to get a coffee.
Barrilete the adult American Herring Gull (Gaviota Argentea Americana / Larus Smithsonianus).

American Herring Gull (Gaviota Argentea Americana / Larus Smithsonianus).

American Herring Gull (Gaviota Argentea Americana / Larus Smithsonianus).

American Herring Gull (Gaviota Argentea Americana / Larus Smithsonianus).

I sat back down and did several more scans through the growing Gull flock and then I found the one I had hope to find,
Barrilete the adult American Herring Gull which was quite a brute of a bird size wise but being so clean looking it had a nice look to it
Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).
Other species seen during the time there were
Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax),  Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone) and Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).
Pink-footed Goose (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus).

After seeing
Barrilete I packed the kit back into the car, turned the heating up full and moved down the road to the Cemetery where I had seconds of the Pink-footed Goose (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus) before heading back to the Accommodation.
I ended up seeing the American Herring Gull after getting help from Cosme who also looked at my picks and confirmed the Gull Identifications for me, Thanks.

Wednesday 12 January 2022

Culleredo in A Coruña, Playa de Riazor, Playa de Alba and Encoro de Cecebre, A Coruña, Spain.

Birding in and around A Coruña.

Torre de Hércules from Playa de Riazor.
I set off before light and found my way to Culleredo in A Coruña to have a second look for the Rosy Starling (Estornino Rosado / Sturnus roseus) but this time I walked to an area of waste ground behind Dia but didn't get any views of the Starlings but could hear them so I walked up the road and crossed to the other side of the railway line and look into the conifers from the other side and some had Rosy, Spotless (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris) in the trees.
Rosy Starling (Estornino Rosado / Sturnus roseus).
Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).
In the same area I also saw Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).
Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).
My next stop was at a Playa de Riazor where I had a nice view across to the Torre de Hércules but with Information from
Cosme Damián I found what I was looking for on the rocks much closer to me, down below the sea wall I found at least 12 Purple Sandpipers (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritima) along with several Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), 3x Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).
Purple Sandpiper (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritima).
Purple Sandpiper (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritima).
Purple Sandpiper (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritima).
Purple Sandpiper (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritima).
Purple Sandpiper (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritima).
Just up the coast I made another stop where I checked through a flock of Gulls on Playa de Alba but I only found the usual species,
Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).
Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus).
Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).
I also saw
Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and a Peacock (Aglais io) butterfly.
Egyptian Goose (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca).
My last stop of the day was at Encoro de Cecebre where I checked a couple of spots and found a couple of
Egyptian Geese (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca), 6x Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca) and Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) before returning to my accommodation.

Tuesday 11 January 2022

la Playa de Nemiña and Ria de Lires, Muxia and Lagoa de Traba, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain.

In search of some Gulls and Geese again.

Dawn at la Playa de Nemiña.
I set off early looking for a species I have long wanted to see, an American Herring Gull (Gaviota Argentea Americana / Larus Smithsonianus), armed with some extra information from Cosme Damián and Fernando Pereiras I was hopeful I might find Barrilete, an adult bird that has been returning to the area since 2007 but I was over optomistic and all I managed to find was a smart looking adult European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) which Cosme put me right on, thanks.
European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) Cosme tells me its a female.
European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus).
European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus).

Also seen in this during a walk from the north end right down to the southern point were Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) and hundreds of Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) most of which were down by the Fish Farm.
la Playa de Nemiña.
Pelagic Gooseneck Barnacle (Lepas anatifera).
Pelagic Gooseneck Barnacle (Lepas anatifera).
As I walked along the beach I found several clumps of Pelagic Gooseneck Barnacle (Lepas anatifera), some on more natural objects then others, there was also some plastic waste but some was more of a sign of the times with masks and disposable lateral flow tests on the tide line.
la Playa de Nemiña.
Other species were Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis) along with several Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) which were on the wing in the sunny areas. 
Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus).
Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).
My next stop was near the fish farm but on the other side of the Ria de Lires where I parked near the Cemetrey and checked the river where I found the long staying Pink-footed Geese (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus) and in the same area there was a large concentration of 60+ Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), due to the fish farm I am guessing.
Pink-footed Goose (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus).
Pink-footed Goose (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus).
I also had a single Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).
Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) Male.
Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina).
Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).
Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).
I headed North to Lagoa de Traba where Several Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila) and a male Ring-necked Duck (Porrón acollarado / Aythya collaris) had been around for a little while.
Male and Female Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila).
Female Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila).
I parked and walked out towards a hide I could see, on the way I picked up Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) but there no ducks at all on the lake I could see from the hide.
Ring-necked Duck (Porrón acollarado / Aythya collaris).
As I had already checked Google Maps I knew there was another pool so I took a rather soggy track down to another hide I could see off in the distance and found a good flock of
Tufted Ducks (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula) and mixed in with them were a male and at least two female Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila) but I suspect there were more females but they were feeding enthusiasticly which made counting difficult and the male Ring-necked Duck (Porrón acollarado / Aythya collaris) came out with the flock for a few seconds but then disappeared back behind the reeds.