Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos, Spain.

Fiesta de los Jefes, XX11, part 3 Corrida de Gallos and 4 Silos en llamas.

We went back down to the main Plaza and watched the second part of the Fiesta Corrida de Gallos where the local Horse People ride through the plaza, many years ago they tried show their skills by pulling the head of a live Chicken hung over the road on a rope but now a days the Chicken is already dead and after the heads are pulled they are given to locals to be eaten.

Most of the time the riders are trying to grab Chorizo's and Morcilla which are hung on the rope.

Later in the evening after dark we went back down to the village and walked around the different Bonfires which are built in the streets to represent the fires originally set to make the village look like it was burning when the Moors came to sack the place.

We checked several of the fires and watched the groups of Shepherds, Children and Horsemen parade at speed around the streets carrying flaming torches, a great evening which was finished off with a beer in the bar on the Plaza.

Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos, Spain

A walk along the River in Silos, part 2.

Ebird List.

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

After the busy Morning and some lunch I headed out for a walk down along the river, I did not see a great amount but managed Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

I got back to the house in time for Santi, Manolo and I to head back down to the center of the village for the next part of the Fiesta.

Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos, Spain.

Fiesta de los Jefes XX11, part 1.

Cencerrada y Pasacalles.

We spent the morning down in Silos following the Parade around the village, eating biscuits and drinking different liqueurs that were offered a different houses along the way. Some photo's from a very entertaining morning which brought back some memories from a few years ago.

Santi with family and Friend Manlo.

Santi and Maria.

 

Fuentes de Nava, Laguna de Campos in Palencia Province and Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos Province, Castilla Y Léon, Spain.

Heading South to see friend Santi on my way home.

Ebird List for Laguna de la Nava ENat, Observatorio de Corralillos.

Ebird List for Laguna de la Nava ENat, Observatorio del Prado.

Ebird List for Laguna de la Nava ENat, Observatorio de La Colada. 

Ebird List for Laguna Boada de Campos.

Ebird List for La Yecla.

View from the Observatorio de Corralillos.

I left the Hotel early and headed south thinking I would get to Fuentes de Nava before light but the best laid plans of mice and men often go to Rat Poooooooo and as I started to climb up towards the highest point along the A67 the snow started, the police were making the lorries exit the motorway so I stopped and asked if it was still passable and the offices said yes with care but I really wish he had said no as the next 40 or so Kms were scary and by far the worst driving conditions I have been in (or i thought so, more to come in a couple of days).

Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser) and 3 Barnical's (Barnacla Cariblanca / Branta leucopsis).

Anyway I eventually left the snow behind so I did eventually get to Fuentes by 09.00 and went to the Observatorio de Corralillos where I scanned the fields and found Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser) with 3 Barnical's (Barnacla Cariblanca / Branta leucopsis) as well as nearly 100 Golden Plovers (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) and a couple of Ravens (Cuervo / Corvus corax).

Golden Plovers (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia).

From hide I also saw Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and a good sized flock of Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).

Golden Plovers (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia).

I moved just down the road and checked the blind at Observatorio del Prado but the only new speces for the day were Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis).

Next I walked down to the two story Observatorio de La Colada, on the way an Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis) perched long enough for me to pop off a couple of shots, further along the track I also saw Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and from the hide and the far fields I added 12x Great Egrets (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba) and 8x Great Bustards (Avutarda Común / Otis tarda).

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

I returned to Observatorio de Corralillos but added nothing so I went around to Laguna de Campos, on the way I picked up another 13 Great Bustards and at the parking area for the Laguna I added a good number of Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), a few Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) and a couple of White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

Great Bustards (Avutarda Común / Otis tarda).

At the hide over looking the pool I saw another largish flock of Greylag Geese, 20 odd Shelducks (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), quite a few Common Pochards (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) and a single male Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) and several more Marsh Harrier.

Great Bustards (Avutarda Común / Otis tarda).

I returned to Observatorio de Corralillos but I didn't see anything new so I started to head to Santi's in Santo Domingo de Silos, On the way I saw another flock of 16 Great Bustards, another flock of Golden Plovers and nearer to Lerma a fly over group of around 20 Fieldfares (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris).

Great Bustards (Avutarda Común / Otis tarda).

I stopped off very quickly at La Yecla but as it started to snow I didn't see much but did add Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) before going to Santi's.

Later we went down town to go to the Gregorian Chant's and then had a beer in the central plaza. 

Santoña area, Cantabria, Spain.

A second day around the Marismas mopping up a few more year ticks.

Ebird List for Charca de Gandarias. 

Ebird List for Ría de Escalante.

Ebird List for Canal de Boo y Marismas de Bengoa. 

Ebird List for Playa de El Regatón y Ría de Treto. 

Ebird List for the Quarry. 

Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus) x2.

I started the day at the last place I went to last night Charca de Gandarias where I checked the pools and the fields picking up 3x Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus), 2 of which were on the fields and the third was more hidden on the furthest right hand part of the pools.

Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus) x2.

Here I also found Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), 8x flyover Mute Swans (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), 3x Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), 3x Great (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba), 70 odd Western Cattle (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and 2x Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), 6x Common Sandpipers (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and 28 Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) which were sat up on the wires after flushing up at the passing Harrier.

Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus).

I walked back to the car but checked the estuary before moving on and had my best views so far of a Red-throated Diver (Colimbo Chico / Gavia stellata) just a shame the light was so bad still.

Red-throated Diver (Colimbo Chico / Gavia stellata).

Red-throated Diver (Colimbo Chico / Gavia stellata).

I went back towards Santoña but turned down to Ría de Escalante where I parked next to the Quarry, there was already a Spanish birder on site so I stopped for a chat and as we talked mostly about the elusive Wallcreeper (Treparriscos / Tichodroma muraria) a Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus) and up the river and continued on up the valley, we also had Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) and in the quarry 2x Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) and a nice male Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia).

The weather started to look a bit rough so I went and sat on the side of the road over looking the Canal de Boo where I saw Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) and a distant Diver species which was further up the Canal so I parked at the start of the walk which runs between the river and a collection of pools to a hide.

Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus).

On my way I recorded another Little Gull, Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) and by the hide a group of 4 Fieldfare (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris) which flew out of the trees behind the hide and across the river.

Black-throated Diver (Colimbo Ártico / Gavia arctica).

Black-throated Diver (Colimbo Ártico / Gavia arctica).

Black-throated Diver (Colimbo Ártico / Gavia arctica).

I did not relocated the Diver so I started to walk back and just before I reached the car I picked up the bird again right down by the bridge at the start of the Canal so I got back into the car and went back to where I had parked originally and managed to get some photo's of the third Diver species in two days a Black-throated (Colimbo Ártico / Gavia arctica).

Black-throated Diver (Colimbo Ártico / Gavia arctica).

Black-throated Diver (Colimbo Ártico / Gavia arctica).

Black-throated Diver (Colimbo Ártico / Gavia arctica).

Once the diver had drifted out in the river I decided to drive around to the other side of the Marismas where there had been reports of 3x Velvet Scoters (Negrón Especulado / Melanitta fusca), I arrived and went up onto the Dunes which over look the other side of the Estuary.

Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

I set up the scope and scanned the water, first of all I found a group of 6x Common Scoters (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra), 4x Red-throated and 2x Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer), several hundred Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus), Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus), 1x Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and then I picked up the 3 Velvets, they were distant but 2 of them did the decent thing and flapped their wings showing the nice white wing-bars.

Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).

On my way back around to Santoña picking up a pair of White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) at Cicero on my way to the Quarry but yet again I failed to find the Wallcreeper so I went to the port for a look but rain soon stopped play and all I saw were a Razorbill (Alca Común / Alca torda), 3 more Red-throated and 2 Great Northern Divers before heading to the hotel.