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Tuesday, 21 January 2025

Cabo de Ajo, Cicero, Polder y Ría de Escalante, Puerto de Santoña and Barrio Escalante, Cantabria, Spain.

A bit of perseverance pays off this time.
Ebird List for Cabo de Ajo.
Ebird List for Cicero.
Ebird List for Polder y Ría de Escalante.
Ebird List for Barrio Escalante.
 
Snow Bunting (Escribano Nival / Plectrophenax nivalis) female.
I started the day back up at Cabo de Ajo trying to catch up with the Snow Buntings (Escribano Nival / Plectrophenax nivalis) I missed yesterday, armed with a bit more info from a kind lady on the local Whatsapp group I returned to the same spot I had been already but instead of only looking in the short turf areas I carefully checked the patches of longer grass and on my second circuit of the area I found the two females feeding in a large tussock of taller grass.
Snow Bunting (Escribano Nival / Plectrophenax nivalis) female.
Snow Bunting (Escribano Nival / Plectrophenax nivalis) female.
Snow Bunting (Escribano Nival / Plectrophenax nivalis) female.
Snow Bunting (Escribano Nival / Plectrophenax nivalis) female.
They spent quiet a while feeding there before moving out into a more open area which made getting some Photo's easier, after watching them for the best part of an hour I left them be and continued on birding picking up Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), a Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) which looked odd sat halfway down the cliff on a ledge, another group of Balearic Shearwaters (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) x3, Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) as well as a Narcissus species which if I was in the south I would call Hoop-petticoat Daffodil (Narcissus bulbocodium) but this looked different ????
Hoop-petticoat Daffodil (Narcissus bulbocodium) ????
My next stop was back on the Marismas but at Cicero where I checked the estuary and surrounding tree from the boardwalk finding
Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Mareca penelope), Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull, Black-necked (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and  Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Eurasian Curlew (Zarapito Real / Numenius arquata), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), European Shag (Cormorán Moñudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Eurasian Magpie, Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Meadow Pipit, Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).
Looking across to Santoña from the boardwalk at Cicero.
I  made my way back to Santoña and went into the bar for some food and coffee before making a stop at Polder y Ría de Escalante but as it had started to rain by now and the local council workers were strimming everything to the ground I stayed in the car, it was just a short visit and I only added Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) x11, Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and a flyby Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus).
2 of the 4 Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).
Male Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).
I went back to Santoña and did a short stint at the wooden decked area but as it was still drizzling I only took the bins and didn't see much except for a Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis) and what was probably the same Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer) as yesterday in amongst the boats again.
Looking black out to sea from Santoña.
Across the Marismas back towards Cicero.
The weather was getting worse so I decided to head for the accommodation early, on the way I quickly scanned one of the pools at the top end of the industrial estate seeing Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera) and Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).
Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta).
I continued on and after calling in at the supermarket I decided to check some wet fields near Barrio Escalante instead of heading straight back, I parked on the side of the road and scanned the hedges and areas of mud finding Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), lots of Western Cattle Egrets, Eurasian Wren, Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Woodpigeon, Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and a single Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) which was feeding on the far side of a very wet patch.
Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes).
I headed back to the Accommodation and as I was chatting with Leonor the sun came out for a few minutes and I had my third butterfly species of the year when a
Small White (Pieris rapae) flew passed.

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