Marisma de Colindres, Playa de El Regatón y Ría de Treto, Port at Laredo, Marisma de Colindres again, Observatorio de La Arenilla and the Puerto de Santoña, Cantabria, Spain.

A bit of a grey day around the Marismas de Santoña, Victoria y Joyel Parque Natural. 

Ebird List for the Marisma de Colindres. 

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

Ebird List for the Marisma de Colindres again.

Ebird List for Observatorio de La Arenilla. 

Ebird List for the Puerto de Santoña.

 

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).

I had a nice slow start today after looking out of the window and seeing the clouds and drizzle, eventually I headed off to the other side of the Estuary to a new spot for me at the Marisma de Colindres, after finding a parking place I walked the walk way around to the Calle de Mar pier.

On the way I picked up Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and a couple of ♀ European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Once I was halfway along the Pier I sat on one of the benches and set the scope up and scanned the Ria adding Yellow-legged of the northern race lusitanius, a single Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) and plenty of Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica), Great Crested (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), 3x Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba) which flew overhead and continued on towards Mirador de Sollagua and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

As I walked back towards the car I noticed a group of Gulls dropped behind one of the factory building, so I went to check them out and found a swimming pool which was, as it was winter not being used, so the Gulls were taking advantage, I found more Black-headed,Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed Gull bathing and drinking.

I walked back around the path to the car, picking up Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiático / Haematopus ostralegus), Eurasian Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Eurasian Curlew (Zarapito Real / Numenius arquata), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

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

Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).

Once back at the car I went further along towards El Puntal but parked on the way and walked out onto Playa de El Regatón y Ría de Treto where I had arranged to meet Pep from the other day in Vitoria-Gasteiz, by the time I got there the drizzle had returned, but we managed to find the flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla) which were unfortunately being chased off the feeding area by a loose dog, Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), several Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis), Great Northern and Red-throated Diver (Colimbo Chico / Gavia stellata), European Shag (Cormorán Moñudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).

Kelp / Cape Gull (Gaviota cocinera / Larus dominicanus vetula).

Kelp / Cape Gull (Gaviota cocinera / Larus dominicanus vetula).

Kelp / Cape Gull (Gaviota cocinera / Larus dominicanus vetula).

We walked back to the cars and Pep headed for the Port at Laredo and I started to head there but stopped off for a coffee on the way, by the time I arrived Pep had seen the bird and was leaving, so I dropped into the port where I got nice views of the Kelp / Cape Gull (Gaviota cocinera / Larus dominicanus vetula) as well as Yellow-legged, Great Black-backed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls before I went back to the Marisma de Colindres to have another look now the tide was higher.

1st winter Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) northern race lusitanius.

1st winter Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) northern race lusitanius.

1st winter Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus).

1st winter Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus).

1st winter Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus).

I parked and checked the swimming pool out again but found the same species as earlier, so I pushed on around to where I could see Pep and a couple of other birders I had seen yesterday, whilst we chatted I saw a few new species for the day list including Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) and Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus).

Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis).

The other couple moved on as they still wanted to see the Red-throated Diver and Pep and I said goodbye and I headed around to the Observatorio de La Arenilla nearer to Santoña, I didn't find anything new, so I finished the day near the Bullring where I saw 2 definite but probably 4 European Rock Pipit (Bisbita Costero / Anthus petrosus) as they flew in and out.