Ría de Betanzos in Sada, Porto de Santa Cruz and Ría de O Burgo in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain.

My last day in Galicia, unfortunately.

Ebird List for Ría de Betanzos in Sada.

Ebird List for Porto de Santa Cruz.

Ebird List for Ría de O Burgo.

 

Looking along the beach.

My first stop was on the seafront in the town of Sada where I was going to check the beach for duck species, I notice that there was a bar open, so I had a coffee and a tostarda before I got started, firstly I checked the main beach where there were a good number of ducks and gulls.

Egyptian Goose (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta).

Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta) ♂.

Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta) ♀.

Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Mareca penelope) ♂.

Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Mareca penelope) ♀.

Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca).

I started to walk along the Prom scanning through the ducks, Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor) x2, Egyptian Goose (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca) x1, finding loads of Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta) x21, Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), ♂♀ Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Mareca penelope) x2, ♂♀♀ Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca) x3, ♀♀♀ Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula) x3, ♀ Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila) x1, ♀ Common (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) x1 and ♂♂♀ Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) x3.

Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula).

Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula).

Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula).

Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula) ♀.

Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula) ♀.

Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula) ♀.

Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula) ♀.

Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula) ♀.

Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).

Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).

Other species seen included Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

3rd winter Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).

Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).

My next stop was back on the seafront at Porto de Santa Cruz where I had seen the 1st winter Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis) a few days ago but the weather was a hell of a lot better today and the bird performed brilliantly giving very good close views.

1st winter Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis).

1st winter Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis).

1st winter Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis).

1st winter Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis).

1st winter Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis).

1st winter Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis).

Whilst I was there I also saw Common Sandpiper, Black-headed, Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Yellow-legged, Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Little Egret and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

 Porto de Santa Cruz.

 Porto de Santa Cruz.

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

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

2nd winter Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

2nd winter Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus).

Just a bit further on into A Coruña, I returned to the spot where I had been looking for a Spotted Sandpiper (Andarrios maculado / Actitis macularius) to give it another try, whilst there I saw the tide hit its low point and then started to come back in.

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

Common Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia).

Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).

Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus).

Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus).

I sat on the wall and scanned the Ria finding Mute Swan, Mallard, Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiático / Haematopus ostralegus), Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Eurasian Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Common Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Black-headed, Yellow-legged, Great Black-backed and Lesser Black-backed Gull, Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis), Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer), Great Cormorant, Eurasian Spoonbill, Little Egret, Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus), Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis), Eurasian Magpie, Carrion Crow, Black Redstart and White Wagtail.

Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina).

Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).

Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiático / Haematopus ostralegus).

Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiático / Haematopus ostralegus).

After nearly 3 hours I was about to walk back to the car when I noticed a Sandpiper feeding in close to the wall so I took some photo's as it looked good for the target Spotted Sandpiper and as soon as I saw the shots I was happy with the ID.

Spotted Sandpiper (Andarrios maculado / Actitis macularius).

Spotted Sandpiper (Andarrios maculado / Actitis macularius).

I returned to the car and headed back to the hotel where I planned to drop the kit off and then get something to eat but that Idea evaporated very quickly when I found everything and I mean everything was shut, in the end my Christmas meal was a ham sandwich and a cake from the Repsol Garage but I still had an unopened bottle of 8 year old Malt in the room.