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Saturday, 18 January 2025

Santander, Dársena de Raos y puerto deportivo, Marismas de Parayas, Marismas Blancas, Puerto de Santoña, Canal de Hano, Observatorio de La Arenilla, Polder y Ría de Escalante and Playa de Berria, Cantabria, Spain.

My first day back in Spain, Sun, Birds and real Coffee. 
Ebird List for Dársena de Raos y puerto deportivo.
Ebird List for Marismas de Parayas.
Ebird List for Marismas Blancas.
Ebird List for Puerto de Santoña.
Ebird List for Canal de Hano.
Ebird List for Playa de Berria.
 
Looking back across the bay to the Ferry I had just left.
The speakers went off at 06.45 and then the instructions started to fly around as we came into Port in Santander, we were all in our cars by 08.00 and I was off and heading for a Coffee by 08.45 so not too bad, however when I got to the bar it was closed, first and thankfully only disaster of the day.
Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer).
So I started birding and we around to the Dársena de Raos y Puerto Deportivo where I got myself as organised as I could and soon had the scope up watching the first Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer) of the day as well as Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Great Crested (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus),  Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) all out on the water.
Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis).
On the far rocky shore there were a good number of roosting
Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta) and Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and on a much nearer rocky breakwater I found a largish flock of Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) and a few  Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula).
Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis).
Behind me in amongst the industrial units I added House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) before I moved just around the corner to see what was on the two pools of the Marismas de Parayas.
Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).
I started with the freshwater pool finding Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Mallard, Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Great Cormorant, heard a Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti).
 Marismas Blancas.
On the more tidal part of the area I added Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Common Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Black-headedLesser Black-backed and Yellow-legged Gull, Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Little Egrets, Grey Heron and in the surrounding Tamarisk bushes European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs). 
A proper Coffee at last.
I moved on again to a spot I like called Marismas Blancas, a lake surrounded by Reed Beds with plenty of wildfowl including 2 ♂ and 1 ♀ Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila), a ♀ Ring-necked Duck (Porrón acollarado / Aythya collaris), Common Pochard, Northern Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Eurasian Teal, Gadwall and Mallard.
Slavonian / Horned (Zampullín Cuellirrojo / Podiceps auritus)  above and Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis).
Other species included Mute Swan, Eurasian Coot, Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Great Cormorant, Little Egrets, Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Cetti's Warbler and Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone).
I relocated again, a little further this time to a bar near the Port of Santoña where I managed to get two large Coffee's that tasted of Coffee, the first in several weeks and two only cost €2.60 !!!!
After a caffeine intake I headed to the port near the Bull Ring but unfortunately the bit I want to go onto was being repaired so I stayed on the decked area near the Bull Ring which payed off as whilst I was there 3 European Rock Pipits (Bisbita Costero / Anthus petrosus) flew in and out again a couple of times.
Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis).
From the same spot I had 700+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla) but I was told by a group of Spanish birders that passed by there were actually over a 1000 in the area, Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiático / Haematopus ostralegus), Eurasian Curlew (Zarapito Real / Numenius arquata), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) x4, Great Crested and Black-necked Grebe, Great Northern Diver, Eurasian Spoonbill, Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba) x3 and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).
Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis).
After speaking to the Spanish Guy's who were extremely helpful my next stop was at the bridge over the Canal de Hano where I was quickly watching a very smart Slavonian / Horned Grebe (Zampullín Cuellirrojo / Podiceps auritus) which was feeding along side 3 Black-necked which gave a very nice chance for a comparison.
A few minutes later a Spanish lady got me onto the ♂ American Green-winged Teal (Cerceta americana / Anas carolinensis) which had been around for a few day and was in amongst a flock of Eurasian Teal and was a new species for my Spanish list but think it's getting lumped again or already has been.
American Green-winged Teal (Cerceta americana / Anas carolinensis).
Other species seen here included Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).
I drove up to the Observatorio de La Arenilla but it was very quiet so after going into Santoña again and refueling I went to Polder y Ría de Escalante where I had another two Peregrine Falcon, a large flock of Black-tailed Godwits (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa) and a Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).
White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).
My last birding stop of the day was at the Playa de Berria where I sat in the car and had a late lunch adding
Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) to the day / year list and a nice show of Italian Arum (Arum italicum) and a few Common Daisy's (Bellis perennis).
I then decided that I had seen enough so I headed for my accommodation for the next four nights and chilled.

Friday, 17 January 2025

Out at sea.

On the Ferry heading for Spain.
 
I got up to grey skies so I basically spent the day sat in a window seat in the bar working on the Laptop.
Looking out of the window to a very calm Bay of Biscay.

During the trip I saw Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis), European Shag (Cormorán Moñudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and lots of Razorbills (Alca Común / Alca torda).

Thursday, 16 January 2025

Travelling to Portsmouth, Britain.

Driving down to the South Coast.
 
I spent the morning packing and then later sat down and chatted with Mom and played a few games of Domino's with John, we had a nice lunch before I started to make my way south to catch my Ferry back to Spain.
I can't thank my Mom and John enough for putting up with me (again) for most of the nearly 6 weeks I was over but also thanks to Lynn and Steve for a brilliant few days down in my favourate part of the UK in Cornwall and to Pam and John for a great visit to my second favourate county, Norfolk.
It was also great to spend time with my family, Son Alan and his wife Becki and the three Grandkids Ryan, Zach and Fin.
As always it also enjoyed seeing Jayne's side of the family, to go out for a meal or two and share a few beers with them and meet up with some old work friends from my fire service days in the Harp for a few more beers (I defiantly drank too much this trip, but who's counting).
I did get to spend some time birding with good friends Sharon and John but unfortunately the weather (which was generally grey, damp, dismal and down right depressing) meant we didn't get out as much as I had hoped but when we did we saw some good stuff, thanks.
The trip down was uneventful and reasonably good considering the incredible volume of traffic and amount of road works and the engine warning light didn't even come back on again, Thankfully.
Didn't see much as the traffic was heavy all the way, species included Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense / Branta canadensis), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Rook (Graja / Corvus frugilegus), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus).
I arrived at around 18:30 and checked in straight away and went through security just after 20:00 but still didn't get to my cabin until 23:15 but had a good nights sleep.

Tuesday, 14 January 2025

St. Leonard's Church near Admaston, Blithfield , Gailey and Belvide Reservoirs, Stafordshire, Britain.

A cracking day with friends Sharon and John.
Ebird List for Church.
Ebird List for Bliffield Causeway.
Ebird List for Bliffield Dam.
Ebird List for Gailey.
Ebird List for Belvide.

St. Leonard's Church.
I drove over to Sharon and John's where we had a drink before we headed off to Bliffield Reservoir area but we went to St. Leonard's Church near Admaston where we were hoping to find a Hawfinch (Picogordo Común / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), we didn't manage to see any but we did pick up Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Greylag (Ansar Común / Anser anser) and Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense / Branta canadensis) on the way in and once we parked we added European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater) and a calling but not seen Marsh Tit (Carbonero Palustre / Poecile palustris), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), 2 drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Common Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and out on a nearby field several Fieldfares (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris).
Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor).
As we dropped down towards the Causeway at Bliffield Res we became aware of a Police car in front of us who was slowing traffic down but as we were pulling of it didn't bother us and we started to scan this part of the Res finding Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Greylag and Canada Geese, Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Mareca penelope), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula), Common Goldeneye (Porrón Osculado / Bucephala clangula), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).
Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor).
As we were there Sharon scanned across to the far side of the causeway and said that there was something going on on the car park there with the police, as I turned my scope over to it I could see loads of heavily armed officers concentrating on a white car there but fortunately by the time we wanted to go that way it was wrapped up but there were lots of police still sat in their vehicles.
From the Dam at Bliffield.
From the Dam at Bliffield.
Around at the anglers car park and walked back across the dam where we saw several of the species we had seen earlier but added 
Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Common Gull (Gaviota Cana / Larus canus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).
European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) on the Car Park at Belvide.
We crossed back over to the far side of the dam and headed towards Gailey Res where we parked on the roadside and walked to the raised bank over looking both parts of water, we didn't add anything new to the list on the lakes but as we were eating our lunch by the road we picked up
Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Stock Dove (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas) before heading over to Belvide.
Common Goldeneye (Porrón Osculado / Bucephala clangula) male.
We parked and went down to the spillway end of the dam and scanned the water from there, most of the res had been frozen just a couple of days earlier but was not totally ice free, from this spot we again saw many of the species already seen but added Egyptian Geese (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca), Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) and a fine looking ♂ Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser). 
Egyptian Geese (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca).
On our way around to West Hide.
We missed the Scott hide out and walked straight down to the West Hide where we saw Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), a Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) which came in low and flushed everything of the shore before disappearing off very low towards the dam and just as we were about to leave 2 of the 3 regular Red Head Smew (Serreta Chica /Mergus albellus) flew in, one of them looked as though it might be a young male showing some signs of starting to moult into adult plumage.
Smew (Serreta Chica /Mergus albellus).
Smew (Serreta Chica /Mergus albellus).
Looking out to the North Shore.

We walked back to the hide with the feeders where Sharon found a ♀ Common Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus) and as we walked back around to the Scott hide we heard a squealling Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), we didn't add anything new to the list in the Scott hide so we headed off back to Sharon and John's.

After a coffee I said thanks and my goodbyes and headed off back to Mom's and the a little later met up with some of Jayne's family for an Indian meal in the Village which was very nice. 

Monday, 13 January 2025

The Harp, Albrighton, Shropshire, Britain.

Out on the beer again.!!!!
 
Me, Steve Payne, John Morgan, Murph, Micky Baker, Alec Corbett, Phil Pooler and Dave Morris.
After a quiet day doing a bit of shopping I met up with a few of the Lads from my fire service days for a beer or several. Great Night, thanks to you all for coming.
Started on this but moved to something Lighter but can't remember what.

Sunday, 12 January 2025

Lichfield, Staffardshire, Britain.

A day with the Kids, the Son and the youngsters.

The youngest Finn.
I drove over to see Alan, Becki, Ryan, Zach and Finn, Becki was at work so the rest of us went for a walk out into the countryside for an hour or so. 
As we crossed the fields we or should I saw the youngsters did a bit of Tree climbing and running around, during this time I saw and heard Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Fieldfare (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).
Zach, who has no fear.
Later I spent some time playing football and the pushing the younger two on the swings until my arms were feeling they were going to drop off.
In the evening we had a nice meal before the Lads went off to bed and I headed back to Mom's having had an absolutely brilliant day.
and Ryan, the eldest of the three.