Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

A quick visit to the local patch for the first time in a while.

Ebird List for the Lucerne Fields.

Ebird List for the Town Fields.

 

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

I got up and started to sort through all the stuff I bought back from the UK but after a while I went down town to sort a few bit and then on the way back I made a quick visit to the Lucerne Fields where I parked at the usual spot and then drove around the Lucerne fields seeing Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

I drove around to the fields near the fields near the town where I added Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina).

Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

I returned to the house and continued to put things away when I got a message from friends Juan and Beatriz to say that they were down on the Lucerne Fields so I popped down to see them for a chat as I hadn't seen them for a while and to catch up with the Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) they were watching.

Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).

Later in the day I stacked a tonne of logs before I headed down to Barbara and Derek Ethertons place near Malaga as we were heading out birding in the morning, I arrived and after a catch up we had a nice glass of Doom Bar and Pizza before hitting the sack.

Travelling Home to Granada Province, Spain.

A long but uneventful drive home.

 

I had some breakfast with Santi and then said Goodbye and headed off south home via Madrid, on the way I saw lots of both Red Kites (Milano Real / Milvus milvus) and Common Buzzards (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) as well as Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

I arrived home at just after 16:00 and was pleased to find pretty much everything was in good order.

Sad Hill, Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos, Spain.

A bit of birding in a special place.

Ebird List for Sad Hill.

 

Sad Hill in the Fog.

After breakfast I had a drive to the nearby Sad Hill Cemetery where the final gun fight in the movie the Good, the bad and the Ugly was shot, a place that I visited a few times with Jayne and several times on my own which has always felt special but more so these days.

I parked and did a loop around the site birding and checked in on Jayne's marker, as I walked I picked up Great Spotted (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and European Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus), Woodlark (Alondra Totovía / Lullula arborea), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Cirl (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus) and Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and minimum of 28 Fieldfare (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris).

Fieldfare (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris).

Fieldfares (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris).

I returned to Santi's where we had a super lunch of home made Paella de Marisco and the chilled again.

Travelling South to Santo Domingo de Silos via Estación Depuradora de Aguas Residuales at Villalonquéjar, Burgos, Castilla y León, Spain.

An hours productive birding on my way South.

Ebird List for Villalonquéjar.

Ebird List for near Lerma

I left Leonor's accommodation after a very nice stay and headed south toward Burgos but I took the slower but shorter route on minor roads, it was dark for the first more mountainous section which made some of the hairpin bends interesting but once got light I started to see a few species.

As I drove I picked up good numbers of both Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus) with double figures of both flying or sat on telegraph poles.

Other species included Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica) and Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).

Were the Rio Arlanzón and the Rio Ubierna meet.

I arrived at the Estación Depuradora de Aguas Residuales at Villalonquéjar where the Rio Arlanzón and the Rio Ubierna meet and started birding the Southern bank of the Rio Arlanzón finding Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), a pale morph Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Red Kite, Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

After some time I bumped into another birder, José who was local and soon got me to the right spot to see my main target bird the wintering Yellow-browed Warbler (Mosquitero Bilistado / Phylloscopus inornatus) and a little while later we had a very brief view of but it was quickly off again and it took an hour or so for José to relocate it on the far bank in some willows.

Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

We  spent a while watching it before it returned to our bank briefly but remained amongst the branches which meant the camera wouldn't focus before it flew back across the river.

I thanke José for his help and continued on towards Santi's at Santo Domingo de Silso, just after I went through Lerma I had views of an immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos), an Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis) sat on roadside wires and loads more Red Kites and Buzzards.

A bit of a Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus).

Once I reached Santi's we had some lunch then sat and chilled for the rest of the day.

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.

Canal de Boo y Marismas de Bengoa, Cabo de Ajo, Molino de Santa Olaja and Puerto de Santoña, Cantabria, Spain.

Another warm sunny day along the Cantabrian Coast.

Ebird List for Canal de Boo y Marismas de Bengoa.

Ebird List for Cabo de Ajo.

Ebird List for Molino de Santa Olaja.

Ebird List for Puerto de Santoña.

A cloudy start to the day over the Canal de Boo but the sun was out not long after I took this.

I started the day as usual with a couple of Coffee's in the Bar El Muelle before starting the birding along the Canal de Boo, it was still quite dull and cloudy after some heavy over night rain but that soon cleared and I was later down to a T-shirt again.

Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).

I parked by the side of the Canal at a few different spots and scanned the water from the car finding Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer), Eurasian Curlew (Zarapito Real / Numenius arquata), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) and a distant Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) over the back of the Marismas.

Marismas de Bengoa.

After a while I parked and walked the track out between the Canal and the Marismas de Bengoa, on the Marismas I found good numbers of wildfowl including Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca) and a single female Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula). 

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Other species seen included Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta).

Out on the Canal I also added Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Mareca penelope), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Common Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus) and Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).

Cabo de Ajo.

Cabo de Ajo.

My next stop was further up the coast at Cabo de Ajo where I was searching for but failed to find 2 reported Snow Buntings (Escribano Nival / Plectrophenax nivalis), on the way I saw Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus) and Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto). 

Cueva de la Ojerada.

Cueva de la Ojerada.

Whilst at this very nice spot I did however pick up Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) on land and Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) x3 and a few Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) out to sea.

Italian Arum (Arum italicum).

On the way back to Santoña I called in at Molino de Santa Olaja but the only new species seen and heard were Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada) and a couple of calling Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) as well as Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x2, Herb-Robert (Geranium robertianum), Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), Italian Arum (Arum italicum) and Common Daisy's (Bellis perennis).

Bahia de Santoña.

Bahia de Santoña.

I returned to the Puerto de Santoña had another coffee and then set myself up with the scope on the wooden walkway next to the Bullring and started to scan the Bahia de Santoña finding Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla) x800+, a single diving duck which I am fairly sure was a Common Scoter (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra) but too distant to be sure, at least 11 more Great Northern Divers, Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis), European Shag (Cormorán Moñudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Great (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba) x2 and Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), European Rock Pipit (Bisbita Costero / Anthus petrosus) x2, White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia).

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

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

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Great (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba) x2 and Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).

After a good while I walked down to the part of the Port for the pleasure Boats and Yachts where I had good views of another Great Northern Diver and a couple of  Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis) which chased each other around the Jetties.

Puerto de Santoña.

It was now 17;00 so I headed back to my accommodation for the night.

Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer).

Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer).

Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer).