Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos Province, Spain.

A walk along a little bit of the Camino de El Cid.

The view down to the Monestrey in Silos from the Ermita de la Virgen del Camino.

Santi and I went for a walk along the Camino de El Cid which took us passed the Ermita de la Virgen del Camino and the statue of the Virgen de la peña.

Ermita de la Virgen del Camino.

We followed the track out for around 4KMs and the we met up with a large flock of Goats and Sheep who were being guarded by three large dogs, two of which were very nice and enjoyed a scratch but the third one was less happy with us being there.

Looking West from the Ermita de la Virgen del Camino.

We turned around at this point and walked back to the Village where I picked up some of the lovely local Jamon Curado Ahumado from the very nice lady in the bread shop just above the main square.

The Jerbal tree infront of the Ermita de la Virgen del Camino.

During the walk I saw a few species including Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) as well as Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

The Sheep, Goats and Dogs at the end of the walk.

Jamon Curado Ahumado.

 

Santoña area, Cantabria and Fuente de Nava, Palencia Province, Spain.

A bit of a Goose day.

Ebird List for Fuente de Nava.

Common Pochard x Ferruginous Duck (Aythya ferina x nyroca).

I started the day with a good breakfast at the hotel and the went back to Molino de Santa Olaja and Casa de las Mareas hoping to see the Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser) which I had missed yesterday but with the same results unfortunately but during my search I did find what looked like a Common Pochard x Ferruginous Duck (Aythya ferina x nyroca) which has been in the area for a while.

Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser).

Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba).

Also seen were Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Great Crested (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Great (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

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

My next stop was south at Fuente de Nava in Palencia Province, here I parked at the Observatorio de Corralillos but it was quiet so I went down the road to Observatorio del Pradowhere I scanned the visible pools seeing Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) and as I scanned back towards the other hide I picked up a flock of Greylags which landed near there so I drove back down again but not before I found 33 Great Bustards (Avutarda Común / Otis tarda) back by the car

Barnical Geese (Barnacla Cariblanca / Branta leucopsis).

Pink-footed Goose (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus).

Pink-footed Goose (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus).

Snow Goose (Ánsar nival / Anser coerlescens).

Snow Goose (Ánsar nival / Anser coerlescens).

I set the scope up and scanned through the flock and soon found the fist of several Barnical Geese (Barnacla Cariblanca / Branta leucopsis) x17, Greater White-fronted Geese (Ánsar Careto / Anser albifrons) x46 and as more and more Greylags arrived I found a single Pink-footed Goose (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus) and a blue morph Snow Goose (Ánsar nival / Anser coerlescens) which had been coming in with the Greylags.

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

Other species seen before I headed off to Silos to see how friend Santi was doing included Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia), Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), a smart male Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus) and several Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo).

On my way to Santi's I had two Eurasian Eagle Owls (Búho Real / Bubo bubo) sat on wooded cable posts between Quintana del Puente and Lerma on the N-622.

The Port of A Coruña, Galicia, Unquera on the border between Asturias and Cantabria and Santoña Area, Cantabria, Spain.

Ups and downs along the North Coast.

White-tailed Eagle (Pigargo Europeo /Haliaeetus albicilla).

I had planned to leave my accommodation early but after getting a message from Cosme about a Glaucous Gull (Gavión Hiperbóreo / Larus hyperboreus)which was seen last thing last night on one of the low concrete sea walls in the harbour.

I arrived before light and it was almost 09.00 before I could really start to pick out the birds but I found no sign of the bird, only seeing Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

At just after 10.00 I decided to start my journey along the north coast to Santoña, as I drove I saw Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and  Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei).

On the way I turned off the motorway at Unquera and took the road to the coast and parked after a KM or so where I set up the scope and scanned the pylons looking for an immature White-tailed Eagle (Pigargo Europeo /Haliaeetus albicilla) which had been reported here, the bird was part of a contorvertial introduction project which is not suported by all the birders I have spoken to about it as they say there is no evidence that the species has ever been resident in the country.

White-tailed Eagle (Pigargo Europeo /Haliaeetus albicilla) Immature.

Anyway after a few minutes I found a bird perched on the largest of the pylons in the valley but it was still a long way off so I drove around to the far side of the river where I found two more birders sat by the railway line so I stopped for a chat. It turned out to be the coordinators for the project so I asked a few questions about what was happening and the young lady in charge was insistant that there is good evidence from bones found during excavation that the birds were here in the distant pastbut she also knew about the objections to the project. I asked her about what was going to happen in the future and she told me that so far 7 birds had been released, 6 were still in the area and one had wandered off to the Pyrenees.

The thing that surprised me most was when she said they were going to release another 100 birds in the same area at the end of the year, this sounds like one hell of a lot of birds to be competing for food in one area, I understand some will disperse but it still sounds like a lot of birds.

Anyway I continued on towards Santoña but first went to Molino de Santa Olaja and Casa de las Mareas but I did not find the hoped for Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser) but I did add Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

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

I drove around to the hide which over looks the estuary near Santoña where I walked along the track heading away from the town and right at the end I found 3x Common Scoters (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra) and the target Long-tailed Duck (Pato Havelda / Clangula hyemalis) along with Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer), Black-necked (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus) and Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope).

Playa de Alba, A Coruña and Encoro de Cecebre, Galicia, Spain.

A morning in search of Caspian Gulls but with some help.

Caspian Gull (Gaviota del Caspio / Larus cachinnans) 1st W /2CY.

After all the help I had recieved from Cosme Damián Romay Cousido in finding Barrilete, the American Herring Gull (Gaviota Argentea Americana / Larus Smithsonianus) I was very happy when he said he would meet me at Playa Alba this morning and help me to find a good Caspian Gull (Gaviota del Caspio / Larus cachinnans) as the one I had seen a few weeks earlier in Malaga Province was not a classic looking bird to say the least.

Caspian Gull (Gaviota del Caspio / Larus cachinnans) 1st W/ 2CY not so classic.

We met at just after 09.00 and started to search the gull flock down on the beach below us, all the time Cosme was pointing out European Herring Gulls (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) and in total there were at least a dozen of all ages along with Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) of different ages and Cosme spent ages going through the ways to identify each of them and by the time we had finished I realized how little I actually know about gulls and that I may need to spend more time on the North coast looking at them.

European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) 1st W /2CY.

European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) 1st W /2CY.

Anyway, after some time Cosme called me to his scope and said what do I think of a bird he had found and as soon as I looked and started to check the bird over I realized he had found a good Caspian but shortly after this he found an absolute classic bird which after a while came in a little closer.

European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) 1st W /2CY.

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

European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) 1st W /2CY a big beast.

Other species seen during the Gull session included Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone).

Out of control Dog.

After a while a young lady with a dog which she did not keep control of ended our mornings Gull watching when all the birds were flushed, inconsiderate dog owners are a problem everywhere it appears. We had been very successful and Cosme had an appointment so we headed off, I can't thank Cosme enough for his help getting the gulls sorted.

Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus).

Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus).

From here I headed to Encoro de Cecebre again and checked one of the bays that Cosme told me about, on the way I saw the Egyptian Geese (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca) again and from in the bay a pair of Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba) x3.

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

In the willows around the margin's I also saw Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus)and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) which was trying to get some sun.

Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila) male left.

Ria de Lires, Muxia, Galicia, Spain.

The brute I wanted to see, second time lucky.

Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla) immature.

With even more information from local birder Cosme Damián Romay Cousido about a good spot to look for Barrilete, the American Herring Gull (Gaviota Argentea Americana / Larus Smithsonianus) which had been returning to this area for winters since 2007 some 14 years.

Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla) immature.

Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla) immature.

Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla) immature.

I arrived at the site just after first light and after parking the car at the end of the road I walked back to a spot which over looked the low tide Islands in the river and the beach opposite.

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).

I set up my chair, Scope and supplies and sat down for a six and a half hour stint of Gull watching, to start with it was cold and I mean cold so within half an hour I had lost all feeling in my feet and fingers.

Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) on their way into the fish farm.

After getting the blood flowing by having a walk into the sun I settled back down and soon found an immature Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla) which was flying in from the sea and then sat on the far shore.

European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus).

European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus).

I also recorded Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), an almost adult European Herring (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) and masses of Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), several hundred Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), 70+ Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

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

After another defrosting walk I sat back down and I was watching a Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) when the Guardia pulled up and I thought they were going to ask what I was doing but the one guy spoke good English and just asked why I didn't sit in the sun at the other end of the road as I looked frozen and they weren't wrong. After explaining that I was looking for Gulls and they like the beach opposite they laughed and went on their way leaving me dithering and wishing there was a cafe close enough to get a coffee.

Barrilete the adult American Herring Gull (Gaviota Argentea Americana / Larus Smithsonianus).

American Herring Gull (Gaviota Argentea Americana / Larus Smithsonianus).

American Herring Gull (Gaviota Argentea Americana / Larus Smithsonianus).

American Herring Gull (Gaviota Argentea Americana / Larus Smithsonianus).

I sat back down and did several more scans through the growing Gull flock and then I found the one I had hope to find, Barrilete the adult American Herring Gull which was quite a brute of a bird size wise but being so clean looking it had a nice look to it

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Other species seen during the time there were Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax),  Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone) and Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

Pink-footed Goose (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus).

After seeing Barrilete I packed the kit back into the car, turned the heating up full and moved down the road to the Cemetery where I had seconds of the Pink-footed Goose (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus) before heading back to the Accommodation.

I ended up seeing the American Herring Gull after getting help from Cosme who also looked at my picks and confirmed the Gull Identifications for me, Thanks.