Ría de Betanzos in Sada, Aldea Cornide in Bergondo, Ría de Betanzos in Sada again, Ría de Ferro in Praia de San Valentín and Encoro de Cecebre, Galicia, Spain.

First Spanish Lifer of the year but it was a bit of a struggle.

Ebird List for Ría de Betanzos in Sada, 20 Species.

Ebird List for Aldea Cornide in Bergondo, 9 Species.

Ebird List for Ría de Betanzos in Sada, 2 Species.

Ebird List for Ría de Ferro in Praia de San Valentín, 18 Species.

Ebird list for Encoro de Cecebre, 22 Species.

Ebird List for Presa, 7 Species.

A quarter to Nine and it's just starting to get light at Sada.

I was on site at Ría de Betanzos in Sada way to early again but this time there were loads of places to get coffee so I loaded up on caffeine before heading out along the Prom whilst it was basically still dark at after 08:30, there were good numbers of Mallards (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta) as well as 4x Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope) all feeding along the sea edge and in the weed that had been washed up.

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

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

As it got lighter I watched 3x Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla) paddle in and start to feed amongst the other duck species.

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

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

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

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

Other species seen included Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), 30 odd Eurasian Oystercatchers (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and lots of White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) leaving a roost somewhere nearby.

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

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

I had walked up and down the sea front for around 2.5 hours and had not managed to find either the target American Black Duck (Ánade Sombrio / Anas rubripes) or the two Whooper Swans (Cisne Cantor / Cygnus Cygnus) regularly reported.

Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).

Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus).

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

As I was about to leave I bumped into another birder who said the Duck has sometimes been seen on the next beach to the West as well so I walked back towards the car having a last scan before I went and just as I was about to leave I picked up the two Whoopers, no Idea when they sneaked in from but they showed well and surfed a couple of wave but got pushed back out by one of the many walkers with there dogs off the leash.

Whooper Swans (Cisne Cantor / Cygnus Cygnus).

Whooper Swans (Cisne Cantor / Cygnus Cygnus).

Whooper Swans (Cisne Cantor / Cygnus Cygnus).

Whooper Swans (Cisne Cantor / Cygnus Cygnus).

After getting some pictures of the Swans I went to have a look at the other beach but there was no sign of the Duck but I did find a good flock of Common Scoters (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra) before returning to the Ría de Betanzos where the tide had started to drop a tad and expose a small area of mud.

Sada Beach.

Mallards (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and the male American Black Duck (Ánade Sombrio / Anas rubripes).

American Black Duck (Ánade Sombrio / Anas rubripes).

American Black Duck (Ánade Sombrio / Anas rubripes).

American Black Duck (Ánade Sombrio / Anas rubripes).

As I walked back down again I saw all the same species and then just before I reached the outlet for the Rio I spotted the Target American Black Duck feeding on the thin strip of mud with several Mallards and other ducks, I spent quiet a while watching this bird and chatting with some interested passersby explaining that this quite plain looking bird was extremely rare here in Spain.

Ría de Ferro in Praia de San Valentín.

Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina).

Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina).

My next stop was up on the Ría de Ferro where in the past I had seen a Bonaparte's Gull (Gaviota de Bonaparte / Chroicocephalus philadelphia) and as it was reported as being seen yesterday I thought I would give it a try but dipped, however I did add Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) to the list before I decided to head for the Encoro de Cecebre a large reservoir back towards A Coruña.

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

Ringed Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) TW7X I think but it was a long way off.

I parked by the hide / Observatorio de aves de Crendes and scanned the water and surroundings finding 2x Egyptian Geese (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca), 20 odd Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), 18x Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), 4x Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Egyptian Geese (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca).

A skulking Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus).

Whilst I was there a very nice Spanish lady birder turned up and gave me some info about the area, after we chatted she went for a walk around the lake and I went back around to the Dam and checked the area there adding Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) to my year list bringing it up to 97 at the end of day three.

Santoña to A Coruña via Bustio on the Asturias border and Faro de Cabo Peñas, Austrias, Spain.

Dip, Dip and a wash out, well that's the way it goes sometimes.

Ebird List for Cabo Peñas, 22 species.

 

Looking back East along the Coast.

I left Isla at 06:45 and headed around Santander to the Estuary of the Rio Deva near Bustio where a few years ago I saw 3x White-tailed Eagle (Pigargo Europeo /Haliaeetus albicilla) but today there was no sign of any birds in the area, as far as I am aware the introduction has now been binned which from feedback I have had from some local birders is a good thing as it was based on a tenuous beliefs that the birds were once a breeding species in Northern Spain.

Looking West.

In the area I did see Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax) x6, Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and heard a squealing Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus).

Alta nordeste, Barberona and Las sirenas Cliffs and stacks.

I continued on and my next stop was out on the headland of Cabo Peñas where I walked the fields looking for a reported Richards Pipit (Bisbita de Richard / Anthus richardi), I saw a good flock of Pipits in a large grassy field but couldn't see a way down to the spot so I birded the area around the Lighthouse.

Spotless (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris).

As I did a loop around the cliffs and scrub fields I picked up Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Raven, Carrion Crow, Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), White Wagtail, Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Spotless (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Common Chaffinch.

Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis).

As I returned to the car I notice a track down into the fields and around the coast a short way so I had a look and found somewhere between 40 and 50 Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), I also had two birds fly over which looked like larger Pipits and they sounded good but I didn't manage to get views on the ground as they dropped in over a ridge in the field when the flock was spooked by a walking group coming up from the coastal footpath.

I returned to the car as it started to spit with rain and before I had gone many KMs it was humming it down and blowing an absolute gale which made the next 3 hour drive interesting, I had planned to visit another spot before going to the hotel but didn't bother as it's supposed to be dry tomorrow and I am defiantly getting to be a fair weather birder.

Puerto de Santoña, Cicero, Charca de Gandarias, Polder y Ría de Escalante, Puerto de Santoña and Marismas Blancas and Ensenada de San Bartolomé in the Bahía de Santander, Cantabria, Spain.

A day looking for lots of winter visitors.

82 species seen.

Ebird List for Puerto de Santoña, 20 Species.

Ebird List for Cicero, 38 species.

Ebird List for Charca de Gandarias, 14 species.

Ebird List for Polder y Ría de Escalante, 22 species.

Ebird List for Puerto de Santoña, 17 species.

Ebird List for Marismas Blancas 24 species. 

Ebird List for Ensenada de San Bartolomé, 37 Species.

08:00 and it's still dark.

I started the day a tad earlier than I need as it was still pitch black when I arrived in Santoña and all the bars were shut so I couldn't even get a coffee, disaster.

Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) and Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis).

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

As things got lighter I went for a walk along the sea wall at the Southern end of the Port near to the Bull Ring where I started the 2024 year list off with Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone).

Sun Rise, things thankfully warmed up a tad.

Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Shags (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis) and a Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

Things got far more interesting out on the water where I guess there must have been over 700 Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla) stretching right along the main channel of the estuary, in the same area I had the first of several Great Northern Divers (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Razorbill (Alca Común / Alca torda), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), the resident male Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima),  Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor) x3, Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

Looking down to the far end of the board walk at Cicero.

The view from the Board Walk over to Santoña.

I decide to pop down to the board walk at Cicero where there had been reports of a Velvet Scoter (Negrón Especulado / Melanitta fusca), I arrived and found Spanish birder Manuel Hermosilla who put me on to a mixed group of Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Serins (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Siskins (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) in a couple of Pine Trees near the start of the Board Walk, he went for a walk along the road but returned later, by the time he returned I had found the Velvet and a decent sized flock of Common Scoters (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra) as well as Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), another Great Northern Diver and it's smaller relative a distant Red-throated Diver (Colimbo Chico / Gavia stellata), Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala). 

Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta).

Manuel stayed at the site but I need a coffee and went into the nearby Village where I managed to get 3 Coffee's, two for my travel mug from Aus and one to drink there and then.

Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer) immature.

Common Guillemot (Arao Común / Uria aalge).

Common Guillemot (Arao Común / Uria aalge).

Razorbill (Alca Común / Alca torda).

I started to make my way back to Santoña but called in at the Charca de Gandarias where I checked the pools and fields finding Water (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) and Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), a Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) which called and showed briefly in the ditch along the side of the road, Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata). 

Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) with a catch.

Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

My next stop was on the road towards Escalante at the watch point, here I spent some time chatting and birding with two very nice Spanish Ladies and also added Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), my one and only Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) of the day, a female Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), over the trees and crags behind us 3 Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and now that it had warmed a bit I also noticed a couple of Small Whites (Pieris rapae) and a single Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni).

Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer).

Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer).

Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer).

Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer).

I returned to the Port in Santoña where I got better views of a couple of Great Northern Divers and added a Common Guillemot (Arao Común / Uria aalge), a female looking Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and whilst I was watching the Guillemot 2x Rock Pipits (Bisbita Costero / Anthus petrosus) flew out of the Bull Ring and away out onto the marshes.

Part of Santoña Port looking better once the sun came through.

Looking out onto the Estuary and marshes.

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

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

I returned to the car and went for a look up the Canal de Boó but apart from a Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis) it was quiet so I went just down the road to the Observatorio de aves de La Arenilla where I again saw the Common Eider but it was right into the Sun and didn't make for a good picture.

Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima).

Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima).

At this point I decided that I would try and save myself some time tomorrow and make getting over to A Coruna a little easier by going back to Ensenada de San Bartolomé to look for the 2 Scaup species but went via the Marismas Blancas where I sat on the raised area near the road and later walked down to the hide and a bit further along the strip of Alder trees, new species included Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos).

Marismas Blancas.

Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor) arriving.

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) through the reeds.

My final stop of the day was not far up the road at Ensenada de San Bartolomé, I parked by the Cemertey and followed the footpath along the side of the Estuary with Santander on the opposite shore, new species included Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).

A male Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) in the Alders.

Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

I reached the second of the bolder jetties out into the Estuary and set up the scope and scanned the water but couldn't find the birds, I picked up an unexpected female looking Red-breasted Merganser (Serreta Mediana / Mergus serrator) but nothing else new until a Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus) flew over and flushed all the Duck out into the open water which meant they were easier to scan and on about my 4 pass I found the male Lesser (Porrón Bola / Aythya affinis) and female Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila) mixed in with all the other duck.

The view over to Santander.

Male Lesser (Porrón Bola / Aythya affinis) and female Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila).

Male Lesser (Porrón Bola / Aythya affinis) and female Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila).

Very happy and as I was starting to loose the light I decide to head back to the accommodation but went across country ad it was half the distance if a little slower. 

Loosing the light.