Donington Nature Reserve, Albrighton, Shropshire. UK.

A rather damp, cold and grey walk around the reserve and up to the Church yard.

Ebird List.

 

Along the stream.

I walked down to the reserve through the village, I first of all checked the pool and track to the locked gate onto the secured part of the reserve seeing Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and lots of Redwings (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus).

A few of the Redwings (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus).

I crossed the road and went onto the field and walked along the stream picking up Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Song (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), 3x Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and lots more Redwings which flew in.

Humphreston Brook after the recent rains.

I walked back up through the village and returned to my Moms were I got ready to go out to Next door bar to see the Dirty Rocking Scoundrels with some of Jayne's brothers and sister's.

As expected we had a great night, good company, good food and brilliant music and entertainment.

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND GREAT NEW YEAR.

 HAPPY CHRISTMAS.

 

Hello All.

Happy Christmas to everyone and thank you for taking the time to read my drivel and look at my photo's.

Hope this message finds you all well and that you have all had a good years birding / wildlife watching.

Priorslee Flash, Priorslee, Telford, Shropshire, UK.

A nice visit to see family and a second walk at the flash.

Ebird List.

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

After visiting Pauline and David I decided to had a walk around the Flash / Hangmans Lake after David reminded me of the Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) he had seen there a while ago and I was not disappointed as part way round I found it and it was amazingly well behave and spent a while in the reeds reducing the local frog population.

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

As I walked I also saw Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus).

Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser).

Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser).

Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser).

Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser).

Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser).

Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser).

In the scrub, the air and around the margin's I also added Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).

Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).

Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus).

Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor).

Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula) Female.

Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula) Male.

Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) Female.

Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) Male.

Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis).

Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii).

Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus).

Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Hazel Catkin's (Corylus avellana).

Priorslee Flash, Priorslee, Telford, Shropshire, UK.

A quick scan of the frozen lake.

Ebird List.

I popped over to Telford to do a bit of Shopping and to see some of the family, whilst I waited for them to get back home I had a walk around part of the Flash which was three quarters frozen but still had a few species on the open water including Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser) x6, Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and  Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo). 

Other species seen included Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) x8, Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii) x2 and Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis).

Out to Sea between Santander and Southampton.

At sea under grey skies.

I had a none to great night as it was piggin freezing on board the Galicia and the chairs are less than comfortable so in the end I went back to the bar and got a bit of sleep on one of the seats there but it was still very cold on board.

Once it was light I found a window with a view but didn't see a great deal, best birds were a couple of Common Guillemot (Arao Común / Uria aalge), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), a group of Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla) and a few Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus).

Santoña Port, Marismas Blancas, Bahía de Santander, Cantabria, Spain and a few hours at sea enroute to UK.

A bit more North Coast birding before getting the Ferry to the UK.

Ebird List for Marismas Blancas.

Ebird List for Bahía de Santander.

Looking along the Pleasure boat part of the port down to the Bull Ring.

After a good nights sleep at the Hotel Rural las Solanas de Escalante I went up to the Port in Santoña, had some breakfast and the did a walk along the Prom before it got light, on the way I saw Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).

It was still not very light by the time I got back to the car so I had another coffee before going out onto the main Jetty and setting up the scope, as I scanned I found Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla), Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica), Black-necked (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) and out in the distance thousands of wildfowl, most I am guessing were Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope) and Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta) but they were too distant to sort out.

Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla) in the foreground and masses of other ducks off into the distance.

I returned to the car and the drove towards Santander but pulled of the Motorway to have a look at Marismas Blacas, a pool I always enjoy visiting, today was no different as straight away I saw two immature Little Gulls (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus) feeding low over the water very Tern like.

Marismas Blancas, the main pool.

As I scanned the water I added Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Great Cormorant, Black-headed, Lesser Black-backed and Yellow-legged Gulls.

Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus).

Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus).

Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus).

Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus).

Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus).

Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus).

Around the margins and in the air I found a couple of Firecrests (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) picking their way through a small Willow tree with a single Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor).

Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor).

Also seen were Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), White Wagtail, House Sparrow, Robin, Blackbird, Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and a passing Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus).

Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).

Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).

My last stop before catching the Ferry was at the Bahía de Santander where I could see the Ferry in the docks opposite, I set up the Scope and scanned the river and almost the first bird I saw amongst a flock of Black-headed Gulls was another Little Gull, as had as I tried I unfortunately couldn't turn it into an immature Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla), 18x Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera) flew over as did two large flocks of Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), on the rocks there were 50 odd  Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) and a single Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).

Leaving Santander, bet it won't look like this as we arrive in Southampton.

Other species seen included a Great Northern Diver, Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

I went around to the port and then almost stright on to the ferry which I was suprised left on time at 14.00 instead of 16:00 which Brittany Ferries had said it would do in an email a few days earlier, as we started off I did a short sea watch but all I managed was a small flock of around 30 Balearic Shearwaters (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus), a few Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) and a single Razorbill.

Last View of Spain for a while.