Granero del burro

October is always a good time to get out and about to see what birdlife there might be. The Autumn migration can always turn up a few surprises. A couple of recent days out provided very fruitful. A walk around the Eo estuary between Figueras and Castropol at high tide was very productive. There were a pair of Kingfishers flying up and down the shoreline and perching on the rocks. It is always unusual to see Kingfishers doing this as in the UK they are normally just seen on freshwater rivers and lakes. There were also Bar Tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Greenshank, Curlew, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Little Egret, Mediterranean Gull and Peregrine Falcon.

Another day out around Penarronda beach proved to be very rewarding as well. In the fields above the beach there was a Crested Lark as well as plenty of Spotless Starlings. These are joined in the Winter by normal Starlings and this is a good place to see them together and check out the difference. There were also 3 Wrynecks in an adjacent field, all sitting on fence posts and looking great in the Autumn sunshine. The Zitting Cisticolas were very much in evidence - they are always much easier to see in the Autumn. There was also a Cetti's Warbler calling.

Both of these places are less than half an hour from Granero del Burro.