Birding in Cantabria / Asturia ?

[tufty]

Next year we are having a 'family' holiday in the Cantabria region of Spain, probably staying just west of Santander.

Now obviously I won't be able to go birding every day (not with a 2 year old son) but I am hoping to get a few good days out. We are going the first two weeks of July.

I already know the Plymouth - Santander trip will be less eventful due to the new boat (no public observation deck - from previous posts.)

I will of course spend some time up in the Picos de Europa mountains hopefully looking for Wallcreeper, and have got a couple of trip reports off Birdtours website that give me a rough idea of some sites to visit.

Does anyone have any recommended sites / areas to visit at that time of year ?

Are there any reliable sites for Black and Middle spotted Woodpecker ?

Also do you have any general tips on visiting the area, my wife is learning Spanish at nightschool as I believe very little, if any English is spoken.

Any advice whatsoever will be greatly received.

[MICHAEL GILLETT]

Hi Paul

Any luck with Black Woodpecker around the Picos?
Apparently lammergeiers have moved back into the area - do you know of any specific sites ?

Cheers
Michael Gillett

[Jane Turner]

Don't write off the ferry....I have seen plenty of whales and seabirds from it

[tufty]

I never saw nor heard Black Woodpecker while in N Spain.
I was hoping to write a brief trip report incl images taken but I'm still trawling through the 1000+ I took !!!
I failed at the Wallcreeper site, gave it 1 and half hours went to look for Rock Thrush and 15 mins later another birder saw the Wallcreeper on the cliff face I'd been watching :C
I returned the following day and gave it 3 hours at the site but saw nothing.
I did get excellent views of Alpine Accentor up in the mountains and Alpine Chough feeding just feet away, as well as Snowfinch.

There was a viewing area on the boat and I saw at least a dozen Cory's Shearwater - apparently 2 Killer Whales were seen at 5am that morning, I was obviously tucked up in bed.