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Last Sunday, several hundred people gathered at Urdaibai Bird Center and the bird hides of Gautegiz Arteagas's marshes to enjoy the spectacle of bird migration.

Many people could had a pleasant visit to the center, where technicians of Aranzadi Society of Sciences guided them through the different equipments, to finish at the great large window where the main protagonists, the migratory birds were not missing.

Those who attended to the guided visits organized by Urdaibai Bird Center could, among other things, watch in live, through telescopes and binoculars, a big variety of waterbirds in front of the center, while our visitors were attending with great interest the explanations of our technicians.

Among Ciconiiforme birds, Grey Herons were observed trying to fish, while a young Eurasian Spoonbill from Dutch Frisian Islands was resting between the elegants Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets, and at the same time, a White Stork was searching food.

Several Ducks, like Common Teals, Eurasian Wigeons, Mallards and Gadwaks, who came from the north some days ago for staying with us during the winter, were seen feeding in the open waters in groups with the abundant Common Coots, that are present in this marshes during the whole year.

The luck also joined us, because a specimen of Marsh Harrier gave to the participants a spectacular hunting scenes while it was flying tireless over the waders that were resting during the high tide..

Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)                           Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeroginosus)

Among these waders coming from the Northern Europe, the Greenshanks were remarkable because of the number of them wintering in this wetland. Between them, some Common Redshanks were also resting, while the rare Black-tailed Godwits with its spectacular large and thin bills  were stretching for begining their daily activity searching food..

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

And finally, the people ended amazed with the Great Cormorants, Moorhens, Little Grebes and Common Kingfisher so much that even, some of them took photos as souvenir, as there were also some people keen on photography.

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)

Eurasian Coot (Fullica atra)

Everyone who approached to Gautegiz Arteaga won't forget either the very interesting explanations about scientific ringing given by expert  ringers  of Aranzadi. Among the hundreds of birds that were banded that morning, Reed Warbler was the star, because they made a stop over with us until they continue their long journey to the coast of Senegal in the Sub-Saharan Africa.

Scientific ringing day

Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)

And needless to say about the bird hides located on the edges of the marsh... It was a coming and going of people that could enjoy with what has become the authentic paradise for the migratory birds... The marshes of Gautegiz Arteaga.