Cabo Peñas

Observation Point · Spain

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Photo © Josefito123

Photo © Josefito123 — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

Where sea cliffs rise sheer from the Bay of Biscay, Susacasa's observation point commands one of Asturias's most dramatic coastal vistas. The landscape here is defined by granite outcrops weathered into jagged ridges, their surfaces softened by moorland grasses and low scrub adapted to the relentless Atlantic wind. This is Cfb climate country—temperate oceanic, with moisture arriving year-round and no true dry season. The moorland and coastal heathland that cloak the headland support a mosaic of habitats where maritime influences meet continental air masses, creating conditions that shelter birds of prey, corvids drawn to carrion and insects, and seabirds exploiting the nutrient-rich upwellings below. Small mammals—insectivores and rodents—find refuge in the dense low vegetation, while migratory waders and shorebirds use the rocky inlets and spray zones as rest stops during seasonal movements. The granite shelves themselves host sessile plants tolerant of salt spray and wind scour, their sparse distribution underlining the harshness of the exposure.

For wildlife photographers and birdwatchers, Susacasa's observation point offers an unrivalled vantage for studying seabirds at close range during spring and autumn migrations, when activity offshore intensifies. The quality of light here is exceptional—morning sun raking across the cliff face and water creates the contrast and texture that define distinguished coastal photography. Seasonal visits reveal marked differences: winter brings concentrations of diving birds and gulls sheltering in lee waters, while spring migration floods the airspace with raptors and warblers moving northeastward. The observation point itself demands minimal exertion, allowing visitors to spend extended periods watching without fatigue, a crucial advantage when wildlife sightings depend on patience and stillness. Access is straightforward from nearby settlements, and the site rewards both casual naturalists and serious birders with the kind of unstructured, immersive seascape encounter that forms the backbone of meaningful coastal wildlife travel.

European Bee-eater

Merops apiaster

European Honey Buzzard

Pernis apivorus

Prunella modularis

Lymnocryptes minimus

Gallinago gallinago

Short-toed Treecreeper

Certhia brachydactyla

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus

Western Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

Circus macrourus

Black-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponica

Black-browed Albatross

Thalassarche melanophris

Eurasian Stone-curlew

Burhinus oedicnemus

Northern Gannet

Woodchat Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio

Iberian Grey Shrike

Lanius meridionalis

Egyptian Vulture

Neophron percnopterus

Eurasian Skylark

Alauda arvensis

Lullula arborea

Tringa glareola

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

Terek Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Common Redshank

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

Garrulus glandarius

Eurasian Scops Owl

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Eurasian Bittern

Botaurus stellaris

Western House Martin

Delichon urbicum

Eurasian Crag Martin

Ptyonoprogne rupestris

Riparia riparia

Recurvirostra avosetta

Branta leucopsis

Branta bernicla

Anthus spinoletta

Anthus trivialis

Anthus campestris

European Rock Pipit

Anthus petrosus

Richard's Pipit

Anthus richardi

Red-throated Pipit

Anthus cervinus

Anthus pratensis

Cinereous Vulture

Aegypius monachus

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naevia

Short-eared Owl

Melanocorypha calandra

Eurasian Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhula

Collared Pratincole

Glareola pratincola

European Roller

Coracias garrulus

Common Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Spatula querquedula

Red-footed Falcon

Falco vespertinus

Falco tinnunculus

Cetti's Warbler

Sternula albifrons

Thalasseus sandvicensis

Sterna dougallii

Sterna paradisaea

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

Troglodytes troglodytes

Common Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

Anarhynchus alexandrinus

Eurasian Dotterel

Eudromias morinellus

American Golden Plover

Pluvialis dominica

European Golden Plover

Pluvialis apricaria

Pluvialis squatarola

European Nightjar

Caprimulgus europaeus

Red-billed Chough

Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

Ciconia ciconia

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

Zitting Cisticola

Cisticola juncidis

Coturnix coturnix

Galerida cristata

Red-throated Loon

Black-throated Loon

Common Redstart

Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Phoenicurus ochruros

Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

Isabelline Wheatear

Oenanthe isabellina

Calidris pugnax

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Gulosus aristotelis

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Calidris subruficollis

Calidris alpina

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii

Calidris canutus

Calidris minuta

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritima

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

Great Spotted Cuckoo

Clamator glandarius

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Cuculus canorus

Short-toed Snake Eagle

Circaetus gallicus

Sardinian Warbler

Curruca melanocephala

Eurasian Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla

Dartford Warbler

Black-winged Kite

Elanus caeruleus

Ortolan Bunting

Emberiza hortulana

Lapland Longspur

Calcarius lapponicus

Plectrophenax nivalis

Common Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

Emberiza pusilla

Emberiza cirlus

Emberiza calandra

Falco columbarius

Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

Spotless Starling

Sturnus unicolor

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Estrilda astrild

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatus

Phalaropus fulicarius

Greater Flamingo

Phoenicopterus roseus

Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arctica

Northern Fulmar

Fulmarus glacialis

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterus

Chlidonias hybrida

Chlidonias niger

Gallinula chloropus

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Egretta garzetta

Ardeola ralloides

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

European Herring Gull

Larus argentatus

Mediterranean Gull

Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

Ichthyaetus audouinii

Bonaparte's Gull

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

Larus cachinnans

Hydrocoloeus minutus

Yellow-legged Gull

Larus michahellis

Slender-billed Gull

Chroicocephalus genei

Franklin's Gull

Leucophaeus pipixcan

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

Great Black-backed Gull

Larus hyperboreus

Hirundo rustica

Petronia petronia

Passer domesticus

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

Eleonora's Falcon

Falco eleonorae

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Lophophanes cristatus

Eurasian Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

Eurasian Siskin

Western Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

Motacilla cinerea

Western Barn Owl

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Common Kingfisher

Turdus torquatus

Common Blackbird

Long-tailed Tit

Aegithalos caudatus

Plegadis falcinellus

Yellow-browed Warbler

Phylloscopus inornatus

Common Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybita

Iberian Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus ibericus

Phylloscopus trochilus

Western Bonelli's Warbler

Phylloscopus bonelli

Melanitta nigra

Melanitta fusca

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolus

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus

Gull-billed Tern

Gelochelidon nilotica

Hydroprogne caspia

Common Wood Pigeon

Columba palumbus

European Pied Flycatcher

Ficedula hypoleuca

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striata

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Balearic Shearwater

Puffinus mauretanicus

Cory's Shearwater

Calonectris borealis

Scopoli's Shearwater

Calonectris diomedea

Barolo Shearwater

Puffinus baroli

Yelkouan Shearwater

Puffinus yelkouan

Manx Shearwater

Puffinus puffinus

Sooty Shearwater

Linaria cannabina

Red-crested Pochard

Cairina moschata

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalis

Leach's Storm Petrel

Hydrobates leucorhous

Wilson's Storm Petrel

Oceanites oceanicus

European Storm Petrel

Hydrobates pelagicus

Red-legged Partridge

Erithacus rubecula

Pterodroma madeira

Pterodroma feae

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Coccothraustes coccothraustes

White-tailed Eagle

Haliaeetus albicilla

Fringilla montifringilla

Eurasian Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

Sula leucogaster

Loxia curvirostra

Iberian Green Woodpecker

Porzana porzana

Ring-necked Duck

Aythya collaris

Aythya fuligula

Common Goldeneye

Bucephala clangula

Ferruginous Duck

Stercorarius skua

Parasitic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticus

Pomarine Jaeger

Stercorarius pomarinus

Long-tailed Jaeger

Stercorarius longicaudus

Eurasian Penduline Tit

Remiz pendulinus

Rallus aquaticus

Common Firecrest

Regulus ignicapilla

Regulus regulus

Blue Rock Thrush

Monticola solitarius

Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

Luscinia svecica

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Serinus serinus

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

Red-necked Grebe

Podiceps grisegena

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

African Stonechat

Saxicola torquatus

European Stonechat

Saxicola rubicola

Saxicola rubetra

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

Greater Short-toed Lark

Calandrella brachydactyla

Eurasian Wryneck

Tichodroma muraria

European Turtle Dove

Streptopelia turtur

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Eurasian Magpie

Tachymarptis melba

European Greenfinch

Chloris chloris

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Podiceps auritus

Eurasian Curlew

Numenius arquata

Eurasian Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Melodious Warbler

Hippolais polyglotta

Turdus viscivorus

Turdus philomelos

Hieraaetus pennatus

Pandion haliaetus

Anas platyrhynchos

Mareca strepera

Northern Pintail

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifrons

Pink-footed Goose

Anser brachyrhynchus

Somateria mollissima

South Polar Skua

Stercorarius maccormicki

Bubo scandiacus

Charadrius vociferus

Tennessee Warbler

Leiothlypis peregrina

Megaptera novaeangliae

Mustela nivalis

Western Roe Deer

Capreolus capreolus

Panglobal Common Dolphin

Delphinus delphis

Striped Dolphin

Stenella coeruleoalba

Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

West European Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

Halichoerus grypus

Genetta genetta

Long-finned Pilot Whale

Globicephala melas

Eurasian Wild Pig

Lepus europaeus

Harbor Porpoise

Phocoena phocoena

European Pine Marten

Common Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pipistrellus

Southwestern Water Vole

Arvicola sapidus

Rattus norvegicus

European Badger

Lusitanian Pine Vole

Microtus lusitanicus

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