Spring Update 2 - Water, water everywhere! Lagunas Update

 By August 2023 the reservoirs across the region were so depleted that they were only 21.5% full.  Unsurprisingly, there were real concerns that by the summer of 2025 water levels would reach a critical level.  However, as noted in my earlier account about Laguna de los Tollos, after years of drought the heavy and persistent rain of late 2024 and spring 2025 have topped up the area's reservoirs (embalses). The latest available figures show that several reservoirs are now at 80-94% capacity (although for some the level remains historically low).  The area's lagunas reflect this improved situation with all if those I visited showing a similarly high water levels. In fact several were at a a higher level than I've ever previously seen them.  The photos accompanying the short texts below give some idea of just how well the lagunas have recovered.  It should be noted, however, that the recovery in water levels does not mean an instant recovery in wildlife.  The lacustrine ecology has surely been badly impacted by the years of drought and will take some time to recover which probably explains why, despite the high water levels, I found relatively poor numbers of grebes, ducks, coots and terns were present. 

Lagunas de Espera
I saw my first Red-knobbed Coot over a decade ago on this reserve, a collection of three lagunas - Hondilla, Salada de la Zorrilla and Dulce de la Zorrilla.  Access from Espera is excellent as the road is metalled for much of its length (although in April the road up to the castle was under repair).  The view across rolling farmland towards Espera is wonderful and the view from the castle that dominates the village still better. 

The view back towards Espera and its castle

Whilst the road to the first laguna (Hondilla) is in excellent condition, the same cannot be said of the laguna which is now almost entirely overgrown with only a tiny sliver of open water harbouring a few ducks and coots. About 400m further along the road is the track beside the second and largest laguna (Salada de la Zorrilla). Happily this laguna has not been swallowed up by vegetation but the neglect of the reserve no better illustrated than by the state of the vegetation around the hide ("Observatorio de la Zorrilla").  Small trees and bushes entirely obscure the view of the laguna from the hide as they have done for a decade or more (see photos). All is not lost, though, as there are now a couple of illicit paths down to the lakeside. I had a few Red-crested and Common Pochard, Coot and Marsh Harrier from here.  From the useless hide it's another c1 km to the final laguna (Dulce de la Zorrilla).  Here the lack of management is again apparent -  small wooden watchpoint was constructed just upslope from the laguna which would have improved the view ... had they not put it behind  some planted saplings which now - surprise, surprise - are bushy trees preventing any view of the wetland.  This laguna - where I once had Red-knobbed Coot - is also now almost choked with vegetation (see photos).  

Lagunas de Lebrija - Laguna del Pilon
Laguna del Pilon is often dry even when the other lagunas in this complex are wet.  This year it was wetter than I've ever seen it which was wonderful to see.  By pulling off onto a rough track I was able to explore the laguna more fully than usual but it harboured few birds (a few grebes, Red-crested Pochard and a passing Hobby).  Unfortunately, the track up to the main lagunas proved to be impassable by car so I left meaning to return when I had more time ... but I never managed to do so. 

Lagunas del Puerto de Santa Maria
The track from Laguna Juncosa down to Laguna Salada was once undrivable being deeply rutted and often very wet.  Even walking down the track could be tricky as the mud was glutenous and sticky.  Now the road's in excellent condition but the view of Laguna Juncosa is blocked by vegetation and the 'official' wooden viewpoint over Laguna Salada is so distant to be useless.  Even with a 'scope I couldn't find any birds swimming on the water there. Perhaps I should have checked the illicit viewpoint at the water's edge here as as Red-knobbed Coot & White-headed Duck were reported from the area recently!   Given I've always found the third laguna in the complex, Laguna Chica, hard to view I didn't check it this time.  

Laguna de los Tercios
Although only a short distance from Laguna Chica, Laguna de los Tercios (aka Las Marismas de Pozo or Laguna del Hato Carne) does not seem to be part of the Lagunas del Puerto de Santa Maria complex (Complejo Endorreico del Puerto de Santa María).  Perhaps as a result it's far less well-known (E-bird lists only 18 checklists for this site vs well over 200 for the Puerto de Santa María lagunas).  The great advantage of this site is that the views across the laguna are not obscured by tamarisks and other scrub.  I briefly visited the place in April and had more birds than my subsequent visit to  Lagunas del Puerto de Santa Maria. I had 8 Whiskered Terns (the only one of my trip to Spain this spring),5 Red-crested Pochards, 5 Shelducks, 45+ Collared Pratincoles, 12 Black-winged Stilts, 9 Avocets and 15 Yellow Wagtails

Laguna de Medina

There was a time when Laguna de Medina was thought to be the only one of the region's lagunas to never or only very rarely run dry even at the end of summer.  Sadly, this hasn't been the case in recent years with the laguna often drying up entirely (or almost so) in the summer and doing so even in spring when water levels should be high.  Happily it was entirely inundated on my visits with drowned tamarisks marking previous high water levels.  It will take time for any reedbeds to recover and the relatively few waterbirds (given the size of the laguna) indicates that the lacustrine ecosystem hasn't recovered.  Hopefully, it will have sufficient muddy margins come the autumn to attract waders but in the meantime check for Stone-curlews in the nearby olive groves. 

Lagunas de Camino Colorado - Bonanza

I omitted to take any photos at this site but it again came up trumps for Red-knobbed Coot - a lonely single bird.  Black-headed Weavers showed well too and I kept up my good 'hit rate' here for Little Bittern. Sadly, the heron/egret colony here is now deserted. 

Embalse de Barbate
This is a distant view of the Embalse de Barbate from Alcala de los Gazules.  Last autumn you could barely see any water in the reservoir at all but despite this a couple of pairs of Osprey still breed here.  

Humedal del Pantano

I made a quick stop here en route to Carmona to look for Laughing Dove which happily obliged within a few minutes.  Like other wetlands it was satisfyingly wet but it was a disappointment that the egret colony is no longer active.  I also missed Little Bittern (usually obliging here) but had plenty of sightings of Purple Herons which nest in the reeds.

Marismas de Casablanca
I still haven't figured out access to this site but it was good to see it so wet!