A muddy adventure in the lagoons of Espera
- Mar 15
- 3 min read
After what felt like an eternity of rain, today was finally a dry day. Perfect for seeing how the lagoons of Espera were doing and what birds had decided to make an appearance. Of course, getting there wasn’t that simple. Some access roads were still blocked thanks to all the recent downpours, so I had to take a scenic (read: unnecessarily long) route to reach them.
The three lagoons are fed by rain and some underground currents. Their origin is mainly due to the presence of a flat terrain with small undulations and a slight slope, where impermeable materials favour the accumulation of water. Sounds scientific and all, but what it really means is that when it rains a lot—like it did this winter—the lagoons fill up beautifully. When it doesn’t, they can dry up completely.
The first stop was Laguna Hondilla, the smallest of the three. Last year around this time, it was nothing but a sad, cracked expanse of dry earth. Now, there was water! The problem? Seeing it was a different matter. The vegetation had gone wild, making it nearly impossible to get a good view. Naturally, I thought, “Maybe if I get a little closer...” Bad idea. The ground was so muddy that every step felt like a gamble. I quickly realized that today’s birding would be an exercise in not losing my boots—or my dignity.
It was here where I managed to get ridiculously close to a pair of Red-legged Partridges. They were napping in the grass and were not disturbed by my close presence at all.
On to Laguna de Zorrilla, where the water level was much higher than last year. This lagoon has a maximum depth of two meters, but I wasn’t here to measure that—I was here for the birds. There’s a hide, but I find it pretty useless unless you have a telescope, thanks to some strategically annoying trees blocking most of the view. So, like any determined birder, I made my way through the vegetation to get a better look.
That’s when I found myself in Marsh Harrier territory. These birds are absolutely stunning but also total troublemakers. I counted at least six of them around this lagoon alone. They glide around like they own the place, sending the smaller birds into panic mode. If the bird world had villains, Marsh Harriers would be up there with the best. But they weren’t the only raptors around—I was lucky enough to spot a Hen Harrier too, which was a nice surprise!
The last stop was Laguna Dulce de la Zorrilla. Last year, I couldn’t reach it because the vegetation was too high along the path. This year, I had a different problem: a serious mud situation. Walking the path to the lagoon felt like participating in an extreme sport. I lost count of how many times I nearly fell, but somehow, I made it through. When I finally got a view of the water, I spotted yet more Marsh Harriers (of course) and a beautiful pair of Gadwalls. Not bad!
In the end, the bird variety wasn’t as high as I had hoped, but these lagoons are still a fantastic refuge for wildlife. Plus, with all the plants and insects thriving, it’s clear that nature is making the most of this record-breaking wet season. As for me, I made it out without falling in the mud. Barely.
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