Casilla Lagoon – Bird Observatory – Nature Reserve 📷 Málaga – Spain

Experiences in nature are unique, and each one is special to me. Watching birds is something I’d never done before, not like this, anyway. Sitting down and taking the time to see them in their natural habitat, in the wild, and knowing that this place is preserved and far from human interference is amazing; at the same time, watching them is relaxing.

It’s like peering through a gap into a world that goes about its business without realising I’m there watching; it’s like watching a film about pure, beautiful nature, but live.

When I first visited the nature reserve at the mouth of the River Guadalhorse, I promised myself I’d return, because there was still so much left for me to explore. The reserve covers a vast area, over 64 hectares, and it’s a place where you’ll want to promise yourself you’ll come back to enjoy the serenity and peace that reign there. Because I can assure you, it’s like being on another planet.

I looked at the map again and this time it didn’t seem so complicated to reach one of the two lagoons I hadn’t yet visited. I simply had to turn not at the first fork in the road but at the second, and that’s what I did.

But the dense vegetation on either side of the path prevented me from seeing whether I was on the right track. You can’t see the lagoon until you’re very close to it; what’s more, a large section of its perimeter is fenced off to keep each of the reserve’s lagoons out of reach of the public.

At the start of that second fork in the road, I saw a sign telling me I was on the right track, as the Old River lies beyond the lagoon I wanted to reach, according to Google Maps. In several places, behind the wire mesh fencing that separates certain vegetation from the path, there are signs referring to a ‘fishing sanctuary’; I suppose this means fishing isn’t allowed there, as I didn’t see anyone doing so, unlike in other places I’ve visited. The whole reserve is very well protected, which I think is excellent.

As I continued my walk, I could see the lagoon in the distance, always peering through the wire mesh fencing; and with the blazing sun that day, it was absolutely beautiful. I carried on a bit further to find the observation point and get a better view of all that beauty, because you can’t see very well through the tall plants along the path.

As with the other two lagoons, I found plenty of information at the observatory, which explains what kinds of birds and other animals can be spotted there. La Casilla Lagoon is situated within the Guadalhorse River Reserve, in the north-eastern part of the reserve, and although it does not appear as large as Laguna Grande, it is just as big, and I was able to spot far more birds there.

According to the information provided on the signs there, this lagoon is one of the least salty in the reserve. Along the shore, we can find reeds, rushes and glasswort, which are essential for the survival of small birds, as they find food, shelter and protection in this vegetation.

As the sign indicated, I saw fish-eating birds, which were fishing the whole time I was there. But I also saw herons and egrets searching for food such as mullet, eels or gambusia that inhabit these waters. Although they were quite a distance away, there were many birds, and they were usually swimming, diving and flying about. According to the information provided, you can spot common coots, black-winged stilts, little bitterns, common pochards, teals, mallards, little grebes, white-headed ducks, water rails, nightingales, stonechats, crag martins or house martins.

I’ll tell you that from that distance I couldn’t really tell them apart, except when they came closer; I’d look at the sign and manage to identify some of them. Besides, I’m no expert on birds, but I love watching them. Also, although I didn’t see any myself, you can occasionally spot animals such as the common grass snake, the fox, the weasel and the otter, and in the case of the otter, it can be seen in the hidden lagoon when the river rises.

I love the level of detail in the explanations and illustrations, which make it possible for people like me, who know nothing about birds, to distinguish between them. This helps me learn a great deal about the local wildlife and appreciate it more.

To be honest, I never tired of admiring all that beauty and taking photographs in every direction, sometimes focusing more closely and zooming in to capture the birds better. But the place itself has a unique energy that I didn’t feel anywhere else in the city. Perhaps it’s because it’s so far removed from the crowds, but I think it’s because, as humans aren’t allowed in, the air and atmosphere are distinct, even different from the city’s historic botanical garden.

Once again, I’ve promised myself I’ll return in winter to see more of the place, but from a different perspective, perhaps spotting other birds, and to spend much more time there, as the heat made it a bit tricky. I still need to share the Río Viejo tour with you, but that will be another wonderful story.

Thank you very much for joining me today. Best wishes to you all. See you soon. Amonet.