The Longest Day - Part 2: 30/04/26Thursday 30th April 2026 ☀️23C
Fuente de Piedra, Laguna Dulce, Peñón de Peñarrubia & Tajo del Molino de Teba
Fuente de Piedra, Laguna Dulce, Peñón de Peñarrubia & Tajo del Molino de Teba
PART TWO: Laguna Dulce, Peñón de Peñarrubia & Tajo del Molino de Teba
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| Laguna Dulce - Enjoying a remarkable comeback. |
Laguna Dulce near Campillos, like Fuente, is enjoying a remarkable comeback. After years of severe drought that left many wetlands in the region dry, the 2025-2026 hydrological year has turned out to be the fifth rainiest on record for Málaga province. Water levels at the lagoon are now the highest they’ve been in over a decade, and the flooding has breathed new life into the reed beds and shoreline, creating perfect conditions for nesting and feeding waterbirds. The transformation of the lagoon is nothing short of breathtaking. Upon arrival, the first thing that struck us was the sheer density of life. In just a 40-minute window, we counted 26 Black-necked Grebes.
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| One of the many Black-necked Grebes at Laguna Dulce |
While these birds are often admired for their golden "ear" tufts, it was their voices that stole the show. I had never heard them call in the wild before, but they were remarkably vocal, filling the air with a nonstop chorus of whistling "poo-eeep" calls. It was a powerful reminder of how quickly these ecosystems can bounce back when the water returns.
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| Black-necked Grebe |
Total species at the lagoon reached 28, with highlights including: 4 White-headed Duck, 4 Common Pochard and a flock of 14 Little-ringed Plovers darting along the mudflats. 75 Greater Flamingos,14 Gull-billed Terns and 4 Glossy Ibis were seen flying in. Two Marsh Harriers were patrolling the reeds, but the absolute standout was a stunning male Montagu’s Harrier.
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| Gull-billed Tern - Most abundant in the area |
On the route home, we stopped at the Peñón de Peñarrubia, a massive limestone wall that serves as a high-rise apartment complex for specialised cliff-nesting species.
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| Penon de Penarrubia |
The thermal updrafts were working in our favour. We counted at least 10 Griffon Vultures soaring majestically above the rock face, accompanied by the acrobatic displays of Alpine Swifts and Crag Martins. The scale of the Peñón always humbles you, but seeing it teeming with raptors is a true spectacle.
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| Griffon Vulture |
Finally, we pushed on just a little further to the Tajo del Molino de Teba, a narrow, dramatic limestone gorge carved by the Venta River. This "micro-hotspot" allows for incredibly close views of rupicolous (cliff-dwelling) birds.
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| View from the road bridge at Tajo del Molino de Teba |
The day ended with Thekla Larks, very vocal near the parking area. A nice Subalpine Warbler, a female, was spotted flitting through the shrubs.
We stood on the bridge to watch scores of House Martins nesting beneath us, while Alpine Swifts shrieked overhead. Derek also spotted a Blue Rock Thrush, which I failed to see, but we caught sight of at least four Red-billed Choughs, another target species to close out the trip.
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| Alpine Swift |
From the vast lagoon of Fuente de Peidra (Part 1) to the flooded plains of Laguna Dulce and the sheer chasms of Teba, the resilience of Andalusia’s birdlife—and the sheer volume of sound and colour—made for an unforgettable day in the field.
