27 July, Guadalhorce; colour ringed Avocet; 30 July, Las Norias

First, my apologies for the late posting, especially that of last Sunday at the Guadalhorce, but life has been pear-shaped in the Paterson household lately, and could well be so for a while.

27 July, Guadalhorce (Málaga) An early start on a hot morning (28º at 0630!) but the few were rewarded with 13 spp. of waders, a good number at this early stage of the return migration. These included some very bonny Curlew Sandpiper still in full breeding dress, 2 Ruff of which one male still showed the remains of its breeding plumage, 3 Greenshank (2 juvs.) and a 2 Redshank (1 juv.) , a couple of Dunlin, at least 9 Common Sands and singles of Wood and Green Sand, plus, of course, the usual small plovers and hysterical Stilts.

colour ringed Avocet The male of the pair that tried to breed in the spring was colour ringed, and thanks to Manuel Moreno we know now know where: 23 February 2006 at Testerre, Guerande (44º19'44"N, 02º25'41"W, SW Brittany, W of St. Nazaire), it was present at the Guadalhorce between early and late May at least (personal sightings).

30 July, Arboleas Bird Group, Las Norias (Almería) The following from Dave Elliott-Binns makes interesting reading and once again points up the parlous state of the lake at Las Norias (Almería) where little appears to be done to conserve this important and interesting site: Despite the heat, the Arboleas Birding Group returned to Las Norias, followed by a brief visit to Roquetas. We managed a very respectable 45 species. The heronry at Las Norias was still full of Cattle and Little Egrets and a few Squacco Herons. Night Herons were few and far between. The Sacred Ibis was found away from there at the plastic recycling plant end. A small sample of waders was seen. Singles of Wood, Green and Common Sandpiper. A pair of Stone Curlew with young (by their behaviour) being harrassed by 2 wild dogs. Since the erection of the 6ft wire fencing (€800,000 worth) water pollution by discarded fertilizer cartons has improved, but it didn't stop the dogs or the 3 pairs of anglers. The vegetation just inside the fence and now on the wader scrapes is increasing so birdwatching is getting increasingly more difficult. Collared Pratincoles, Gull-billed, Little and Whiskered Terns still present.