Costa del Sol
Flamingos desert Fuente de Piedra
By h.b.
May 21, 2008 - 12:28 AM

The drought in Málaga province this year means that one of the regular sights of the summer will not be seen this year - The birth and ringing of flamingo chicks at the Fuente de Piedra lagoon.

The lack of rain in May has meant that the some 500 flamingos which had started to nest and lay their legs in the marshland have now abandoned the area. It’s the first time that has happened since 1985, according to the Environment Department of the Junta de Andalucía.

The lagoon had a depth of 28 centimetres in April this year, considered to be two below the minimum needed by the birds to nest. Despite that some 5,000 did try, but by May 1 the water was down to just 17 centimetres and the birds have now all but left. There were just four left on Monday according to local experts.

Despite the setback there is no great concern. Flamingos live for as long as 40 or 50 years and are able to fly 1,000 km a day in search of marshland. They have also dismissed the Ebro delta in Spain for nesting this year but are expected to nest in Camarga, Cerdeña and in Tunisia.