On entering the lighthouse area of Puntas Entinas we immediately found both Avocets and Black Winged Stilts feeding together. My book suggests that these may be confused with each other but not when you see them this close up and not when you see them together.

A number of smaller waders scurried along the shoreline, most of them camouflaged to the extent that they simply did not show up in sufficient detail to print the photographs here. They included Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover and Golden Plover.

On the other side of the lake was a breakaway group of Greater Flamingos just within range of Chris’s 400mm lens. Most of them were sleeping and did not notice us, pity really as one or two of them may have taken flight to show us their bright pink wings.

A short journey took us back to the lake at Canada de Las Norias and one of the most interesting scenes I have witnessed in many years of bird watching.

On the northern shore of the lake lies a large clump of bushes, probably willow, and from a distance it appeared that the wind had blown hundreds of plastic bags into the branches. As we got nearer it became apparent that the bags were in fact birds, Cattle Egrets and Night Heron in the main with a few Little Egrets. They were nesting in the most fragile of structures comprising very few twigs with no clear means of affixing them to the branches. Having only seen a single family of 4 Night Herons before (previously reported in this column) and never having seen Cattle Egrets in Spain, the sight of over a hundred birds living in a mixed colony was breathtaking.

On the edge of the colony a number of Grey Herons kept a watchful eye on the proceedings though I suspect not for the welfare of the newly hatched young. I guess that these sinister birds would find a young chick which had fallen out of the nest to be a tasty alternative to frogs and fish.

On a nearby spit of land cormorants were drying off in the warm sunlight after diving deep to the bottom of the lake where they look for eels and flat fish together with anything else that moves and provides sustenance.

It’s amazing how quickly time goes when you get immersed in watching birds and we had to leave Las Norias, but not before having one final look for a Purple Gallinule. We returned to a spot where I have seen one on several occasions and searched the reeds at the water edge. Eventually we picked out the rear end of this elusive bird, took some photos and waited for it to turn around – but to no avail. It refused to move so the only view we have to show you clearly indicates it’s colour, but little else. Perhaps next time we will get a picture of its large red beak.

Almerimar is a great place to live as an expat amongst the expats, or to work amongst the Spanish. There are all kinds of properties including villas, apartments and town houses for rent or sale. It is a very traditional part of Spain, with traditional Spanish foods so if you plan to travel to Spain either to look for jobs, for your company to trade with companies in Spain, or to learn Spanish and enjoy the Spanish weather then come and take a look.

If you are interested in purchasing a property in Almerimar please visit our sponsors Mirror of the Sun or Mediterraspain. If you have purchased a property and need it furnished please check out our Sponsors DBJ who will give you a Exclusive 5% discount with the code AL2008.

If you want to learn Spanish, get help with anything to do with the legal issues in Spain, or want WiFi access in the marina please check out our sponsor CentrePoint who will give you a 10% discount off all services with the code AL2008.

If you want an amazing activity based day out in the mountains and to learn how to ride a motorcycle off road then check out our sponsor The Long Way Round and get 5% off with the code AL2008.