Flamingo chick count in Spain

Flamingo chicks, which are being tagged to monitor the evolution of the species, move around a pen at the Fuente de Piedra lagoon, 70 kms from Malaga. The lagoon, which is the most important breeding ground for flamingos in the Iberian peninsula, is also a nature reserve and a haven for birds with over 170 different species recorded Photograph: Jorge Guerrero/AFP/Getty Images

A volunteer tags flamingos chicks in order to check the development of the group. Around 600 of the 5,000 chicks born at the lagoon this year were ringed at the weekend Photograph: Sergio Torres/AP

A flamingo chick beats its wings on the lagoon. Most of the lagoon is covered with a layer of crystalline salt Photograph: Jorge Guerrero/AFP/Getty Images

A volunteer watches a flamingo chick before it is ringed. Hundreds of volunteers take part in the annual event which rings new flamingo chicks born each year Photograph: Jon Nazca/Reuters

The Fuente de Piedra lagoon was first declared a nature reserve 25 years ago. The regional government says more than 130,000 flamingos have been born at the lagoon since then Photograph: Jorge Guerrero/AFP/Getty Images

Drought conditions meant there were no flamingo births at the lagoon last year. This year, however, more than 5,000 chicks were born and 600 of them were ringed by the 425 volunteers Photograph: Jorge Guerrero/AFP/Getty Images

A volunteer holds a flamingo chick before it is ringed. The six-week-old chicks will have to stay in the lagoon for around another six weeks, until they are old enough to fly. While the chicks remain in the lagoon, their parents will be busy travelling up to 200km to obtain food Photograph: Jon Nazca/Reuters

The chicks will be able to fly at three months old Photograph: Jon Nazca/REUTERS

And they're away ... the newly tagged chicks head for the freedom of the lagoon Photograph: Sergio Torres/AP

Most of the flamingos are concentrated in the only area where water remains, in the Arroyo Charcón Photograph: Jon Nazca/Reuters