Israel's last sand dune on the outskirts of Ashdod has been saved from 
the bulldozer. Following an outcry the Ashdod municipality is seek- 
ing a different site for the expansion of the city and the Knesset is con- 
sidering turning the dune into a "Sand Park". 
The Sharon Park in the centre of the Coast Plain between Hadera and 
the river bed known as Nahal Alexander is threatened by developers. 
Although the Park is the remnant of an ancient forest that once cov- 
ered the entire Sharon Plain it has not yet been designated as a nature 
reserve. There are plans for a traffic intersection, an expansion of 
Hadera and a series of tourist resort sites. 
The hills of Beit Oved, west of Ness Ziona, have had their status as a 
national park upheld following a long battle against building propos- 
als made in 1985 for the 375 acre (152 hectare) site. The hills, made of a 
type of sandstone known as kurkur, mark an ancient coastline of the 
Mediterranean Sea and present a profussion of wild flowers in spring. 
LEBANON 
The Lebanese Government has signed a new law banning the hunting 
of (all) birds in Lebanon for three years from 1 January 1995. Lebanon 
has a reputation for the indiscriminate shooting of wildlife and this 
legislation is hailed as a great success for conservation. (Source: 
Network News 2(3).) 
ABU DHABI 
A major ringing project was under way in Abu Dhabi from 20 August 
to 30 September 1994, organised by Erik Hirschfeld. A team of eight 
ringers from France and Poland took part in the study which co-oper- 
ated closely with the National Avian Research Centre in Abu Dhabi. 
Among the many objectives were a study of turn-over and species 
composition among waders on the Abu Dhabi coastline, feeding 
strategies of Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus and Greater Sand 
Plover C. leschenaultii, moult strategies and utilisation of mudflats at 
night by migrant waders. Studies of dispersal among local popula- 
tions of Crab Plovers Dromas ardeola and the newly discovered congre- 
gations of Great Knots Calidris tenuirostris were also planned. During 
this period it was planned to have organised high tide counts 
throughout the United Arab Emirates in order to understand the 
importance of the countries coastal sites during migration. It was also 
planned to extend the studies to Broad-billed Sandpipers Limicola fal- 
cinellus later in the autumn if possible. The project was sponsored by 
18 
