Open weekends at Ghadira reserve

The Ghadira Nature Reserve, run by BirdLife Malta under the auspices of the Malta Environment Protection Authority, will open its gates to the public during weekends.

Throughout the autumn, several bird species, such as herons, egrets, coots and grebes, migrate south in search of warmer climates, thus avoiding the harsh winter weather prevailing in most European countries.

Some of these birds opt to spend the winter months in the Maltese islands, where the weather conditions are generally mild.

"If these birds manage to avoid the trigger-happy hunters stationed all over the island, one place where they congregate is the Ghadira Nature Reserve. This reserve is a haven for bird species as they find an abundance of food and shelter where to spend the winter months," BirdLife said.

Throughout the week the reserve caters for schoolchildren.

The reserve will open every weekend as from tomorrow and will close on the last weekend of May. Opening times are from 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. from October to November, and from February to May.

In December and January the reserve will open an hour earlier and also close an hour earlier, from 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m.

Entrance to the reserve is free. Visitors are welcomed in the reception centre where they can make use of a mounted telescope to get a closer look at the birds. Experienced guides then walk the people through a nature trail, along which are several flora species purposely labelled. The group then stops in a bird watching hide that gives excellent views of the pool.