A walk among nature

Birdlife Malta is inviting the public to visit the Ghadira and Simar nature reserves this weekend, as part of World Wetlands Day.

The public will be able to take a guided walk to learn about Maltese wetland habitats and species. Tours will be held between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and are free of charge.

World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2 in about 100 countries around the world. It marks the date of the adoption of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1971, which set out to ensure the protection of wetland sites worldwide.

Birdlife said that although Malta is not in the migratory season at the moment, the reserves were still exciting places to visit.

Birds one might see at the weekend include the common coot and the moorhen. The reeds might well reveal a glimpse of the common snipe and one could also be lucky and hear the eerie cry of the elusive water rail.

Ghadira and Simar are Malta's finest examples of wetlands and are internationally recognised as Ramsar Wetland Sites.