Heading south for a while

People joining forces for a noble cause is, thankfully, a common occurrence in Malta. More unusual is a group of foreigners, many of them internationally renowned ornithologists and scientists, coming together on our island to fight for a common objective.

This is the essence of BirdLife Malta's Raptor Camp, as 53 international ornithologists prepared to give up some of their time, volunteering their services for the documentation and protection of birds of prey (raptors) and other protected migratory species as they fly over Malta.

September is the month in which we can spot many of these magnificent birds as they soar and glide through our skies, heading towards Africa where they will spend the winter before heading back up to Europe to breed in the spring.

Managing to glimpse one of these large and regal birds as it soars overhead is truly a thrilling experience. The sense of freedom that they portray as they are carried by the winds, while at the same time giving off a very distinct feeling of dominance, is something quite special. They are majestic as they glide through the sky and are clearly masters of their world.

Raptor Camp started on September 8 and comes to an end today. The aim behind it is twofold: firstly, participants collected data on the species observed as they migrate to Africa, with a particular focus on raptors; secondly, the teams acted as a deterrent to those hunters who chose to break the law by shooting protected species or hunting outside the permitted hours.

All raptors are protected species and this year, from September 15 to 30 it is illegal to hunt any species after 3 p.m. This move by the government is intended to protect birds of prey in particular, as these birds leave Sicily in appropriate wind and weather conditions early in the morning and being to appear in Malta in the afternoon.

For birds of prey arriving later in the day, many have to roost in Malta as it is too late for them to continue their onward journey to firm land elsewhere. They will then take off first thing in the morning and indeed, this is a particularly impressive spectacle, as these birds can be observed leaving their shelters at the break of dawn to once more begin their trip down south.

Birdwatching is not an experience for the faint-hearted, as 4 a.m. wake-up calls can be the order of the day! It also requires a lot of patience, as one can stand for hours on end, eyes glued to one's binoculars, scouring the skies hoping to stumble upon the flap of wings. When that happens, it's all eyes on the skies as all the members of the team are notified, with directions as to the location of the bird shouted out from one to the other. Birdwatching is certainly also an exercise in team-building!

Bird sightings are documented by the Raptor Camp teams on standard recording sheets, with data on number, sex, age, direction of flight and height above ground being some of the information collected. This will then be analysed and used to increase our understanding of the international importance of Malta on the central European-African migratory flyway.

This year's camp was bigger than ever, with participants from Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and the United States, apart from the many Maltese volunteers. So far, the participants have been able to observe various species, such as Marsh Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Honey Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Kestrel, Lesser Kestrel, Eleonora's Falcon, Hobby, European Bee-eater, Alpine Swift, Pallid Swift, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Night Heron, and Turtle Dove.

Highlights have included the sightings of several Osprey, an uncommon occurrence in Malta, as well as a juvenile Black Stork, a rare visitor to our islands.

While it would be ideal for Raptor Camp to be all about bird sightings, the all-important task of monitoring and preventing illegal hunting is ever-present. In fact, since the beginning of Raptor Camp, all the teams witnessed numerous incidents of illegal hunting.

During a press conference held a week ago, BirdLife showed reporters two honey buzzards, both of which had been injured - and one had to be put down. The foreign ornithologists and scientists taking part in Raptor Camp witnessed the killing and shooting of a significant amount of protected birds of at least 16 different species, including a flamingo that was shot down from a boat on the sea at Gozo.

This is truly shameful and does much to tarnish Malta's image overseas. Birdwatching is practised by millions of people around the world, and it would benefit Malta if the island were to be marketed as a birdwatchers' destination in the Mediterranean.

However, we will not be able to capitalise on this until the issue of illegal hunting is resolved. The Maltese themselves are unable to enjoy their own countryside, and have voiced their frustration. So reclaiming our countryside is something we owe ourselves, in the first place. But ultimately, it will also benefit our country from a more holistic perspective as nature lovers can once again be enticed back to our shores.

To find out more log on to www.birdlifemalta.org

Ms Schranz is communications co-ordinator of BirdLife Malta