Birdwatchers report decline in illegal hunting

The Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) said it had seen a "clear decrease in illegal hunting" during a 10-day bird watch camp that ended last week.

"It was an unbelievably pleasant experience to watch the passage of birds of prey, turtle doves and song birds without them having to run the usual gauntlet of shooting," CABS president Heinz Schwarze said.

The committee said many birds of prey, herons, swifts and song birds made the most of Malta's favourable climatic conditions, stopping en route to their breeding grounds in Europe.

Among the birds seen were several nightjars on the Mtarfa Ridge, a flock of more than 100 whinchants near Baħrija, two peregrine falcons and an Eleonora's falcon near Dingli Cliffs.

Some eight Montagu's harriers, 15 marsh harriers and 23 red-footed falcons were also seen, together with honey buzzards, night herons, Alpine swifts, kestrels, little egrets and more than 80 golden orioles.

The situation with regard to illegal hunting and trapping had clearly improved when compared to previous years, said Mr Schwarze.

But the camp also had its dark side, with CABS observers registering more than 1,300 shots and photographing hunters carrying weapons. He described this as worrisome.

Despite the ban on hunting and trapping, the bird watchers still witnessed a number of episodes. Just last Thursday they came across a trapper catching song birds with clapnets and the police later seized 18 live decoys, including short-toed larks, redthroated pipits and four ortolan buntings, which are an endangered species throughout Europe.

The following day a person was seen trapping quails at the north of Mellieħa, and again the police managed to seize nets and 10 live decoy quails.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday team members came across a cuckoo at Laferla Cross which had been shot and wounded. Attempts to rescue the bird were futile since the CABS members were told by two people to leave "their land".