BirdLife invites people to visit nature reserves
A kingfisher having a break at the Għadira natural reserve. Photo: Denis Cachia
A variety of wintering birds have made the Għadira and Simar nature reserves their homes and BirdLife is inviting the public to go and watch them.
“Over the past few weeks little grebes, moorhen and the more secretive water rail, among other birds, have made Is-Simar nature reserve in Xemxija their home,” Geoffrey Attard, from BirdLife, said.
Similarly, the Għadira nature reserve in Mellieħa attracted a variety of water birds like kingfishers, black-necked grebes and coot. The birds are expected to remain in the reserves till spring 2011 and can be viewed from the bird watching hides open to the public.
People can visit the reserves, free of charge, on weekends between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The reserves are the largest remaining salt marsh habitats in the Maltese islands and are rich in endemic plants and insects. They are some of the few places in the islands where the killifish, a small breed of fish, breeds.
Some of the wintering birds remain at the reserves during spring to breed, joining returning species, such as the little ringed plover, which only breed at the Għadira nature reserve.
The reserves are protected under EU nature conservation legislation as special protection areas and special areas of conservation.
Footage of some of the birds spotted these past few weeks can be seen at www.birdlifemalta.org.
The sites remain open over the weekends until May.
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Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Nov 13th 2010, 17:50
C Cassar you are really acting childish now! Actually you remind me of the ostrich which hides its head in the sand and does not register the facts being presented! You are indeed in a state of denial! I again repeat that I am NOT A HUNTER! If you feel you should persist in addressing me as a hunter this will further show your lack of understanding! Medical Doctors, Dentists, Bank Managers, Lawyers and other professionals are amongst the 12,000 Maltese hunters! If that suggest lack of basic education, I wonder where it would leave a contributor who is not even able to present decent comments in the English language!!!
Finally, may I suggest that you refrain from making unfounded accusations similar to your "You're the reason why people stop coming to Malta"! Why, will tourist be prepared to be entertained by you???!!!
John Matthews
Nov 13th 2010, 01:38
Don't forget to sign the anti hunting petition on the way in. Would make good propaganda wouldn' it?
mario salnitro
Nov 12th 2010, 20:49
TAKE A BROLLY WITH YOU PLEASE AS YOU MIGHT BE HIT FROM ALL THE BIRD DROPPINGS AS YOU WILL BE VISITING THE NATURE RESERVES.
THERE ARE SO MANY BIRDS THERE!!!!
I BET SOMEONE WILL BLAME THE HUNTERS????
Glenn Micallef
Nov 12th 2010, 20:31
Of course, 12,000 hunters will get to kill 25,000 turtle dove and quail next spring, at best (the EU is saying that 25,000 is already too much!!!!). So they will have the great enjoyment of exterminating 2 birds each next spring, I repeat, at best. Practically they will be getting another september (because according to hunters what they shoot in October and November is not shot in autumn), and we all know how much they complain about that! That is enjoyment! Who knows who will enjoy the migrating birds next spring!!!
Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Nov 12th 2010, 19:08
Those wh urge other to reclaim the countryside opt to open their Reserves for just 6 hours!!
C Cassar, it appears that you are still dreaming! Whether you like it or not, hunting is here to stay and this within the parameters of the law! You are the one who should get used to it! Far from being banned, the Maltese hunters may now also enjoy their Spring Hunting Season - this following the ECJ ruling as well as the EU statement of last January that Spring Hunting is possible for Malta! Your dreams will therefore soon turn into nightmares! As for clay-PIGEON shooting, hunters will only use this as practice for their hunting seasons!!
C Cassar
Nov 13th 2010, 06:08
You're the reason why people stop coming to Malta. It's incredible that there are still such barbarian attitudes around. Still, one of the reasons to join the EU was to finally eradicated these seriously out of date practices which nobody with even the most basic of education supports. The net is encircling people like you and yet you continue to have your heads buried in the sand.
Denial is a word you really need to research.
r sammut
Nov 12th 2010, 14:17
It's good to hear from BirdLife Malta that their reserves are thriving with birds! So the public invite at restricted visiting times to limit bird disturbance is welcomed!
But then nobody needs any invites to hunting zones, as these are open to all and sundry 24x365 days. So bird disturbance there is not solely due to hunters; but there are also picnickers, ramblers, campers, and the occasional off roaders.
Then again one of the largest colonies of yelkouan shearwater lies in the mist of a hunting zone and has been there ever since! If even both the BLM reserves are thriving as well, all this is further proof that hunters do not shoot at everything that flies: the impression passed to the gullible public by BLM!
C Cassar
Nov 12th 2010, 16:42
Total denial of the massacre witnessed each year. It'll be only clay pidgeon shooting within 5 years maximum. You had better get used to the term "Pull!".
Joe Camilleri
Nov 12th 2010, 11:17
Remain open until May. Good, what about then, they will be closed to the public. So much so for the reclaim your country side campaign. Please do not tell me that they will be closed so that birds can breed.
And when you are there, do not forget the donation, actually you will be reminded to give a donation. The millions of euros given by the EU + Govt are not enough.
Alex Ellul
Nov 12th 2010, 12:43
joe camilleri, the ghadira nature reserve opens during the bird migratory period. hunters close their RISERVATo's during the same time, if not all the time.....seems that hunters lobbyists don't only shoot birds, they try shoot down logic too.
M.Gatt
Nov 12th 2010, 13:21
Public donations are a sign of appreciation towards a worthy cause, which is more than can be said about yours.I mean who on earth would even dream of donating to an organisation that destroys migrating birds.