Migrating birds should have no trouble spotting this hunter’s hide in Majjistral Park, after herons and a spoonbill were painted on it by a visiting British artist.

The colourful hide is one of several painted by Lucy McLauchlan, who was in Malta recently with 17 other UK-based artists seeking inspiration from the spring migration of birds over the island.

The group was led by Ceri Levy, curator of last year’s ‘Ghost of Gone Birds’ art exhibition in London, which aimed to raise awareness of bird conservation issues and featured an installation on illegal hunting in Malta.

Mr Levy told The Sunday Times the group was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the Maltese countryside in spring, but “it was spoilt by the shocking amount of gunfire”.

“The painted hides are about putting birds back into the Maltese landscape and letting them exist where they have found it difficult to exist for so many years,” Mr Levi said.

He is planning another ‘Ghost of Gone Birds’ exhibition, this time outside of London, for October.

According to the Heritage Parks Federation, which manages Majjistral Park, the painted hide in the photo is illegally built on government land but it is still in use.

Previously, Administrative Law Enforcement officers have been called to remove nets from around the hide when the hunting season was closed. The Heritage Parks Federation is in discussions with the environment authority to have all hides within the park removed.