Some 50 families today enjoyed an Easter-egg hunt and nature discovery trail at the Simar wetland reserve in Xemxija.

After a hard contested hunt for the chocolate eggs hidden around the park in front of the reserve, BirdLife Malta staff and volunteers welcomed adults and children of all ages to the wetland and introduced them to the variety of wildlife at the reserve in spring: well-hidden chameleons, noisy Cetti’s Warblers, and many native plants with their fragrant flowers and the bees and other insects that pollinate them.

At this time of year the Simar Bird Sanctuary is visited by many migrating birds, from small songbirds like wood warblers, to larger waders and herons, such as the night heron.

The highlight for many was the birdwatching hide, from where they could see the coots, which have been breeding at Simar again this spring, swimming among the reeds, never far from their young chicks. Is-Simar is the only place in the Maltese Islands these birds are known to breed.

Is-Simar Nature Reserve is one of only two wetland reserves in the whole of Malta, and a protected bird sanctuary home to a variety of native wildlife, including snakes, highly threatened killifish and many birds.