They are here all year round; they mate with excavators and nest on dug-out and flattened land where they lay eggs that give birth to all sorts of buildings too often left unfinished, unsold and unrented.

Before nesting on new land grabbed from the little natural environment left, I wish one day to see flocks of these cranes taking care of their old offspring and restoring the many constructions that have not been in use for years and have turned into sad eyesores, shells like the former villa on the outskirts of Marsaxlokk and the former huge hotel at Marsascala.

The list could go on. I strongly believe private property should not be protected to the point it is in Malta. Real estate owners should be induced either to make use of their property or to put it up for sale. Financial help could be given to restore or convert them into accommodation for tourists, for instance, and the owners who keep them unused should be heavily taxed.

As far as I know, Malta is the only country in Europe where real estate is not taxed at all. Fear of losing votes? The risk needs to be run, unless we want to leave only money and stones to the future generations. The government needs to work harder to preserve the quality and beauty of the environment. One way could be to deny permits for new buildings until what is decaying or vacant is restored.

If landlords are made to rehabilitate the many abandoned buildings one can see everywhere, cranes won’t have to leave Malta as they will find plenty of space to nest and lay their eggs without spoiling any of the natural beauty left. On the contrary, they will improve the general look of the island.