Updated with Birdlife's statement

Various poaching incidents including protected birds have been filmed at Buskett and Ħal-Far in the past 24 hours, according to volunteers.

The incidents shot by Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) volunteers included four cases of illegal shooting of protected birds, two cases of illegal trapping as well as the discovery of four dead protected birds.

The incidents following the illegal shooting of two protected black storks on Monday.

The organisation said one of its teams yesterday evening escorted a flock of honey buzzards flying towards the roost in Buskett Gardens.

At 7.21pm a poacher in the Tal-Virtu area shot down two birds, with one incident recorded on video. The police were called and arrived at around 8pm. After watching the video they searched the area but were unable to make an arrest.

CABS decided to monitor the area more closely following this incident and two teams this morning filmed another honey buzzard being shot down at around 6.45am.

The police took about an hour to arrive and they began searching the area at 8.30am. The outcome of the search is not yet known, CABS said.

Video footage showing the face of a person hunting in the area where the bird fell was given to the police.

Yesterday afternoon, CABS activists also discovered a freshly killed cuckoo close to the Palazzo Tal-Virtu as well as three stuffed protected birds which were disposed of in an old ditch near Ħal-Far.

The trophies include a purple heron, a roller, a short eared owl and a golden oriole – species which were strictly protected on Malta and could not be shot.

All four birds were collected by the police.

CABS said that birdwatchers also filmed a grey heron with severe shotgun injuries on wings and legs at Ħal-Far.

Photo: CABS

It also reported two large illegal cage trap installations. They were found in the valley between Buskett and Tal-Virtu and contained 13 live turtle doves, six starlings and nine protected songbirds.

Administrative Law Enforcement police inspected the site and initiated legal proceedings against the owner.

The police, CABS said, decided not to release the trapped birds.

Spokesman Axel Hirschfeld said the autumn hunting season was only two weeks old and more illegalities than in the whole spring hunting season had already been committed.

“These cases, with the addition of the recent stork shootings, shows that the situation remains of great concern… We expect the police to do their utmost to convict the persons involved in these environmental crimes,” he said.

Close the season - Birdlife

In a statement this afternoon, Birdlife again asked the government to act fast before more birds were killed.

"The tally of illegally shot birds has now risen to over 15 in the span of five days. This clearly shows that fines and enforcement are not enough to protect these birds."

Hunters, Birdlife said, found it easier to kill protected birds during an open season and by closing it the government would help enforcement efforts be more effective.

Birdlife said it would keep demanding a closure of the season till October 15 - when the birds of prey migration slowed down - to make it more difficult for illegal hunting to take place.