Tens of people took to the sea this weekend to bird-watch during a two-day event organised by BirdLife Malta and Club Ħuttaf, BirdLife's club for young naturalists.

A number of Cory's shearwaters were spotted during the two trips to Ta' Ċenċ on Saturday and Sunday. The seabird is a protected species.

Since Cory's shearwater chicks hatch at this time of the year, the parents would be busy taking food back to the burrows. However, being a wary creature, the Cory's shearwater only enters its borrow at night, once it is dark enough for it to hide from predators. A large number of birds still gather close to the cliffs from early evening, waiting for darkness so they can go back to their nests.

A spokesman for BirdLife Malta said hundreds of birds were spotted over the weekend, bobbing up and down on the water as they waited for nightfall.

The trips were well attended by children who were given information about the birds.

Saturday's trip had a downside when BirdLife was informed that two Cory's shearwaters were found wounded by gunshot in Ċirkewwa. A dead bird was found in the sea.