BirdLife Malta said that its Spring Watch camp started in earnest on Monday, with teams across both islands of Gozo and Malta.

BirdLife explained that the northwesterly winds pushed migrating birds to make landfall from the southeastern part of Malta, with Delimara and other southeastern parts of the island being much busier than other areas further north.

On Monday morning, The organisation said that “various volleys of shots at Delimara were targeted at incoming Turtle-doves with at least four birds witnessed killed illegally.”

It added that an Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) was called in, “however checks carried out by police have not resulted in any birds being found.”

Sporadic shots were also recorded in the afternoon, despite hunting not being permitted after 12pm, BirdLife said.

The evening saw the arrival of a few harriers from at least two species – Montagu’s Harrier and Western Marsh-harrier, “prompting us to watch over a roost at Delimara,” it said.

BirdLife added that “as we watched over the harriers a few shots were heard in distant areas near Zejtun, possibly on other roosting birds.”

The organisation went on to say that “Police presence in the field has somehow been very poor, despite a requirement of the derogation requesting a presence of seven officers for every 1,000 hunters during hunting hours. This would work out to 46 officers at one go on Malta and nine on Gozo.”

However, BirdLife stated that “out of a total of 17 locations across Malta and Gozo, police presence was only noted in a single location after they were called in at Delimara in the morning.”

BirdLife Malta said that the day ended with the rescue of a Common Swift that had crashed into a balcony in Marsaskala, possibly tired and battered after leaving the North African coast earlier on the day. “After a good rest the bird should be ready for release.”

Photograph: BirdLife Malta

Permalink: BirdLife Malta Spring Watch camp gets underway on both islands