This week Malta has seen a surge in bird migration just as volunteers from across Europe head to the island for two weeks to take part in BirdLife Malta’s international bird monitoring and illegal hunting surveillance camp, BLM said today.

“In the last seven days the influx of birds has been a treat for anyone out in the Maltese countryside. Bird watchers at Buskett have been seeing up to 300 birds of prey (raptors) daily, with high numbers of Marsh Harriers and Honey Buzzards, as well as sightings of some rare migrants in Malta, like a Saker Falcon seen on Monday,” BLM said.

“It’s not only raptors that can be seen in the skies over Malta during the autumn migration period, with flocks of hundreds of colourful Bee-eaters, accompanied by their chirping calls, visible around the island in recent weeks.

“Malta’s position on the Central European Migratory Flyway makes it an important stopover for birds heading to Africa in the autumn, having spent the summer at their breeding grounds in Europe. Many will be making the journey for the first time having hatched this year,” Birdlife said.

“It is this annual spectacle of nature that has attracted 45 volunteers to join BirdLife Malta in monitoring bird migration at this year’s Raptor Camp,” The NGO said, “The camp starts on Sunday 16th September and runs until 30th September and is timed to coincide with the peak period for migration of birds of prey through the Maltese Islands.”

“The participants include conservationists, bird-watchers, photographers and film-makers from the UK, Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Italy and Denmark, who will join Maltese volunteers and conservationists as they try to ensure the safety of the birds which come through Malta,” Birdlife said.

BirdLife Malta said it has already started receiving shot protected birds before the start of the camp. “Since the start of the hunting season we have received 8 protected birds brought to us confirmed shot by a vet. Half of these are birds of prey, including a Pallid Harrier, a species classified as near-threatened on the IUCN Red List of endangered species,” said Nicholas Barbara, BirdLife Malta Conservation Manager.

BirdLife Malta said that “it encourages members of the public to report illegalities to the police. Hunting after 3pm is illegal between 15th and 30th September, a ban enacted to protect migrating birds of prey. Instructions on what information the police require and how to report it can be found on BirdLife Malta’s website, www.birdlifemalta.org.”

Photos show an adult male Marsh Harrier soars over the trees at Buskett last Friday, Photograph by Edward Bonavia. A juvenile Honey Buzzard, Photograph by Edward Bonavia. The striking colours of European Bee-eater, Photograph by Edward Bonavia.

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