Next Saturday, the 5th of October, will see the first Buskett Bird Migration Festival being organised by BirdLife Malta as part of Europe’s largest birdwatching event, ‘EuroBirdwatch.’

To celebrate the autumn bird migration and give members of public of all ages the chance to see, enjoy and appreciate the spectacle of Malta’s migrating birds, BirdLife Malta is inviting members of the public to join in an afternoon of activities including raptor watching, scientific bird ringing, children’s games in the KidZone, a Prize Treasure Hunt around the historic woodland garden, food stalls, competitions and much more.

Every autumn millions of migrating birds leave Europe and fly to their wintering grounds in Africa, traveling thousands of kilometres and overcoming many dangers and obstacles along their flyways. Malta’s position on the Central Mediterranean Migratory Flyway makes it a vital stopover for many migrating birds, particularly birds of prey, on their way from Europe to Africa for the winter.

For 20 years, BirdLife International’s European partners have been celebrating this annual natural spectacle by coordinating activities across Europe to raise awareness, engage and inspire people about migrating birds and conservation.

Buskett Gardens, located in the south-west of Malta, is a historic woodland garden in the valley below Verdala Palace and is one of the most important sites in the Maltese Island for migrating birds of prey, as well as other migrating and resident woodland birds. It is a Bird Sanctuary and a Natura 2000 protected site.

BLM said that “in the autumn, birds flying south to Africa fly across the Maltese Islands reaching the south-west coastal cliffs in the Buskett-Dingli area. In the afternoon, many birds of prey and other soaring birds, like storks and herons, look for places to roost for the night, rather than starting out on the long flight across the sea.”

“The trees in Buskett valley offer the perfect roosting place for these birds and are often filled with hundreds of Honey Buzzards, Hobbies and other protected migrating birds, including rare species like Pallid Harriers,” BLM said

The Buskett Bird Migration Festival will introduce people to these amazing birds and show them why we work so hard to protect them.

EuroBirdwatch is the biggest birdwatching event in Europe, with 34 different countries and around 70,000 people participating last year, recording more than six million birds in a single weekend! Every year hundreds of nationally organized activities help bring people closer to nature and further our scientific understanding of European birds so that we can ensure their future survival in a rapidly changing world.

BirdLife Malta said, “be inspired by nature: come to the Buskett Bird Migration Festival. No booking is necessary for this open and free event.”

For more information, please contact BirdLife Malta: 21347644-6 info@birdlifemalta.org.

Photographs – A migrating Hobby photographed at Buskett this autumn: by Aron Tanti. A Grey Heron passes low over Buskett on its way to Africa this week: by Aron Tanti. And a Honey Buzzard flys overhead at Buskett: by Raymond Galea.

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