4 comments so far.Autumn on the islands with flocks of raptors and the magic of migration
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September will soon be upon us and for all those who love birdwatching in Malta, the coming weeks will bring with them a spectacle in the skies as the autumn migration slowly picks up.
BirdLife Malta said that the stars of this spectacle are the raptors…in other words birds of prey, which have already started reaching these islands, although it will take a couple of more weeks to reach the peak of the autumn migration.
Notwithstanding this, a number of other birds can already be observed at this exciting time of year – such as herons, egrets, bee-eaters and smaller passerines.
"It will probably be mid-September when we get the first thunderstorm and as the weather starts changing, raptors flying from Sicily will start landing on Malta. This will be the peak of season. Marsh Harriers (Baghdan Ahmar) and Honey Buzzards (Kuccarda) usually fly in in their hundreds, looking for a place to spend the night," said BLM
BirdLife added that, the woodlands at Buskett and the valleys under Laferla Cross within the outskirts of Siggiewi become the stage for one of the most spectacular wildlife performances in Malta, as flocks of these wonderful birds of prey gather in the sky, circling and converging over the area.
"Being the largest wooded area in Malta with a very high altitude, Buskett is the right place to be at this time of year to watch birds of prey. Here, daily observations are made by local birdwatchers to monitor the autumn raptor migration."
BirdLife Malta, explaining the migration route said that every autumn many migrating birds crossing the Mediterranean Sea on their way to Africa seek shelter on the Maltese Islands after having spent their summer in Europe.
"Europe's birds use three main routes to travel between their European breeding grounds and African wintering grounds – in the east over the Bosphorus, in the west over Gibraltar, and in the central Mediterranean via Italy, Sicily and Malta." 
This places Malta on one of the migration routes – better known as 'flyways' – for these majestic creatures crossing over between mainland Europe and Africa. Which makes September and October the best months to look out for these birds on migration in Malta, said BLM.
The routes followed by migratory birds are numerous, and while some of them are simple and easily traced, others are extremely complicated. Differences in distance travelled, in time of starting, in speed of flight, in geographical position, in the latitude of the breeding and wintering grounds and in other factors all contribute to great diversity.
BirdLife said that although bird migration is generally thought of as a north-and-south movement, no two species follow exactly the same path from beginning to end.
"In so many words, Malta has an important role as an island on its own migration flyway and we should consider ourselves lucky that during the coming months we will be able to witness the beauty of this phenomenon as birds such as Black Kites, Ospreys, Honey Buzzards, and Marsh Harriers together with some kestrels, falcons, vultures and eagles…but also others such as Bee-eaters and Hoopoes and the occasional Black Stork and White Stork, stop over Malta while travelling large distances from northern Europe to central Africa," said BirdLife.
"This is the magic of migration…a magical time that is for everyone to enjoy. If you have some free time, in particular at the highest points of the island, look up and keep your eyes focused so that even you witness the raptors on their journey to Africa."
Photos: A Marsh Harrier at Buskett earlier this week (Photo by Aron Tanti) 2. A Black Kite at Buskett earlier this week (Photo by Aron Tanti) and A Bee-eater at Ghajn Rihana (Photo by Sean Bonello)
Yes, the magic of migration and the inevitable slaughter accompanying it. Will the Maltese ever learn?
How can we celebrate the wonder of nature and enjoy the beautiful spectacle of the migration knowing that the “hunters” will be taking aim at the lovely birds as they fly into the islands as a safe place to rest and find food and shelter. Why is this still allowed at all? They are not being shot for food as surely nobody is that hungry, it is just for the sadistic fulfilment of a minority who consider shooting beautiful creatures out of the sky as some form of sport. If Malta wants to be seen as modern thinking and progressive country then this shameful, outdated, and barbaric tradition should be consigned to history. If hunters want to shoot a moving target then there are plenty of rabbits that will provide good sport and a good meal, or if it is about the aerial challenge then why not try alternatively clay pigeon shooting, this is after all an Olympic sport.
Well said Charlotte. Four billion years of evolution on earth and the result is ‘hunting’ (killing) birds for no purpose whatsoever. The only way to stop this now is not by campaigning (waste of time) but to target the tourism market directly by creating much more public awareness of this ‘tradition’. Hopefully less € income will make the government think a bit more about this issue..
Chris Packham made enough noise about this but nothing happened and he seems to have disappeared. It seems the great British public are simply not interested. Clearly not ‘sexy’ enough.