A reminder that this weekend there is the opportunity to take part in what promises to be some spectacular birdwatching in Malta.

BirdLife Malta has said that October is the time when the sky is full of migrating birds on their way in search of their wintering spot.

EuroBirdwatch is the largest annual event of the BirdLife Partnership held at this time of year to celebrate migratory birds and it is taking place this weekend.

The NGO is one again joining with its European partners for EuroBirdwatch19 with birdwatching and bird ringing sessions at their Ghadira Nature Reserve.

The first day (Saturday) in the morning (with booking), and another guided birdwatching session on the second day (Sunday) in the afternoon at Buskett woodland (no need for booking), which, BirdLife said, is the best spot in Malta to experience the autumn bird migration

BirdLife added that on both days, the highlight will be the observation of the migrating raptors. Participants just need to take their binoculars…for anyone who doesn’t have any, then the NGO said they will be providing some on site.

BirdLife Malta organises this event every year and said that this annual birdwatching initiative is part of this Europe-wide event held by all BirdLife partner organisations during the same weekend in several countries across Europe and Central Asia.

Hundreds of local birdwatchers will identify and count passing birds during the great autumn migration when millions of birds make their epic journey southwards to wintering areas in the Mediterranean and Africa. Malta will contribute too by reporting its numbers.

The programme for this special weekend is set out below:

Saturday, the 5th of October | Ghadira Nature Reserve | 07:30-09:45 (with booking)

This event will consist of birdwatching, where BLM bird experts will identify birds and explain more about them to the participants.

BirdLife Malta will also have a bird ringing session for which it will need to know how many people will be attending. The session has been split in two groups (07:30-08:30 and 08:45-09:45) with a maximum number of 20 persons per group.

Bookings will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to choose and book the bird ringing session at Ghadira Nature Reserve.

On the day Ghadira Nature Reserve will be open to the public as usual, so visitors who want to spend more time at the reserve can do so following the bird ringing demonstrations, until 4.00pm.

Sunday, 6 October | Buskett | 14:00-19:00 (turn up anytime)

An afternoon in nature – BLM is inviting the public to come to Buskett with blankets and snacks for a picnic in nature and they will be take care of entertaining the children with activities such as birdwatching and a bird migration game. Adults can join BLM birdwatchers to watch birds of prey migrating.

BirdLife advised that since the birdwatching session at Buskett will take place in a remote area of the woodland, please click here to see the directions towards the birdwatching spot. Please note that participants will need to walk across rough terrain to reach the area.

It said that it is also providing suggestions as to where to park. Just click on the parking area on the PDF link above and it will provide google map instructions to arrive on site – insert the starting point and press GO.

Participation in the events on both days is free but donations are greatly appreciated, BirdLife Malta said.

Please click here for the official EuroBirdwatch19 website where you can find results from previous years, including Malta’s results from last year

Permalink: EuroBirdwatch: Migrating birds, bird ringing, picnic and children’s activities