BirdLife reports 'significant changes' in bird behaviour

Dear Mr Dawson,

Friends in the UK have called me saying they feel sorry that hunting is being interfered with by Brussels. they also tell me however that they have just caught several dear last week. thanked me for keeping the game all for European hunters and that next season i am invited to a hunt where thousands of birds are killed.

I suppose you will lose much sleep before you rest hahahaha!


To Jason Borg,

Just a short note to say that all one requires are three or four turtledoves to make a decent dish of 'brodu tal gamiem'. When hunting is good then a dozen will feed three to four people. If you require any other recipes related to game please contact me i can provide hundreds which are served in Maltese and European restaurants on a daily basis. I hope you aren't going to campaign for the closure of restaurants now!!!!!

As a citizen on the EU, I was not consulted as to whether or not Malta should be allowed to join the EU and enjoy the economic benefits derived from membership. If I had been asked, I would have voted against their inclusion, along with Cyprus in protest at their appalling record on conservation.

The migrant birds killed do not belong to the hunters of Malta and it is time that Europe imposed the will of the majority population in this matter. Some of us will not rest until all hunting of migratory birds is banned, all over Europe.

I did find it quite far-fetched that BirdLife had to use the alleged photograph from a website of the killing of the Hen Harrier, but, as I had forgotten about the incident and did not have the full information, I, unlike, Andrew Gatt, did not state otherwise. Far-fetched because too many hunters kill birds of prey making it easy for BirdLife to capture this on film without the need to use any photos from any website! Yes Jason, I agree, little knowledge is a dangerous thing!

Thank you Richard Cachia Zammit for the information, and yes, FKNK - what are YOU doing to restrain illegal hunting?

It is about time the people of Malta stood up to the bullying of a few thousand so-called "sportsmen" or "hunters". On both my trips to Malta I have been amazed to see how this small number of people have ruined the island for visitors and residents alike.
If the citizens of a country wish to exterminate their wildlife, some might say it is no business of a visitor. But most "Maltese" birds are born and raised (and protected) in other countries and their slaughter is not merely a Maltese concern.
In addition, the "hunters" use hunting as an excuse to shoot virtually anything with feathers, including rare and beautiful birds which are not eaten but stuffed as trophys.
Malta could use its location to become a destination for bird watchers who would contribute to the prosperity of the Islands.

Many hunters say in autumn they bag 2-3 Turtle Doves, while in spring they bag 5-10 birds. I don't see much seasonal differences in these numbers. You cannot prepare a decent meal with 3 Turtle Doves, and neither with 10. This spring hunting issue just a silly excuse invented in order to keep going out hunting in spring.

Mr. Gatt - kindly tell us who made the mistake of posting the DEFRA photo instead of the original supplied by BirdLIfe Malta. Somebody just told me a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. The same applies to your statement. WHO MADE THAT MISTAKE AND SOON AFTERWARDS ADMITTED IT?

jason Borg
It seems that you are not well educated on hunting, let alone on hunting seasons.
When they say(E.U.) we have an alternative to Spring hunting, ( Turtle doves and Quail ) they mean hunting the same game in September. The alternative the E.U. is refering to is like with like ( Turtle Doves and Quail ) and not the other game that migrates from mid October onwards , as you so rightly mentioned. Hope you understood the facts ,as little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Dear Mr. Pisani - as far as I know, the moorhens at the Ghajnsielem pond have long disappeared. And if, as you claim, Coots have been nesting in a quarry, it is only because such places are not accessible for hunters. I visit certain valleys with prime habitat for moorhens and other rail species regularly. It has only been in these past weeks that I noted the presence of these birds. Never before. The reason why is obvious.

And lastly those Turtle Doves again. Are Turtle Doves still migrating in the same numbers as they used to do say, 30 years or even 15 years ago. Surely not, and every hunter yearns for those years in which Turtle Doves used to migrate in huge numbers. Does this drastic decline indicate a stable European (not global) population? OK - Iet me give hunters only part of the blame for this decline. But will the Maltese hunters be helping the Turtle Dove in any way by continuing to shoot at it in spring?

Andrew Gatt - what exactly do you mean by 'ONE OF YOU'? Of what particular entity am I supposed to form part? Because all I am is a common citizen who is mostly disgusted by the many hunters who hunt illegally, who do not give a hoot about killing birds of prey and other protected species, who think that they can bully anyone without a gun etc. How do you know that killing protected species has now declined? Is it possibly because the protected birds have alarmingly declined in numbers too?

As I've already written in different posts since my home is situated in an area where hunting is unfortunately carried out all the time I have seen more than my fair share of dead protected species such as Marsh Harriers, Honey Buzzards, Kites and Kestrels to name a few. These, I had the misfortune to see them with my own eyes so there is no deception in that. Where is the sport in shooting protected species and leaving them to rot?

My answers
1. So where are the breeding finches? That takes me back to the small island of Linosa which I visited once. This island is quite close to Malta and is just a little bit larger than Comino. It lacks water even more than Malta and yet they have a healthy population of breeding Linnets. Why? They don’t trap them to put them in cages.

2. Where are the millions of birds? This week I was watching Dissett and so not to be biased I’m going to quote the trapper who was interviewed during the programme. He said that we (Malta) only get 20% of the birds migrating to Europe (I have it on tape so I can always check it out). So the European population of the Turtle Dove is estimated at 2.5 to 4.7 million pairs http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob6870.htm . Let’s take the smaller number and that makes out to 5 million individuals. And what is 20% of 5 Million? Yes it is one million and that is only considering one species. What about the birds of prey, the waders, the smaller birds such as warblers etc etc ???

3. Why do we have healthy populations of shearwaters and petrels? Maybe because these are pelagic birds and they spend most of their time out at sea away from our islands and breed in colonies along our inaccessible cliffs and the only visit their colonies at night. Yes I think that has a lot to do with it, otherwise I’m sure they would have been wiped out long ago just like the more land bound species such as the Barn Owl, Peregrine Falcon, Jackdaw and Kestrel.

4. Why are your reserves not OVERFLOWING in the closed season? I assume you are referring to breeding birds. Again, you seem to read only what you want. I stressed the fact that we are limited due to our size and you can’t expect certain species to breed in large numbers. But just the same, what’s so bad about the odd pair or two if that’s how much our country can support? Having said that, I was thrilled the first time I heard that the Little Ringed Plover has bred at Ghadira. At that time I thought that the place cannot cope with more than 3 pairs. Last year there were 6 pairs breeding.

5. Why do I persistently accuse and insinuate against ALL hunters? Now who is the liar here. Just go through my comments on this website and you’ll find that I always spoke against illegal hunting and poachers and I stressed that the real enemy of the law abiding hunters are the many poachers that roam our countryside. I even said once that I know that there are law abiding hunters because I personally know a few And believe me if it wasn’t for them, listening to what you people have to say, I would have definitely changed my mind and classified all hunters as poachers.

If you want I can answer all the others but have to go and do a spot of birdwatching. But before I go, I have one question for you all. What are YOU doing to stop illegal hunting?

While in spring only Turtle Doves and Quails can be legally hunted, during the autumn season, apart from Turtle Doves and Quails, many other species can be legally hunted. Apart from Turtle Doves and Quails, these include different species of thrushes, different species of rails and crakes, Woodcocks and Snipes, Lapwings, Dotterels, Golden Plovers, Sky Larks, different species of wild ducks and Starlings.

And they still claim autumn is no alternative for spring.

Hello all, had to copy and paste the questions so as to reply but don't worry, I'll reply. So for later.

The migration phenomenon is unique to Israel, which is a “bottleneck” for birds migrating between Africa, Europe and Asia. “Five hundred million birds migrate through the area every autumn and spring,” http://www.sassds.org/news/5768/Bird%20migration%20study.htm

These are the REAL migration routes, folks. 500,000,000 birds! In 1 year! And you expect thousands of birdwatchers to come to MALTA?!? Niche tourism? ??!

Closed season since Jan 31st 2008. Go outside. Look up. See the millions? Dunno whether to laugh or cry.......

No, Mr Borg, I believe that the Maltese Government was complacent in many areas over the past four years. Mainly out of an overload of work and priorities I guess, especially in the environment department and many procedures and conforming measures were ignored or shelved. In any case, the derogation can be applied for at any stage, it is government's prerogative when if they want to open the season. I think that once the case is concluded this will be applied since government has stated that it will stick by its pre-accession promise. Unless the whole thing has been a staged farce from day one knowing full well that it would reach this point. In which case our negotiating team are damned good chess players. Time will tell but I remain optimistic that the future of Spring hunting in Malta of quail and turtledoves is guaranteed.

Jason Borg - The information below regarding Turtle Doves is kindly supplied by BIRDLIFE - your own organization - sure is an eye-opener!!

Red List Category & Criteria: LC ver 2.3 (1994)
Year Assessed: 2004
Assessor/s: BirdLife International
Evaluator/s: Ekstrom, J. & Butchart, S. (BirdLife International Red List Authority)
Justification: This species has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,000,000–10,000,000 km². It has a large global population, including an estimated 6,900,000–14,000,000 individuals in Europe (BirdLife International in prep.). Global population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
History: 1988 - Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2004)
1994 - Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2004)
2000 - Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2000)

And the birds you mention that nest in wetlands.......the 2/3 we have locally are nature reserves! Of COURSE I expect them to be full of birds, given your claims that they do not breed because of hunting pressure! If this truly was the case, it is only logical to project a huge increase in numbers. Btw, the last Jackdaw was shot in the 60's, I believe. And yes, I would love to see Peregrines and Barn owls breeding once again in Malta and Gozo, since these birds adapt readily. Given time, as poaching continues to decline, this will happen.

J. Pace - no I do not deny that illegal poaching is a reality, is a problem, is to be condemned and must be stopped. It has also greatly declined since the 70's, 80's and early 90's. I am man and mature enough to call a spade a spade. Are you? Because, I repeat, NOT ONE OF YOU has answered the questions in my previous post.

May I also point out at least one case of deception - the photo of a hen harrier that was supposed to have been shot in Malta. It transpired that it was poisoned in the UK - the photo was taken from DEFRA's website.

dear jason the fact remains that the moorhens and other species are and have been alive and well for these last 25 years as you know in that pond in gozo then and now and weren't we hunting so don't we usually blast everything out of the skyies ,yet you know they exist and when the time comes i will send photos to this paper of coots that have been here in the wild in an other pond in a quarry and have been there for a very long time , and by the way i do know the difference between moorhens and coots don't worry . i just want to normal people to know that these were here before you began this crusade and from your tone now i know and confirm that at least i say the truth and that is the gistof my reply ,

Mr Cachia Zammit, what is wrong is the dishonest campaign carried out in the media especially with the gullible impressionable section of society. I ask any member of your orginisation: What are the figures of turtle dove sighted or ringed during the autumn migration? The EU Commission's excuse for not accepting Malta's derogation is that the autumn migration provides a suitable alternative.I have already stated that in thirty years shooting I have yet to shoot a single turtle dove in autumn as opposed to an average of ten birds per year in Spring. I'm still waiting for an honest answer.

FIne arguement, Mr. Mizzi. The only snag is that the Maltese government never bothered to apply for the derogation, knowing full well that it is hopeless case.

To Mr. Andrew Gatt: please give us a quote from a BirdLife publication in which it is said that if spring hunting stops, nature reserves will overflow with birds. And give me an answer why it is ONLY in nature reserves that Moorhens, Little Ringed Plovers, Little Grebes, Little Bitterns and now also Coots and possibly Black-Winged Stilts are breeding regularly. And what made the Peregrine Falcon, the Barn Owl and the Jackdaw extinct locally. These 3 species are known to breed in urban areas. So it was not building development which drove them to extinction.

Regarding shearwaters and petrels, you know very well that Storm Petrels nest only on Filfla (another nature reserve) and shearwaters approach their nests only in heavy darkness, when they cannot be shot down from land. Contrary to what you say, shearwater populations are declining, partly due to illegal shooting at sea.

It was only this spring that poaching on protected species (except Turtle Doves) has declined. Till last October I saw many injured Harriers and Honey Buzzards and witnessed the killing of others.

And lastly, contrary to what you claim, according to the British Trust for Ornithology, the European Turtle Dove population is declining and has an unfavourable conservation status. European Quail population is listed as depleted by the BTO. Globally they are not threatened, but the European populations are. Would the hunters be happy if these birds' population continue to fall?

Other countries are working hard and investing heavily to protect bird species in Europe. Here we are literally shooting down their efforts. This is what is slandering Malta's name, and not the persons who are bringing out the truth.

David Borg Cardona, the name is BirdLife, not birdlie, just in case you misspelled it. If it is not a misspelling, then i suggest you and your fellow hunters stop playing childish games and grow up!

Andrew Gatt - you wrote : "slick publicity campaign filled with drama, exaggeration, and misinformation"; do you deny that there are a large number of hunters out there who incissantly break the law and shoot at many birds from the protected species such as all kinds of birds of prey, swallows, hoopoes etc? Or are the photos of the slaughtered birds shown in the media exhibited just for drama and misinformation?

Since so many hunters are trying to ridicule Dr. Raine, I wonder and would like to know where they are gathering their data from?

Lolllll, this is a joke right? You don't expect to be taken seriously on this one Dr Raine & Co do you? I can understand it might work with the few that can't tell a budgie from a kite, or an olive tree from a christmas tree, but i'm sure the public at large, ie those that might be opposed to hunting but are not actively involved in voicing their opinion, are clever or knowledgable enough to see through your lies, exaggerations and marketing tactics. This is surely going to backfire on you and I sense public sentiment shifting slowly, maybe not in favour of Spring hunting, but away from Birdlife. You can't even control the lies that are being spread from your faction. A colourful (new species of) owl on a gentleman's balcony indeed!

In any case, the fact of the matter is simple. The country voted for EU membership with full prior knowledge to the package concluded. This included the possibility to apply for a derogation for Spring hunting. The Government therefore, to put it simply,can apply, annually, for this derogation. Simple enough? A deal is a deal and the ECJ knows this and cannot create a dangerous precedent of reneging what was agreed. So, I have faith, that the ECJ will uphold this agreement and rule in favour of Spring hunting in Malta. You probably sense this too which is why you carry on resorting to tactics of the sort.
I am confident that I'll be out shooting next April or at worst the one after under the protection of the law and abiding by it.

Richard Cachia Zammit, I strongly suggest that you answer Andrew Gatt's questions. The same questions that have been poised to you and other Birdlie's members for years. Not answering them will once again show us that you and your ilk have no grounds to stand on.

To; John Agius
I refer to your reply to D. Caruana, I can assure you that should there be a call by the Government or any other body (EU) to re-affirm our stand on EU membership you would be surprised to know that a large majority would vote NO. For your info, I was one that voted No in the first place, knowing that the government lied at the time and the truth has now surfaced.
Mr. D. Caruana, can rest assured and call your BLUFF. Have a nice day.

Ah Sylvana, so I was right, you signed because hunting was involved. Just the same, at least it's good to know that we agree on one thing. We're both against abortion but just the same, two wrong do not make a right. Would you justify someone who steals say 100 euros just because someone else stole more than him? Both are wrong but one is much more so and hunting at this time of the year, when the season is closed, is illegal.

Dear Mr Brincat, seeing an owl sitting on your balcony??? may i ask what species of owl it was? I dont recall ever seeing a colourful owl except one time at the cinema in a HARRY POTTER MOVIE!! Stop these shameful comments once and for all,its bad enough us hunters have birdlife putting us in a badlight all we need is people like you!! Next comment would be 'a swan was sitting by my pool' it might sound a bit more credible....

Two readers commented that BirdLife are pathetic. So what can be said about hunters. Many hunters are still heard shooting. Is that not pathetic?

Richard Cachia Zammit, there have been a number of very, very valid points made in this and other threads. Why is it that you NEVER, EVER give us any answers......just your usual blanket accusations and irrelevancies????

We have some questions for you. Do tell us: where are all the breeding finches? where are the millions of birds? why are your reserves not OVERFLOWING in the closed season? why do we host such large and healthy populations of shearwaters and petrels? why do you persistently accuse and insinuate against ALL hunters? why do you not admit that illegal poaching has DRASTICALLY declined in recent years? why do you not mention the umpteen changes to laws and seasons in YOUR favour? wht do you not admit that quail and turtle dove are prolific and non-endangered? why do you slander and agitate against Malta and the Maltese with your birdie cronies abroad, encouraging them to boycott Malta?

Hoping for some answers to the above..........there are many others............perhaps you might find the time one day. Or is it that you and your friends are too busy hunting the hunters, as well as promoting a slick publicity campaign filled with drama, exaggeration, and misinformation.

You cant fool all the people all the time. Truth will out, they say. The sooner the better.

You're just anti-hunting. ANY hunting. Full stop.

Mr. Godfrey Pisani - the birds you mention are Moorhens not Coots. And Moorhens only breed in one or two areas inaccessible to hunters.

If hunters are so sensitive about abortion they should lead by example: give up hunting and invest your time and money in anti-abortion groups. Otherwise you are just exploiting a sensitive issue for your selfish benefits.

All I have to say is this. If it was not for Birdlife and its hard work with its EU and international wide network for bird conservation, we would still have a free-for-all countryside with no rules and regulations on this killing passtime. After many years, which hunters claims as a tradition, but to me any many others its been years of environmental political deficiency and under-carpetting, finally the hunters are feeling the pinch of these EU regulations and I am personally satisfied about this, as I for one have voted to enter the EU because of this. Thank you Birdlife. Thank you EU.

Good news at last.That is what one wants to hear nowadays,no?
Well readers,I give you one.The foreign tour operators will be marketing Malta as the ideal bird watching holiday.What ,with the newly settled ducks ,the unfrightened egrets and the hundreds of turtle doves all looking for a bit of prime real estate in the countryside to settle down here with there young.And the ones coming over also receive free of charge the usual antihunting black Tshirt.
Unbelievable package eh??

That is how unbelievable the technical talk by Dr Raine is ,as regards his comments on significant changes.
The folks out there may be anti hunting,pro hunting or neutral in their opinion on this issue-that is their right to decide- but they sure ain't stupid, Doc.!!

Dr. Andre Raine, if this is your way of trying to impress people and trying to show our fellow citizens that Malta without hunters is some kind of avian haven than I'm sorry - you have failed MISERABLY. All the other comments by my hunter friends have perfectly highlighted this.

This is not your beloved Bermuda M'sieu Raine. The climate, topography and most of all the proximity of the countryside to human settlement will never allow birds to nest in the voluminous amounts you and your so called experts are portraying.

One question stands however.. And I would be most grateful if you could answer this for me. How many turtle dove migrations did you personally witness in Malta ???. Not as much as all of us definetely. Then maybe, if you ask around you wil find out that it is perfectly normal for turtle doves to group and head northwards - even when the hunting season was opened. All of us know that even after the season usually closes around the 20th of May you get the odd day with a few dozen late migrants. Have any of these ever styed over to breed except a single pair or two in Buskett.. NO is the answer. Another case in point is last year's season. It was UNJUSTLY closed by Dr. Gonzi ( No not Minister Pullicino but Dr. Gonzi ) on the 10th of May. In the subsequent days we witnessed a better than average ( for that time of the year) dove migration. Again, how many stayed to breed I ask ?? And please do not try to blame it on the handful of trappers who last year did not have their season closed on the 10th.

The bottom line is that Malta is just a stepping stone or a stop over for replenishment for migrants flying via the Central Mediterranean flyway, which incidentally is 240 kms NW of San Dimitri point in Gozo, so not that close either ! I nope that you now realise that a big percentage of these migrants bypasses the Maltese Islands and influxes are only seen when there is adverse weather over the Central Med. To quote you an example - the exceptional fall of 24 Sept 1969. Oh I forgot, you were still Bermuda those days.

Mr. Cachia Zammit, I suggest you tell us what YOU are doing about abortion. Yes, I did something about it - I SIGNED THE FKNK PETITION defending the 77 Exceptions granted to Malta by the EU - these exceptions include Spring Hunting and Abortion amongst others. Furthermore, it take one to know another - do you think you are doing a great job?!

Why are the turtle doves grouping and leaving our island? I thought that they are going to stay here since the hunting season didn't open. At least that's what birdlife used to say. Is this another U turn from bird life.

Godfrey Pisani, yes I agree with you, say the truth and I may add, don't confuse your birds. It's the Moorhen that has been breeding in Gozo near Chambray. I used to think that birdwatchers and hunters at least had one thing in common....birds, but reading the comments about the breeding Coots I realised that for hunters, the only interest in hunting and birds are just their prey and not the wonderful and interesting creatures they are. Again, I think the FKNK should remove the conservation bit from its name.

Ha ha haaaa TWO COOTS???!!!! You've got to be kidding. The way Birdlife and Co have exaggerated about the numbers of birds shot here (millions and millions), I would have expected the Ghadira and Simar reserves to be absolutely HEAVING in a orgy of reproduction! The hunting season has been closed since 31st January, after all! Instead, 1 pair of pretty common birds pop an egg or two and the Birdlife machine flashes the usual of T-shirts and know-it-alls at the public. Ugh.

99.9% of migrating birds DO NOT, HAVE NOT and WILL NOT stop to breed. Most remain for a day or so at most! And in any case, all the species they're gushing on about are protected and are of no interest to hunters.

When I travel I go specifically in search of birds and always manage to see a spectacle wherever I go. Why is it that Malta is being used like some kind of show case. Hasn't anyone noticed that there is no space for people on this tiny rock, let alone all the birds? I welcome all the amount of birds we can get, but it is being perceived that the rest of the world is void of birds and that only in Malta one can view the spectacle. I find this very strange. Just cross over to Sicily and you’ll not only see five times the amount of birds, but even twice the amount of species… why, because the place is larger than Malta, they has more countryside, less human interference and natural springs.

Quote: "birdwatchers should come to Malta to revel in the spectacle of the spring and autumn bird migration". Is there a hidden agenda in that sentence? First spring was the target of BirdLife now it seems to be moving onto autumn as well. I wonder...

I cannot understand one thing...why foregneirs come to Malta and tell us what to do when in there countries they do hunt in spring? Are we the odd one?

Maybe its more easy to tell others what to do!!!

I really can not understand these so call professionals in birds are amazed with pair of coots mating when i have know them to do this ,these last 25 years in many places , one place is a pond under Chambrey Gozo they have been there these last 25 years plus a few ducks and other birds and wow wasn't there hunting these last 25 years ????? please give us a break and be professionals and say the truth to people who do not understand ...we don't support illegal shooting , we are hunters that observe and conserve nature like every other European hunter , by getting a few people to impress the public does not make it right , the truth makes it right, i thing they should read some of the books about Maltese migration and that's as true as it gets , so please if you really want to conserve birds work with us not against us like your european partners do with our european partners , getting a few people over to impress is not the way forward it is the way back wards to create tension and hatred .

Sylvana can't you say anything better to defend hunting? Have you done anything against abortion or just mention it whenever hunting is the subject ? At least in one of my comments I've already said that I'm totally against abortion but just the same I'm against illegal hunting as well. So....try something else Sylvana. As I've already told you, if your aim is to defend law abiding hunters, you're not doing a good job with your superfluous arguments. Two wrongs do not make a right, even if one of them is graver than the other.

OH,my god! If it wasn't for birdlife, Malta would have never seen birds flying over and have never seen birds gathering and changing their behavior as they did this year. No one has ever seen birds prey because they where killed in millions only this year had someone said that he had seen them for the first time.This is another gimmick.I can see that most of the writers here do intend seriously on bird beheviour and only give their opinion just because they are injected against hunting.You have spend most your time to learn how birds behave.One cannot just go once or twice a year to that pool that birdlife have and say that he intends in birds.I want to ask one question, how many of your writers or even the birdlife experts have ever seen a woodcock roding or even someone doesn't even mention the word or even those who love mostly to watch prefer to stay in bed at that early time in the morning.I am no expert in this field but here are people who know absolutely nothing on this.OH I forgot ,whats next birdlife oh may be the spoonbill has left a feather!

Speaking of 'significant bird behaviour', pre-nuptual bird migration started towards the end of February. Any self-proclaimed (or otherwise) ornithologist can verify my statement, if you gullible readers don't believe me, well you guys should be out-in-the-field more.
Hunting and trapping officially stopped on the 31st of January, the countryside has been 'free' from us 'criminals' (bar a few illegal trapping and 2000 shots....WOW!, such carnage and mayhem!!) Now, spring finch capture is in its 2nd year of demise, could Dr. Raine and co clearly and honestly indicate to us 'criminals' and the general public where the nests, courtship singing and breeding of several pairs of Linnets, Serins, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Siskins, Chaffinches and Hawfinches are to be found, please, anywhere on our islands?
There should be 'significant bird changes' in the Fringuillidae (Finches) population on the island as well? Spring migration did not start when you guys started your spy (oops, sorry) spring camp! By the way, be honest, no millions please.

" BirdLife officials said that birdwatchers were educated tourists who left behind a lot of money,"

29 Euro a day FULL Board.....

We spend more than that to water our trees !!

Some consistency please!!

Whereas quoting A. Raine - "no longer scared away by incessant gunshots", yet the spring watch volunteers heard over 2,466 shots. Where these individuals all in Malta? Are you so blindfolded by your vehement attacks on hunters that you have ended up contradicting each other?

Can Dr. Raine give us a guarantee that these birds will be here to stay? What will they be drinking the SALTY water at the Ghaedira Nature Reserve? Birds need FRESH water and he should know this! Saying half-truths work with the gullible individuals, however you will not cheat all at all times. Time will tell the truth.

Mr. S. Pace, we have already taken a vote for Spring Hunting to stay. It was included in the EU Referendum. It seems it was you who was not well-informed. I hold documentation to this effect, it is not just bla... bla...

Mr. Cachia Zammit, so is abortion, however this is much worse as it is the killing of the unborn CHILD. We would love to hear the opinion of these foreign experts roaming in our countryside regarding abortion. This is legalised in their countries. It doesn't seem to worry them much, they prefer intruding on the Maltese way of life while leaving their countries decide for themselves.

Mr. D. Caruana,

Sure let's do it then one referendum to see if we keep EU membership and at the same time another whether or not we abolish hunting once and for all. And everyone agree to the results of both.... Deal or no Deal??

To quote a famous phase - Come one; make my day? ....

Once and for all, the issue is about hunting in Spring for quail and turtle dove ONLY. Every other bird is protected during this season, and any poachers should be caught, charged and sentenced. I ask you all why isolated incidents, on an island just 17 miles by 9, are not solved and collective blame is immediately slung at ALL of us. Massacre here, massacre there, incident here, incident there, and nobody gets caught, nobody gets charged and nobody gets punished.

All the"changes" alleged by Birdlife are more of the same slick publicity we are bombarded with each season. Cunningly posed photos wring maximum emotions, wild claims fly around, and 16,000 Maltese, citizens of Europe with equal rights, are portyayed as bloodthirsty scum, and provoked beyond reason by teams of activists whose self-proclaimed mission is to hunt the hunters y any means.

No, turtle doves and quail (beyond a few pairs)


Draw you own conclusions, folks.

the same old story that the PN tricked the hunters about spring hunting
however the hunters knew in 1992 that the hunting heydays Maltese style will be numbererd

On a tv programme at that timeDR FENECH ADAMI made it clear that hunting will be controlled and that was in 1992
t
The PN should be credited for standing up to hunters and despite their vote blackmail the party stood by its principles and controlled hunting and gained credibility to win 5 election since 1992 which means the maltese in general are against hunting in spring and any time of the year

Dr. Raine does sound a bit like a scientist. A well controlled experiment, Dr. Raine. Sensate observations? Amazing results. Maybe you plan to send your story to American Scientist or something.

I'm not surprised. At last we are can see birds in the sky, even if transient. Leave them alone. Celebrate life, not death, dear Hunters.

Dear Steve Pace,

I have another idea; How about we all re-take a vote on EU membership?
That would be interesting!!!!!

oh really ? You and your lies are pathetic

Spring hunting is just killing birds before they get the chance to reproduce, be it here in Malta or anywhere else in Europe. If the FKNK and all its members cannot understand that, it's about time they removed that last letter 'K' for Konservazjonisti - (Conservationists) from their name.

So what difference does it make if the Turtle Doves migrate or not? The point is that without hunting, birds are flourishing and us, non-hunters get to see a couple of birds once in a while which are not dead.
I agree with Steve Pace, that hunting is not a sport but a slaughter of animals. It is a primitive and distasteful waste of time, which should be banned for good. Besides other things it shows the utter selfishness of people, who practice this so called sport; who think that they own the skies and get to shoot whatever is passing through it!

Yes, but hold on a second. Wasnt it just last week that BirdLife complained of "mayhem and anarchy" in the countryside? Just look at ths. http://www.timesofmalta.com/
articles/view/20080415/
local/birdlife-complains-of-mayhem-and-anarchy-in-the-maltese-countryside/
Now they are taking of "significant changes" because birds are "no longer being scared by incessant gunshots". Today they even regaled us with some statistics on how many shots were fired in how many locations across how many days. According to BirdLife's own numbers, differently put, they heard less than 8 shots, per location, per DAY! And they call this "mayhem and anarchy" Wow! Oh. And I am not a hunter, but I DO sympathise with people who were promised one thing and given another.

I ask you, gullible readers, what is our dear Dr. Raine blabbing about?!
Mr.Andrew Morgan was 'thrilled' to have sighted Red footed Falcons, Bee-Eaters, Golden Orioles....etc, I myself was 'thrilled' when I observed Longtailed Tits, Jays, Squirrels, Foxes, Bluetits...etc, when I was in England, Italy and Lapwings in Holland....! The only difference is that I did not go to the Press and skip and jump in uncontrolled joy. Mind you, dear readers, I was on holiday in these countries and not forming part of some foreign 'watch' camp...say, to monitor Badger hunts, in the UK!!
Herons are staying longer in 'our' reserves because they (the Herons) are not frightened away by incessant shooting...! Dear Dr. Raine rest assured that after this 'dry' North Westerly blows over ( North Westerlies take 3 whole days to die down, dear Dr. Raine), gunshots or no gunshots these non-frightened Herons will vanish north bound.
I tend to emulate Dr. Raine's evident enthusiasm for the breeding Coots and Stilts, why not! That's what reserves are for! Remember the historic breeding of the 'Mosta' Swallows, dear Dr. Raine? Does Dr. Raine remember the abundant breeding Short-toed Larks and Corn Buntings, well I do very distinctly, were these birds shot to extinction from our fields? Ask the land developers, they might have your answer!
Ultimately, Dr. Raine seems awe stricken by the re-grouping of flocks of Turtle doves and continuing their migration (not nesting, mind you dear readers). Dear Dr. raine this spring migration has to be written down in the annals of our, foriegn-infested history, as one of the best ever season. Even when such a once-in-a-lifetime scenario occurs, Turtledoves, shot at or not, always re-group in flocks to continue their north bound migration!
Don't be so melo-dramatic, dear Dr. Raine, significant changes...my foot!!

We should all take a Vote and Ban Hunting in Malta twelve months of the year! Hunting Birds is not a sport - its a Slaughter of beautiful birds!! We took a vote for Europe - We took a Vote for our Government - why not take a Vote for Hunting?? I am sure the majority will Vote Against any form of hunting and trapping !! Come on Malta let stick together and take a vote against hunting/slaughter - this is not a sport, its barbaric!!

you are pathetic

Aren't these the same people who used to say that, if hunters do not shoot at turtle doves in spring, they will stay and nest in our islands?

Here is another U-turn of Birdlife.....they are admitting that the major part of the birds which migrate over Malta, keep on migrating and it is a very minimal fraction that stays here in Malta.....

Didn't Birdlife used to say that Turtle Doves would stay and nest in Malta if the hunting Season is closed?????

"Flocks of Turtle Doves (Gamiema) are grouping in areas like Mizieb and then joining together to continue their migration"

Unbelievable!!!!!!!

This morning I woke up to the sight of a colourful owl on my bedroom balcony. I couldn't believe my eyes. It presence caused quite a stir in the neighbourhood. If only our hunting community would realise what damage they're doing to practise their 'hobby'. We hear too much from the hunting lobby and the psychological effects of the close season. Perhaps we should hear a bit more from the silent majority who prefer enjoying a living bird than a stuffed one.

Hunters should arm themselves with a camera and instead of shooting pellets at birds shoot photos of them. Then instead of stuffing them and putting them on shelves they could frame the best pictures and hang them on walls. Prizes of thousands of Euros for the best photos could also be given by Birdlife or the Govt.

Great news. Now we know what we were missing. Lets hope that we will have all future Spring seasons as the current one, even better. Maybe the hunters will turn to the binoculars instead of the gun. I too have seen birds that i had never seen before, including birds of prey.

I would hazard a guess that the 'significant changes' in bird behaviour are a result of them being, uhm...alive?