The flamingos that have made BirdLife Malta’s Għadira Nature Reserve their home for the past few days could be admired by hundreds of people who visited the reserve on Wednesday.

This is the first time that one of BirdLife Malta’s reserves has welcomed so many greater flamingos at once.

The reserve is usually closed at this time of year, but the visitors’ centre and the birdwatching hide were packed with people – mostly families with children – taking photographs and looking for the best spot from which to admire the flamingos, using binoculars provided by the reserve’s staff.

The reserve will reopen Saturday for enjoyment of the rare spectacle

The eight flamingos which settled at the reserve on Saturday evening could be distinguished easily from the other two, since, being juveniles which only hatched earlier this year, they are still grey.

The other two are older and display clear shades of pink. One of them has been at the eNGO’s Mellieħa reserve for nearly a year, while the other was released at Għadira just a few weeks ago after being rescued at the Freeport, where it had become stranded during its migration.

Both were rehabilitated and ringed before being released.

Due to the intense interest in the flamingos and more requests received by BirdLife Malta from members of the public who could not attend yesterday, the eNGO announced that it will open its Għadira reserve to the public again to enjoy this rare spectacle on Saturday from 7am to 10am.

Entry will be free of charge, but donations are welcome.

No booking is required.

The Għadira Nature Reserve is usually closed at this time of year, but the visitors’ centre and birdwatching hide were packed with people – mostly families with children.