Birding/ Bird watching on Malta

Monday 29th of March 2021 and today I will go birding with a bird guide. I tried to find a guide since months back. My Guide on Cyprus gave me a few names and I managed to find one Guide thanks to his contact. He have one day and we will take this day today.

And I expect many hot tip about birding places around Malta. I suggested that we should start at Is-Salina Nature Reserve and we agreed to meet there at 7 thirty.

My Driver and I left the hotel at 7 and we reached the Is-Salina Nature Reserve 20 minutes later. My Guide arrived a few minutes later and we parked our cars. We walked along the salt pans and there were plenty Black-headed Gulls.

Birding/ Bird watching on Malta - Is-Salina Nature Reserve
Is-Salina Nature Reserve

Birding/ Bird watching on Malta - Is-Salina Nature Reserve
Is-Salina Nature Reserve

There was a Mediterranean Gull as well. We found Common Sandpipers and both Cattle and Little Egrets. We spoke with the guards and they told me that there were Hoopoes further up.

But the walk track was blocked by a gate. I was happy to get some pictures of the Little Egret and the Common Sandpiper.

We had two Cattle Egrets flying over the Is-Salina Nature Reserve and I was happy to have seen them on Malta. There was a lot of Ducks but the where all cross breeding’s.

Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, นกยางเปีย, コサギ

Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, นกยางเปีย, コサギ
Little Egret

Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, นกยางเปีย, コサギ
Little Egret

Common Sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos, Drillsnäppa, イソシギ, นกเด้าดิน

Common Sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos, Drillsnäppa, イソシギ, นกเด้าดิน
Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos, Drillsnäppa, イソシギ, นกเด้าดิน
Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos, Drillsnäppa, イソシギ, นกเด้าดิน
Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos, Drillsnäppa, イソシギ, นกเด้าดิน
Two Common Sandpiper flirting

Birding/ Bird watching on Malta - Is-Salina Nature Reserve
Little Ringed Plover

Birding/ Bird watching on Malta - Is-Salina Nature Reserve
Today's track at Is-Salina Nature Reserve

eBird

eBird Report


Is-Salina Nature Reserve, Malta, Malta
Mar 29, 2021 07:27 - 08:07
Protocol: Traveling
0.92 kilometer(s)
8 species

Common Sandpiper 5
Black-headed Gull 20
Mediterranean Gull 1
Little Egret 3
Cattle Egret 2
Sardinian Warbler 1
Spanish Sparrow X
Western Yellow Wagtail 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S84318553

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)



My Guide wanted to leave the Is-Salina Nature Reserve and we drove to Ghajn Znuber Observations Tower in the northern part of the Mellieha Nature Reserve to look for the Spectacle Warbler. It is a few minutes' drive from the salt pans.

We get out of the car and I think we are going to walk to the Ghajn Znuber Observations Tower but we are walking past the tower by a kilometre.

It was more like climbing down and it was full of rocks. I liked the walk and it was a beautiful view. I was also a little angry, I had told the Guide that I was not interested in binoculars etc.

I only want to take pictures. We are stinging out like sore thumbs walking down the rocks on the ground and the bird took off.

My guide pointed out this bird and that bird, for me they were just black dots.

This was exactly what I DID NOT wanted. Nice to walk around, but for this I could be alone trying to sneak up on birds and the chance to do so would have been much better to walk alone.

Birding/ Bird watching on Malta - Ghajn Znuber Observations Tower
Walking towards the Ghajn Znuber Observations Tower

Birding/ Bird watching on Malta - Ghajn Znuber Observations Tower
Ghajn Znuber Observations Tower

Birding/ Bird watching on Malta - Ghajn Znuber Observations Tower
Leaving the Ghajn Znuber Observations Tower behind
Far behind, it is not the construction on the left hand side, it is on the right hand side

Birding/ Bird watching on Malta - Ghajn Znuber Observations Tower
Gorgeous view

Birding/ Bird watching on Malta - Ghajn Znuber Observations Tower
Looking for birds

Walking back up was not as bad as I had expected, I went up the mountain like a sprinter but I was not happy, half day gone with no bird pictures at all. Well expect for from this morning, but that site was my suggestion.

I told my Guide that he could have told me about this site and I would have said no. I would have known it would have been pointless to come here for any bird pictures.

Birding/ Bird watching on Malta - Ghajn Znuber Observations Tower
Today's track at Ghajn Znuber Observations Tower


eBird

eBird Report


Ghajn Znuber Observations Tower, Mellieha, Malta, Malta
Mar 29, 2021 8:22 - 10:42
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 kilometer(s)
Checklist Comments: Forgot to turn off the map. Total distance 3 km walked over rocks
8 species

Greater Short-toed Lark 1
Zitting Cisticola 2 Many heard in the area
Barn Swallow 2
Sardinian Warbler 2
Spectacled Warbler 2
Northern Wheatear 1
Spanish Sparrow 15
Meadow Pipit 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S84320325

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)



My Guide wanted to go to look for birds at a grassland habitat and I said no. We will not come close to any birds on grassland. He suggested the Ghadira Nature Reserve and both me and my Driver told him that we had been there and it would be pointless to go there. But he really wanted to go.

I paid him the day fee of 150€ and we took off towards the Ghadira Nature Reserve. We use two different cars, my Guide in one and I go with my Driver. I told my Driver that I paid my Guide already and we can DUCK OFF OUT OG HERE whenever we want. We walked around the lake at the Ghadira Nature Reserve

Listen to the Great Reed Warbler

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy recorder. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

From 00:56 we can hear the Zitting Cisticola. I try to wave it away while recording without any success


www.xeno-canto.org

And as we had told our Guide, no birds and now it was time for lunch and not one single picture and we had wasted the whole cool morning. Now the birds go for an afternoon siesta to avoid the mid-day heat. I managed to get one recording but no sight of the bird. I decided that this was enough and I will leave with my Driver to go try to get pictures.

Birding/ Bird watching on Malta - Ghadira Nature Reserve
Walking along the Ghadira Nature Reserve

Birding/ Bird watching on Malta - Ghadira Nature Reserve
Walking along the Ghadira Nature Reserve

Birding/ Bird watching on Malta - Ghadira Nature Reserve
The only glimpse we get of the Ghadira Nature Reserve

Birding/ Bird watching on Malta - Ghadira Nature Reserve
Today's track at Ghadira Nature Reserve


eBird

eBird Report


Ghadira NR, Malta, Malta
Mar 29, 2021 10:43 - 11:53
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 kilometer(s)
6 species

Feral Pigeon 3
Collared Dove 1
Yellow-legged Gull 3
Zitting Cisticola 20
Great Reed Warbler 1 Heard only
Spanish Sparrow X

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S84321113

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)



My Guide wanted to go look for Shearwaters in the strait between Gozo and Malta. 2 minutes away and I agreed. I stayed one minute before I told my Guide that I would have to leave for my power nap at my hotel. This was top comedy and I could not help to laugh.

I watched my Guide walking out on a short break water. I thought for what? You can as well stay on land as you can see all the way to Gozo. And any Shearwater would not be more than a minimal black dot in the horizon.

I left with my Driver and I had wasted the 150€ for this trip. We stopped to buy the Pizzartsi bread and we took off to look for birds at the Chadwick Lakes where we enjoyed our picnic lunch while watching birds. But not as many as yesterday morning as it was very hot today.

I told my driver to get back to the hotel, but he wanted to continue the bird watching. He have grown to like it very much and we manage to record a Sardinian Warbler at the San Andrea School. We drove around the area for a while, but again, too hot for any birds.

Listen to the Sardinian Warbler

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy recorder. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

Sounds like a song. 3 Spanish Sparrows land on the same wire and the Sardinian Warbler give something sounding like a call at 00:21,6. Maybe warning call


www.xeno-canto.org

Back in my room and they delivered the laundry and I went for a short power nap. I need to go make a Covid test tomorrow and my Driver will be here at 7 to pick me up. We will do a little bird watching before going to the clinic at 8 o'clock. Click HERE to find out if we find any birds.


Vaccination

       
                  
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ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
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E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Flag of Skåne / Skånska flaggan Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.


                                       

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