Is it an albino or do they come in all white too?

    That was way cool!    bguitar

No Bobbie I didn't fall out but I sure was excited! Lisa and I high fived and all 4 of us were grinning from ear to ear! We surely had luck on our sides. Maybe while you're here we could organize a get together with the watchers and meet you.

    Owls have such expressive faces. I rather enjoy them! ;)Thanks Donna.

Buddy the gull strikes again!

And what a sweet face it is!!!

    Great report Suzanne!   

   I'm sorry for you Donna as I know how much you love these whales. I'm also sorry for what humans continue to do to these and other defenseless creatures. 

I have no words!

BirdLife Malta and the German organisation CABS (Committee Against Bird Slaughter) said today that they would be paying the police for extra escort duties during conservation camps due to start tomorrow.

In a joint statement, they said they welcomed the authorities' recent confirmation that police officers on extra duties would be assigned to the conservation camps to ensure the security of the bird watchers, who have faced many attacks in the past.

BirdLife and CABS last July requested police officers on extra duty, against payment by these organisations, after an escalation of violence against bird watchers.

The windscreen of a Raptor Camp car blasted with a shotgun while parked 20 meters from a children's playground, rocks were thrown at volunteers and two BirdLife volunteers were beaten up Dingli, among other incidents.

To date only the two aggressors who assaulted BirdLife volunteers in Dingli have been convicted, thanks to video evidence of the attack gathered and presented by BirdLife Malta.

BirdLife said its office had received many reports of illegal hunting after a storm brought many migratory birds into Malta seeking shelter.

A Common Kestrel from Delimara and a Purple Heron from Gozo - with two pellets embedded internally - were delivered to BirdLife office yesterday. An injured Grey Heron was also passed on to the ALE in Delimara. BirdLife also received a shot Night Heron with three internal pellets from Hal Far today and a shot Little Bittern from Marsa a few days ago.

Since the start of the hunting season BirdLife said it had recorded illegal shooting at protected species including Osprey, Honey-buzzard, Eleonora's Falcon, Hobby, Night Heron, Red Knot, Little Egret and Mediterranean Gull. Illegal sea hunting for protected Oystercatchers and Shelduck using high powered speedboats has also been recorded by BirdLife field teams.

A shot Turtle Dove, which may be legally hunted, was also received yesterday.

68 volunteers from 10 countries are joining the BirdLife and CABS conservation camps until September 26.

UNBELIEVABLE!!! People so disgust me!

 

[MAKfalcon (MAK):]

MAKfalcon (MAK): Team Peregrine has ended the day with a Juvenile female PEREGRINE FALCON! Final Count-1O3

Team peregrine closes bird count with a juvie. GREAT! 

and did this juvie peregrine (female) have bands?

We were lucky to see her much less any bands!

   The race ended at 7:00pm and you had to hand your list in by 7:15. They deduct one bird entry for every 5 minutes you are late. We handed ours in with only one minute left before that deadline!  PHEW! Kinda like finding a peregrine with only 15 minutes left in the race! We had to, after all we were Team Peregrine!  13 hours of chasing birds is tough but fun! Bobbie most of the birds on the list were firsts for me and my favorite was the Sandhill Crane. Suzanne can probably post the list. Thank you all for your well wishes. I'm sure that's what made the difference. A big thank you to Suzanne for inviting me to join you,Don and Lisa. I was very impressed by the knowledge my team had of identifying birds not only by sight but by sound. This was truly another unforgettable day of my life!

We must never forget!