The first signs of migration

The first stirs of Spring 

This week I moved to Qawra, at the eastern end of the St. Paul's Bay conurbation. The longer commute to work is balanced out by being much closer to Salina salt-pans, a site I wrote about in January. I visited twice this week, both in the morning and the evening.

Large numbers of Black-headed Gulls are still present, roosting on the raised banks of the pans. c650 were present on Tuesday 16th, with a handful of Mediterranean Gulls, Yellow-legged Gulls and a single Sandwich Tern.

The flock of Little Stints had risen to five with at least two Common Sandpipers still present. Two Kingfishers flew into the small patch of reeds and called.

Not much seemed to have changed on Thursday 18th when I noticed a flock of 16 House Martins circling overhead and heading North, a welcome early migrant to Malta. Single House Martins have been reported over the last couple of weeks and I had seen five over Simar Nature Reserve early the same day.

Chiffchaff numbers are fluctuating and enough new birds are being ringed at the reserves to show they are moving through the island, as must be the Meadow Pipits and other species.

Salina gull roost. February 2016

It's still early but I'm keen to see what the next few weeks will bring, a Great Spotted Cuckoo would do nicely!