As part of World Wetlands Day, Birdlife Malta has extended an invitation to the public to visit Ghadira and Is-Simar nature reserves this weekend.

World Wetlands Day is celebrated on 2 February every year in around 100 countries around the world. It marks the date of the adoption of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1971, which set out to ensure the protection of wetland sites worldwide. Ghadira and Is-Simar are Malta’s finest examples of wetlands and are internationally recognised as Ramsar Wetland Sites.

Throughout this weekend, the public can also take a guided walk through these special sites to learn about Maltese wetland habitats and species. These tours will be held between 10 am and 4 pm and are free of charge.

Although Malta is not in the migratory season at the moment, these reserves are exciting places to visit all year round. Birds you might see at the weekend include common coot (tigiega tal-bahar) and the moorhen (galozz iswed). The reeds might reveal a glimpse of the common snipe (bekkacc) or you could hear the eerie cry of the elusive water rail (galozz tax-xitwa).