Birdlife Malta Raptor Camp

Images and words from 2010 and 2011 Lawrie Phipps

In 2010 I went to my first Birdlife Malta Raptor Camp. On my first morning I saw a Honey Buzzard being shot and by that evening I had been involved in a major search of the Mizieb woodland where we recovered the bodies of 80 protected birds. By the end of the week I had filmed and photographed several birds being shot, seen illegal trapping sites and had witnessed several incidents of hunters intimidating (and in one case assaulting) Birdlife Malta volunteers. In 2011 I went back for two weeks. This short portfolio is a record of those two periods.

During Raptor Camp 2011 90 Birds were recorded in flight with gunshot wounds 13 Dead or injured birds were handed to Birdlife Malta 405 incidents of illegal hunting were witnessed 83 incidents of shots being fired at protected birds were witnessed Raptor Camp is only 18 days The Maltese hunting season is 5 months www.birdlifemalta.org

Malta is a key stop over for Europes migrating birds. These birds are protected under European legislation. Every year thousands of raptors (birds of prey) fill the skies above malta, and every year they are illeagally hunted.

Birds from 48 countries have been recorded migrating over Malta, including these Grey Heron (left), Bee-eater (top right) and White Storks (bottom right).

There are approximately 12,000 registered shooters in Malta. For every square kilometre of huntable land there is potentially 75 hunters. Trapping is also a big problem, with 4000 registered trappers.

BirdLife Malta and a German Based organisation, CABS, conducted a search in the Mizieb woodland exactly one year to the day after another search had uncovered the bodies of 200 protected birds. This search found another 80 birds some freshly killed.

BirdLife Malta and a German Based organisation, CABS, conducted a search in the Mizieb woodland exactly one year to the day after another search had uncovered the bodies of 200 protected birds. This search found another 80 birds some freshly killed. The protected birds were handed over to the police as evidence. During the search (on public land) two volunteers were assaulted by members of the hunting lobby, bringing the search to an early close. Although the authorities had stated that they would conduct an investigation, to date no results have been disclosed and no one has been convicted of the crimes against the protected species. In addition Mizieb is also littered with illegally built hunting and trapping hides, some inside the Simar bird sanctuary. FKNK, the hunting organisation, places signs on public land telling people where they may and may not go. The authorities appear to be in a state of paralysis, seemingly fearing to take any action to investigate the crimes committed in Mizieb Geoffrey Saliba, BirdLife Malta Campaigns Coordinator.

Part of the search team in Mizieb recording evidence, photographing, cataloguing and tagging before it is handed to the police (above). Andre Raine holds up a dead Marsh Harrier and dead Hoopoe (top left) Dead Hoopoe, most of the birds that were found were simply stashed under loose boulders or in undergrowth (left)

What do we actually do at Raptor Camp?

We try and protect persecuted birds. We record illegal activities, and liaise with the local police to try and bring the perpetrators to justice. A lot of hunting is illegal now, thanks to EU membership, but there are still hundreds of Maltese out shooting at birds. At Raptor Camp were out there with them, with camera and video, telescopes and binoculars and a lot of hard work. Birdlife Malta works very closely with the ALE (Police) and we all carry a phone with preprogrammed numbers to the Police, each team and other emergency numbers. We record every bird we see on migrations (on the day I took the photo opposite, 23rd September 2011, that was 59 Honey Buzzard, 12 Hobby, 2 Marsh Harrier, 5 Kestrel and a few singles of other species), we also record illegal acts, one of the two marsh harriers was shot down near the airport, we also heard shots after 3pm, another illegality. This is all done on recording sheets that are common to each team, collated by the team back at base camp and a complete file sent to the police. We do this twice a day, morning sessions from about 5 am until 9 am (making sure we are in position before the sun comes up). In the afternoons we start at 2:30 until after dark. Throughout this time we record, film and count. Sometimes there is a need for a nigh watch if something special is around (eagles), and we may also need to be earlier and later if we go somewhere distant., like Gozo, which might need a 4 am start. Its hard work, especially when youre tired and you see a bird shot down, or listening to a dawn chorus punctuated by gunfire. But we are only there for 2 1/2 weeks; the Birdlife team are there year round! And there are some hostile people around them.

Early morning at Laferla Cross (above), waiting for the birds that roosted overnight to lift up on the warm thermals and continue on their migration. A very pale Honey Buzzard (above right) rises and continues south. Hunters like to collect the different plumages phases of the different birds, making this one a prime target. A flock of Grey Heron (right).

Maltese Moult
All of the birds on these two pages are exhibiting Maltese Moult, an ironic term that describes the very obvious damage done to the plumage by gunshot. Sadly the feather damage is probably indicative of other wounds as the guns used are shotguns. Birds that are recovered are often full of pellets. It is unlikely that these birds are fit enough to make the full migration.

As well as raptors and other larger birds such as Herons and Storks, many smaller birds also migrate and use the Maltese Islands as a stopover. These are not immune to the attentions of the hunters and many smaller birds are also seen with clear gunshot wounds, including Swallows.

28th September 2011: Three White Storks

On the 28th September I was leading a team comprised of two League Against Cruel Sports investigators, Paul and Ed. They had arrived that day and as I knew them Nick (the camp coordinator) asked me to go through the process of what we do. It was illegal to hunt after 3pm, and the winds werent conducive for a big influx of birds so it should have been a quiet afternoon recording and making sure Ed and Paul were up to speed on process. Less than an hour into our shift I got a phonecall from Geoff, the Head of Press and PR. We were nearest to Mgarr, where three storks had arrived and looked like they were going to roost on one of the buildings. We left our site and headed down to Mgarr, where hunters tried to block the road to stop us getting there. We were first on site and immediately liaised with the police while we waited for back up. The town was full of hunters, fortunately it was also full of police, and despite the best attempts of the hunters to get the birds to fly off to somewhere they could kill them away from prying eyes, they roosted overnight. The community spirit was impressive; families watched the birds, people drove up from the surrounding areas just to see them, cameras were everywhere. Bob and Ian (From RSPB Investigations) set up telescopes and invited the public to watch the storks through them around 200 people took up the offer and there was a lot of excitement. The following morning BirdLife Malta Raptor Camp teams and the police followed the three juvenile White Storks to safety, watching them as they circled high into the clouds before heading out to sea.

Raptor Camp teams and the police who stayed with the birds through the night were joined in the early hours of the morning by several locals. Teams were even offered coffee through the night by residents appreciative of their protecting these birds.

All three White Storks had metal rings. Bird watchers read the uniquely number rings using telescopes, identifying each bird. It showed for the first time that White Storks which migrate over Malta originate from Hungary.

Death of a Wheatear: told through Twitter

Wed been up keeping an eye on a site that wed been informed might have an eagle roosting.You have to watch, just in case. It had become obvious as the sun rose that there wasnt. We were scanning a wider area when we spotted a couple of youths with a shotgun, they looked like they might be hunting so we filmed them. As it happened the Dwerja team, on the opposite side of the valley, also filmed them. Ceri Levy was part of the Dwerja team and he tweeted the sequence of events as it happened. He let me reproduce his tweets here. Two younger guys about 18-20 have appeared. One with gun. Moving as if they owned the land which they wont. A few pot shots a Bang! They pick something up. Our other team on the other side of the valley phone through.Wheatear! Shot its a protected species Nick alerts the police.The hunters look up and see us. They sit down turning their faces away from our cameras The hunters are moving away.The gun looks stupidly big as they slink off. We watch as they disappear behind a ridge.. shit

Stalking something small

The team opposite has phoned.They are certain the hunters have not seen them.They can see them behind the ridge. Dont lose them fellers! The others are saying they can see them burying something in the earth! It must be an illegal bird then! This is really going off.We are going to drive round to where we think they will come out probably WITH the police The police phone us.They are with the hunters. I can see them! And another police van is there too. We stop and get out below the ridge we saw. we see the hunters walking with the old bill. Please let them find the bird if its up there Behind me is a car parked with a middle aged woman phoning frantically. It couldnt be their mum could it? We stand a distance away.This is weird.There is an air of suspense. Not sure the police like the cameras

Pointing at targets (could be Swallows)

A police radio goes off and Nick is talking to them. I think it is the police up with the hunters looking for the bird Tense! Really They have found a bird.They need it identified.They are bringing it down. All rests on what the bird is If it is a quail it is legal. Crazy as that is an endangered bird everywhere else. But this is Malta. It is a different place So we are Im afraid waiting for the bird to come down. If it is a wheatear they will be done.Well see I can see them trudging down.Wonder how momma feels? Shouldnt have got your sun a gun, missus Nick is very calm as we all sort of are but there is an air of expectation.These kids felt wrong from the start. They are not far away now. Just have to breathe deeply and wait. I just dont get where the sport is in taking life.

Walking off after being spotted by the other team

Here they come. Not being allowed further than the police van thats good. here comes a policeman towards us. Something is in his hand He opens his hand.What is it? It looks so small. So lifeless. So dead.White rump. I never knew a Wheatear was just so small. It is tragic The policeman holds it by its wings and spreads them so we can see it fully. Its last flight Thats it. Confirmed.The boys will be done and Mrs Hunter Mom, they will be late home for dinner I would suggest. There is a strange feeling of satisfaction but it is somewhat hollow that a beautiful little bird had to die to take care of these two. These tweets were written by Cery Levy at the time of the incident.

Burying the evidence (the body of the Wheatear)

A warm welcome!

Abuse from the hunting lobby is common, whilst we were on Gozo the guy on the motorbike (top left) followed us for a couple of hours and reported back to his fellow hunters. Earlier in the day as we arrived on Gozo via ferry our tyres were slashed (above). In regular monitoring sites hunters try and discourage our attendance by, in this case, dumping large amounts of broken glass bottles and rotting fish (left).

On the same day as the White Storks arrived a Black Stork and Grey Heron were recovered.

Laferla Cross, from this point on Malta you can see much of the Island. Ive been stood here as hundred of birds of prey have circled and gained height as they get ready to go south. One day the hunting will be seen as a barbaric and outdated practice on these islands and then, when no one is killing birds for fun, birdwatchers will come in the Spring and the Autumn to see the spectacle of thousands of birds passing over and around you at places like this.

Teams at Raptor camp are made usually made up of about four, with a minimum of someone to record the data, someone to use the video and a team leader. The teams rotate and you get to work with a lot of people. On the left is Team Flamingo, from left to right, Jimmi lead singer of Doves, Cery who recently organised the Ghosts of Gone Birds Exhibition in London, Me, and Fiona, an intern at Birdlife Malta. Sadly this was the night we saw a Short-toed Eagle shot down.

Sometimes you have a good day

This Little Bittern made it, it survived and was released. These are the days that remind you why you go to Raptor Camp. Im immensely lucky to be able to have gone to these two camps, and I intend to go to Raptor Camp 2012. Im grateful to Heather, my wife, who worries sick whilst Im out there but knows that it is important to me. All of the people who have provided support to enable me to go, including the League Against Cruel Sports who paid for a lot of the expenses. Finally I am grateful to Birdlife Malta, and my fellow volunteers, both for their friendship and the work they do.