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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 DECEMBER 2020 9 ALMANAC Nature Notebook 742. Slender-Billed Gull TO most, gulls are big noisy white seaside birds. It's actually a good general description, as gulls are relatively large and their col- our scheme is basically white with sundry shades of grey (brown in young birds) and often some black at the extremities; they're also vo- cal and their lifestyle generally involves the sea. About a dozen spe- cies of gulls have been recorded in Malta, ranging from year-round residents to pulse-racing rarities. The scarce slender-billed gull (M. gawwija munqarha rqiq) lies somewhere in the middle of the spec- trum. It is a medium-sized gull, and its giveaway feature is the finely tapered face that ends in an elegant, dark-red beak. Try your luck at Salina nature reserve one of these wintry days, there's usually one or two milling around among the much commoner black-headed gulls. Victor Falzon, Aron Tanti www.birdlifemalta.org Green idea of the week 635 Go for a walk in nature and collect edible wild plants while following our Foraging Guid Edible Wild Plants – Foraging Guid THE importance of wild plants is regrettably often overlooked with a diverse array of plant life frequently dismissed as just weeds, or ħaxix ħażin. In line with our commitment to food sovereignty and ensuring that the food that we eat is healthy and ecologically sound we have prepared this foraging guide to help you on your adventures in finding nutritious new ingredients close to home. Visit our web- site and you can receive a copy of the guide by post too. VISIT Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation – www.foe- malta.org/donate https://foemalta.org/foraging-guide Appster Smartphone fun and smarter work Nebula: Horoscope & Widgets Free Apple, Andriod Nebula is your personal astrology coach in your smartphone. Every day our astrologists analyze the position of the stars, their movement and influence on your life. Start your day by checking your personal daily horoscope to make your day a better one. TECH RETAILERS contact afarrugia@ mediatoday.com.mt A GOOD WEEK FOR Good Week/Bad Week Don't miss this A BAD WEEK FOR Annual News Years Eve celebrations 31 December 10pm to 1am, broadcast live on TVM, Net and One from Fort St Elmo The show will be hosted by Ben Camille and Andreana Debattista. The line-up includes Palace String Orchestra, accompanied by Maltese artists including Amber, Aidan, Jasmine and Kevin Paul. Special guests will be Ember Trio from Britain's Got Talent 2020 semi-finale. The evening will end with comedy from local act Min Imissu, as well as the UK stand-up comedian Michael McIntyre. For the Maltese. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine arrived in Malta yesterday and doctors will be administering the first vaccine on Sunday 27 December. For journalism. A prominent Turkish journalist has been sentenced in absentia to more than 27 years in jail on terrorism- related charges that his legal team have described as politically motivated. This is the first lot of 10,000 vaccines Can Dündar edited Turkey's Cumhuriyet newspaper before fleeing to Germany in 2016 Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member