Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1358359
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 APRIL 2021 9 ALMANAC Nature Notebook 756. Eurasian scops ow OWLS carry a mystique all of their own. Secretive and often noc- turnal, large piercing eyes, killing their prey darkly and silently, owls fire our sense of wonder, and we bestow on them unnatural powers, such as great wisdom. Most European owls are woodland birds, but even here in largely treeless Malta we actually get four owl species visiting, all migratory and none of them particularly common (we did have a resident species but hunters shot the population to local extinction). The least scarce is the Eurasian scops owl (M. kokka), a small bird not much bigger than a sparrow. It is nocturnal and hard to spot, spending the day asleep in a tree, looking itself very much like tree bark. Come evening, it sets out to hunt large juicy insects like bush crickets and moths. Victor Falzon, Joe Sultana www.birdlifemalta.org Green idea of the week 648 Find out more about Maltese nature on our blog: Flower of the Month – March : Azure Stonecrop THE stars at night turn our gaze upwards – but at this time of year while walking in the countryside we can enjoy some floral 'stargaz- ing' during the day by looking down at the rocky ground. At the moment this annual plant forms attractive carpets of small scarlet succulent leaves over rocky expanses or dried up rockpools and it blooms with strikingly beautiful star-like flowers with a bluish-vi- olet tinge. A sight not to miss, even better: take a magnifying lens along! There are six species of Sedum growing in the wild in Malta – all very well equipped for life in the dry, exposed areas. This species is short lived so enjoy it while it lasts! 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 www.foemalta.org/plantofthemonth Appster Smartphone fun and smarter work PictureThis Free Apple, Android Instantly identify plants. Accurate, fast and content rich! In addition to description and plant care tips, enjoy beautiful plant pictures around the world. PictureThis helps more than 30,000,000 users identify, learn, and enjoy all kinds of plants: flowers, trees, succulents, cacti and more! TECH RETAILERS contact afarrugia@ mediatoday.com.mt A GOOD WEEK FOR Good Week/Bad Week Don't miss this A BAD WEEK FOR Wednesday Night Trivia With Wess Date: Wednesdays until 28 April 2021 Location: Online. Join Wess live Wednesday nights for a fun live trivia night straight from your own home! Completely free to play kicking off at 9:30 pm Malta time / 8:30 pm Uk - get ready for a 3 round 1 hour quiz which will test all of your quizzing wits! With 25 euros up for grabs - why not kill the bordem and win some money too! Sign up now by clicking the link below: http://social.quizando.com/Wess Fans of archaeology. Scientists in southern Argentina have found the skull of a large meat- eating dinosaur named "one who causes fear" in the local Mapuche language. The horned Llukalkan aliocranianus was around 5 metres (16 feet) long and roamed South America 85 million years ago. For festival fans. Lytham Festival has been cancelled for the second year running due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The five-night open-air music event on Lytham Green in Lancashire has been rescheduled for 29 June to 3 July 2022. Tickets will automatically be transferred to 2022. The findings from Patagonia were published on Tuesday Lewis Capaldi is due to appear at the festival in 2022 Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member