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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 OCTOBER 2022 11 ALMANAC Nature Notebook 834. Short-toed Eagle FOR bird lovers September and October are synonymous with birds of prey that every autumn sail over our Islands on their way to spend winter in Africa. Birds of prey (or raptors) are nature's high-precision killing instruments, sitting at or very near the top of the foodchain. Like all predators, raptors are by default never numerous compared with other animals lower down the foodchain. But some species are rarer than others, and therefore even more vulnerable to humanity's bungles or outright wars against nature. One of these scarce species that's declining across its European range is the short-toed eagle (M. ajkla bajda), a pale beauty that is seen here every year, if in small numbers. Short-toed eagles are protected by law but habitat destruc- tion, intensive agriculture and hunting still take their toll. Flower of the Month: October - Hawthorn (Żagħrun) Crataegus monogyna One of the most prominent wild shrubs in the autumn must surely be the Hawthorn in fruit. This thorny deciduous shrub coming from the extensive Rose family grows mainly in maquis habitats and rocky valley sides. The bright red berries ripen in autumn following the spring flow- ering of its beautiful clusters of scented white flowers. The small fruits are edible reminiscent of some type of apple. Migrating birds such as song thrush and starling enjoy this autumn bonus and in return they help the Hawthorn disperse its seeds for tree regeneration. Without birds' assistance this is one of the more difficult shrubs to grow at home. Hawthorn often features in foraging guides and has been called 'Food for the heart' as it has proven useful in heart and circulatory diseases amongst other things. Locally the presence of the genus Crataegus dates back to at least the early Neolithic as evidenced by charcoal records – yet it is unfortunately very rarely seen in current public landscaping. Victor Falzon, Raymond Galea www.birdlifemalta.org Green idea of the week 723: To stay up to date on the flower of the month and more, subscribe to our monthly newsletter here: https://foemal- ta.org/get-involved/newsletters-signup/ 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.foemalta.org/donate Don't miss this IZFEN ma' ZfinMalta - Dance with us! 7 November - 28 November Place: ŻZFINMALTA Studios, Valletta, Mondays, 18:30, ŻfinMalta Studios from September 2022 – June 2023 IZFEN ma' ŻfinMalta - Dance with us! As part of ŻfinMalta's 2022-23 season programme we bring you a new series of community evening classes. Held on Monday evenings at 18:30, these fun and accessible classes address our fundamental human need to move. Classes are open to participants over 18 years of age who are open to exploring the idea of movement from scratch. Individuals from all backgrounds and all levels of fitness and flexibility are invited to participate. No previous experience of dance is expected. Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member Valletta Baroque Festival 11 January - 29 January Place: Various The 11th Edition of the Valletta Baroque Festival is under way, and it is as eclectic as ever. After two agonizingly long years of postponements due to the pandemic we now have a splendiferous programme that had been accumulating since 2019. A GOOD WEEK Good Week/Bad Week A BAD WEEK A teacher has said discovering a lost episode of Hancock's Half Hour is "the biggest find, probably the jackpot". The Marriage Bureau is from the first series of the iconic 1950s radio show and is the only one to feature actor and comedian Peter Sellers. Elton John is among several public figures taking legal action against the publisher of the Daily Mail over what they call "gross breaches of privacy". The Duke of Sussex, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and actresses Sadie Frost and Elizabeth Hurley have also filed cases against Associated Newspapers Ltd. Richard Harrison, 49, from Lowestoft, Suffolk, who buys old reel-to-reel audio tapes, was amazed to realise he had found the long-lost episode. The company's alleged activity includes having listening devices secretly placed inside people's cars and homes. Guido Bonnet