Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1497813
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 APRIL 2023 7 ALMANAC Nature Notebook 863. Montagu's Harrier ONE of the many species of birds of prey that migrate over Malta in spring is the Montagu's harrier, a pale grey ghost-like raptor. Though seen by birdwatchers every year, it is nowhere as common as the closely related western marsh-harrier. For convenience, birders group birds of prey into two groups: 'broadwings' and falcons. On account of its wide wings, the Montagu's harrier (bagħdan griż) belongs to the broadwing group, along with buzzards, eagles and vultures. Those wide wings help the bird ride warm air currents rising from the ground – known as thermals – and to soar to great heights. This trick is especially use- ful when the birds are migrating, because once up there they can then simply glide and travel long distances with hardly a flap and therefore without wasting precious energy in active flight. Green travelling: from Malta to Spain without taking a plane In November 2022, our intern Sonja took part in the ULEX training. Her training took place in a remote village in the mountains of Spain. Given the benchmark of two tonnes of carbon dioxide per capita per year that we need to meet if we want to protect the environment and climate, Sonja decided to travel by land and water instead of taking a plane. Sonja started her journey on Thursday morning when she took the ferry from Valletta to Sicily at around 8am and arrived in Salàs de Pallars in Spain on Sunday evening after a journey of about 3 000 km. From Satur- day to Sunday, Sonja spent one night in Barcelona. The return journey began on Sunday morning at around 9 am by bus to Barcelona, where she arrived in Malta on Wednesday evening after a distance of around 2 600 km. Before taking the night train from Rome to Sicily, Sonja spent one night in Rome. For all the tickets (including some journeys made by taxi) she spent about €530. Victor Falzon, Aron Tanti www.birdlifemalta.org Green idea of the week 751: Green travelling: reduce your carbon footprint by choosing land and water instead of air 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 Valletta Resounds From April - June 2023 (Please vist showshappening.com for futher details) Place: St. John's Co-Cathedral Held at the Oratory inside the historic St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta Resounds elegantly strings together Caravaggio masterpieces with theatrical storytelling and timeless classical music. Critically acclaimed Maltese musicians under the musical direction of Jacob Portelli are at the helm of the site-specific performance, bringing to life the works of Baroque Masters such as Handel and Bach along with the sound of sacred Maltese music by composer Francesco Azzopardi and more. Sung to perfection by some of Malta's most esteemed sopranos, Dorothy Bezzina and Dorothy Baldacchino, the music is beautifully brought to life on Baroque Harp, Baroque Violin, Baroque Cello and on the Psaltery. Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member Only Rock n Roll! 26-27 May 2023 Place: Montekristo Estate The best Rock Classics to sing along to. Queen, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Whitesnake, U2 and more. At the ARENA. Chris Grech, Tiziana, Kenneth Calleja, Daryl Ebejer and others will perform with a live band. You should sing and dance all night. Food and drinks available. Dress up in your best Rock n Roll outfit! Prizes will be given to those who wore it best. A GOOD WEEK Good Week/Bad Week A BAD WEEK Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill could win a prestigious songwriting award, a mere 38 years after it was released. The singer's 1985 hit experienced a resurgence last summer after appearing in the Netflix show Stranger Things. Frank Ocean has pulled out of his headline slot at the Coachella Festival's second weekend this Sunday. The musician played at the California festival's opening weekend, but his shambolic performance left many fans disappointed and baffled. After exploding on TikTok, it went to number one in the UK charts, and gave Bush her first top 10 hit in the US Representatives for the US star said a leg injury had prompted last- minute changes to that show, which included an onstage ice rink being melted.