Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1500676
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 JUNE 2023 7 ALMANAC Nature Notebook 869. Spectacled Warbler THE spectacled warbler is one of our precious few breeding birds, a species that for several decades has been in decline. So called be- cause of the small ring of white around its eye, it is a tiny shy bird with earthy colours, not easy to spot. But it often gives itself away with its short dry trilling call. Nothing melodious but music to a naturalist's ear: it means our little friend is still around! Nowadays, the spectacled warbler (M. bufula ħamra) is a scarce bird of open rocky countryside but it hasn't always been so. As late as the 1950s it was still common and widespread, nesting in places like Floriana and Valletta, even in gardens. So what happened? Well, the decline seems to coincide with the spread of mechanised agricultural equip- ment, pesticide use on an industrial scale, and steady urban sprawl that hasn't subsided. Join the final PANCAKE project event in June! Join us for our final event on 30th of June as we reach the conclusion of our Erasmus+ Project PANCAKE (Plants And Nature Conveying Augmented Knowledge for Everyone). During this free event, we will showcase the project's Intellectual Outputs with the aim of improving the inclusion of the Deaf community in accessing nature and with the design of inclusive public spaces. You may have been following our Plant of the Month series on our social media and the website which has been featuring specific plants chosen for the creation of new signs by, and for, the deaf community. This time round we will be viewing the official signs created for each one. The staff of nature reserves/heritage sites and members of the deaf community are especially encouraged to attend. Refreshments will be served together with a small gift for all partici- pants. Please register by filling in the form via the link https://foemalta. org/event/pancake-project-showcase/. The registration will be open till the 23d of June. If you have any questions, feel free to contact sabela@ foemalta.org or annalise@foemalta.org. Victor Falzon, Aron Tanti www.birdlifemalta.org Green idea of the week 757: Please visit https://foemalta.org/projects/pancake/ for more informa- tion on the project 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 Harbour Odyssey 16-25 June Place: The Fernandes, Valletta Cruise Port Harbour Odyssey is a site-specific production, conceived and designed to take place on the front deck of a beautiful 38-metre long two-masted vessel. As the schooner cruises the waters, the Grand Harbour becomes the backdrop for the theatrical narrative, a portrayal of several stories that have survived the test of time. The audience joins the cast of actors and musicians to experience a collection of historical anecdotes and local legends set within the unique panoramic views of Grand Harbour. Special thanks go to Liam Gauci, curator of the Malta Maritime Museum, who has supported this production with his extensive knowledge of the harbour and its history. Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member DIK IS-SIĠRA F'NOFS TA' TRIQ 16 to 25 June Place: Mcast, Triq Kordin, Mosta Penned by the author and poet Immanuel Mifsud and in collaboration with Theatre Anon, Dik Is-Siġra f'Nofs ta' Triq, is a promenade performance that tells the story of one particular street where everybody knows everybody, and everybody knows everything, or not quite everything, but almost. The pressures and false promises of progress are weighing heavily on the community and the majestic tree that crowns the middle of this long and winding road. An old tree which rumour has it, was there much before the road itself. Has the tree become an inconvenience? We fret so. Or so we hear. A GOOD WEEK Good Week/Bad Week A BAD WEEK Critics have widely praised the end of the Emmy-winning TV drama Succession, with their descriptions ranging from "perfect" and "beautiful" to "terrible" and "brutal". The show, which focuses on the power struggle between the children of media mogul Logan Roy, has finally concluded after four seasons. The filming of the major TV series Blade Runner 2099 in Belfast has been delayed. The Hollywood TV and film writers strike is one of the factors behind the postponement, with filming unlikely to resume before spring 2024. Critics seemed more than satisfied with how it ended, with some comparing it with the writing of William Shakespeare. The series, based on the iconic Blade Runner films, is due to be shot at Belfast Harbour Studios.