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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 NOVEMBER 2023 7 ALMANAC Nature Notebook 893. White Wagtail IT'S not unusual for cats to dash out right in our driving path. Well, in the cooler months we also get a winged daredevil pulling the same stunt: a small bundle of white, grey and black. It's the white wag- tail (M. zakak abjad), a common winter resident here. Thousands turn up in autumn from northern and north-eastern Europe, where it gets nastily cold, and spend the winter in our balmy islands, for- aging in fields and valleys but also town squares, playgrounds and roadsides. Wagtails are gregarious, and love to sleep in large groups in nice big sheltered trees, known as roosts. Which is why the bird was in the news this week, when Mosta Local Council destroyed the 1000+ wagtail roost in Pjazza Rotunda in one fell swoop. Just which country on earth calls the destruction of trees "embellishment"?! November Plant of the Month: Rosemary (MT: Klin) Salvia rosmarinus 'Dew of the sea' is the meaning of the latin term rosmarinus. A name which has recently been the centre of a debate as the scientific world announced that our beloved Rosemary is actually a sage (pertaining to the Genus Salvia) ... This confusing name change from Rosmarinus officinalis to Salvia rosmarinus was the result of studies on the plant's DNA. Rosemary in Malta is indigenous but has sadly become quite rare to come by. In one of the few places where it grows in the wild, some old specimens reach even 2metres in height and often produce flowers throughout the year. Bees love the welcoming flowers of this aromat- ic shrub, and the honey produced from it is quite special. Although Rosemary is mostly viewed as a culinary herb, it has a long history of medicinal uses as well as many mentions in folklore. Victor Falzon, Aron Tanti (photo) www.birdlifemalta.org Green idea of the week 775: Sign up for our monthly newsletter to stay updated - foemalta.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 Do Re Mi meets Re On 10 December Place: Robert Samut Hall, The second in the Do Re Mi concert series we meet Re, our enthusiastic character, who will take us on his unique journey helped by his friends and our hosts. If you would like to join us for the workshops which will start at 10:00, you would need to send an email to development@maltaorchestra.com to reserve your place. The workshop has limited spaces and it is on first-come- first-served basis. Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member Carols at St John's On 6 December Place: St. John's Co-Cathedral The MYO returns for a joyous concert ringing in the festive season under the baton of British conductor Philip Walsh, with the participation of St. John's Co- Cathedral Foundation Children's Choir, under the direction of Gillian Zammit at the iconic St John's Co-Cathedral. The exhilarating programme includes a selection of traditional carols and Christmas works by Vella, Rutter, Bach and Haydn. A GOOD WEEK Good Week/Bad Week A BAD WEEK The makers of a documentary about Afghanistan's first female orchestra said the story was "inspiring". Sisters follows musician Dan Blackwell who travels to the country's capital of Kabul to meet the musicians and conductor of the Zohra orchestra. Superhero film The Marvels made just $47m (£38m) in its first weekend, in the US, making it the Marvel Cinematic Universe's lowest opening. In contrast, Avengers: Endgame made box office history in 2019 by taking a record-breaking $1.2bn (£980m) in global ticket sales in its opening run. It was produced by the Northampton- based filmmaker Tony Klinger, who has made documentaries on The Who, Deep Purple and the film Get Carter. The Marvels, starring Brie Larson, Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parris, follows 2019's Captain Marvel film.