Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/424604
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2014 48 THIS WEEK To the man in the street all gulls look the same: big, white and noisy. It is rather true that gulls don't digress much from the general pattern – indeed they sometimes have even seasoned birders scratching their head. To complicate matters, gulls go through different colour phases as they mature from juvenile to adults, and like many birds they also change livery from summer wear to winter wear. Definitely not beginner material. But there are differences, some obvious, others subtle, and finding these are part of the challenge and fascination of birdwatching and identification. We get about seven more or less regular species, ranging from common to scarce, plus another handful of very rare species. One of the common, regular species is the Mediterranean Gull, a medium-size bird, as gulls go. But what it lacks in size the Mediterranean Gull makes up in number: being gregarious like most gulls, it's often seen in flocks, adding movement to our winter skies especially around our harbours. In Maltese it's called Gawwija Rasha Sewda but don't look for black heads at this time of year. Black is part of their summer uniform: right now their head will be largely white, as will be the rest of the bird (see photo) apart from the pale grey back. 432. MEDITERRANEAN GULL GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 327: PREVENTING BLOCKED DRAINS – One alternative to toxic chemicals is to pour a scoop of baking soda mixed with half a cup of vinegar down the drain, and follow it quickly with boiling water. There are many species of solitary bee in the Malta and Europe that need individual nests. Some species tunnel into the ground, sandy banks or crumbling mortar. Others use hollow stems or holes in wood. By making things like this available it's easy to create ideal accommodation for solitary bees. You could provide a bundle of hollow plant stems or a luxurious bee hotel, packed with dry logs, untreated timber and soft, crumbly mortar. The other thing bees need is water – so make sure there's a source nearby like a bird bath or pond, especially on hot days. An easy – and delicious – way to help the Maltese honey bee is to buy the fruits of its labour: support beekeepers by choosing honey produced near you. You'll see all the different colours honey can be – from dark green and deep gold to almost pure white. And it could be an excuse to buy other products like honey beer, beeswax candles and sweet-smelling honey soaps and balms. Bee solutions (III) Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us www.foemalta.org. You can also support us by sending a blank SMS donation on 50618070 (€4.66) or 50619223 (€11.65). Text Victor Falzon , Photo Aron Tanti SHAUN Grech's painting 'Watch- ing the world collapse... dressed as Ladybird' (2005) has been added to the showcase of the Museum of Naive and Marginal Art (MNMA) in Serbia, following the setting up of the Museum's collective exhibition Naïve and Marginal Art from Serbia at Pjazza Teatru Rjal – on display until December 6. Departing for Serbia with the painting in tow, MNMA director said that "From now on, our Mu- seum becomes wealthier with a first work of Maltese artist". "We are leaving the exhibition Naive and Marginal Art of Serbia in Valletta and we are thankful to a whole team of people: firstly the Ministry of Culture and Informa- tion of the Republic of Serbia who supported the whole project, then Serbian Information Cultural Cen- tre in Mosta, the Mayor of Valletta and all the colleagues at Gallery Pjazza Teatru Rjal in Valletta." "Art has always been the best way for different nations and cultures to get closer, to respect each other and admire diversity of spiritual fla- vors and artistic sensibilities‚" she added. Earlier in the month, Major of Valletta Alexiei Dingli welcomed a delegation from the Serbian Cul- tural Information Centre. Centre director Boban Jovanovic presented Dingli with plans to introduce an online radio station in the Serbian language, covering current events in Malta and helping the Serbian com- munity on the island by supplying information and insights that are relevant to their daily lives. Jovanovic also stated that SKIC will continue to work on enriching cultural ties between Serbia and Malta. Dingli said that he was de- lighted by the Serbian Cultural Cen- tre's launch and pointed to Krstic, who was also part of delegation, that it is important for the Serbian com- munity to feel integrated into Mal- tese society, and that the key to that is fostering cultural ties. Museum of Naïve and Marginal Art, Jagodina (MNMA) was found- ed in 1960. MNMA researches, col- lects, keeps and protects the works of original self-taught artists from all over the world. International MNMA Art Collection counts over 2500 works of Naive, Art-brut and Outsider Art. MNMA is supported by Ministry of Culture of Republic of Serbia and it is ranked as the Cultural Institu- ton of National Importance Maltese artist added to international showcase of 'outsider' art Shaun Grech painting to represent Malta in Serbian museum dedicated to 'outsider' art Mayor of Valletta Alexiei Dingli (second from right) welcomed a delegation from the Serbian Cultural Information Centre Shaun Grech's painting 'Watching the world collapse... dressed as Ladybird' (2005)