Birdlife Malta’s Adult Activities Group recently organised two Sicily day trips to Vendicari Nature Reserve, one for BirdLife Malta members and their friends on Saturday 1st of April and another for the Bank of Valletta Sports and Social Club a week later, on Sunday 9th of April, 2017.
Situated on the southernmost part of Sicily’s east coast, Vendicari is a mixture of lagoons, sand dunes, rocky coastlines, and sandy beaches. The area is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. The shallow soils, sand dunes and exposure to sea spray provide an ideal habitat for Mediterranean herbs such as thyme and rosemary together with other shrubs such as the juniper and the lentisk.
Thousands of migrating birds pass a few days here on their way to or from Africa. Flamingos, herons, spoonbills, storks, and cormorants are regulars during spring and autumn, while in the winter various ducks and terns take over.
The day’s main event consisted of a 10km trek mostly along the coast of the reserve. This was followed by a typical farmhouse lunch and a quick shopping spree in the town of Pozzallo. It was a great day out enjoyed by all.
The respective trips were led by Raymond Vella, Foresta 2000 Ranger and Michael Grima, a veteran BirdLife Malta member.
Details about BirdLife Malta’s events are constantly updated on our website at https://birdlifemalta.org/events. BirdLife Malta members are given priority for such activities. Those who may wish to join BirdLife Malta can do so at https://birdlifemalta.org/become-member.
Read the Maltese version of the press release here.
BOV Group members at Tonnara, Vendicari. The main photo refers to the first visit to Sicily organised for BirdLife Malta members and their friends (Photo by BirdLife Malta)