Just as we saw last year, the change of seasons has brought about some movement in the skies too, as a flock of majestic Honey Buzzards were spotted soaring over Buskett. This is a common sight on the island in September, as hundreds of these birds can be seen in the process of migration, usually from early in the afternoon.

Known in Maltese as ‘Kuccarda’, the European Honey Buzzard is referred to as a ‘raptor’, meaning it’s a bird of prey. Although it mostly feeds on insects such as bees, wasps and grasshoppers, as it name suggests, loves eating honey!

Interestingly, like many birds of prey, the Honey Buzzard struggles to fly over open seas. Instead, they rely on rising air currents over land to aid their flight. This makes their migratory routes focus on shorter sea crossings, such as Gibraltar, Sicily, Falsterbo in Sweden, Greece, the Bosphorus in Turkey, and Malta – much to the delight of birdwatchers.

Have you spotted any Honey Buzzards recently?