A flock of eight White Storks were spotted yesterday on the Maltese Islands. Three of them were seen perched atop the steeple of St Theresa’s Church in Birkirkara according to BirdLife Malta, where they spent the night.

“At one point another stork tried to settle near them, but decided to leave after several unsuccessful attempts. One of the birds appears to be ringed,” BirdLife Malta said in a post on socials.

“The flock of eight White Storks was again observed this morning. Unfortunately two of them have been noticed suffering from gunshot injuries – one of the storks has a slightly dangling leg whilst another has blood stains on its belly, leg and tail feathers,” they said. It is unknown whether these injuries were sustained in Malta or elsewhere.

“While weather conditions in the coming days are not favourable, it is hoped that these beautiful birds will still continue safely on their migration journeys,” the organisation noted. White Storks are usually rare migrants on the Maltese Islands, with up to two or three single sightings a year. According to Birdwatching in Malta, back in 2010 a flock of a whopping 28 White Storks together with one Black Stork were spotted in Buskett.