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Buskett Woodland

West  >  Malta

Originally a garden/knights' hunting grounds for Verdala Palace, Buskett is the oldest & largest woodland area in Malta, a rare habitat in the Maltese Islands.

Added* by Nathaniel Attard
Most recent update 12 February 2020

Description

Through Buskett runs a densely vegetated valley, Wied il-Luq, lined by large Poplar trees. It is a protected bird sanctuary found on the southwestern coast of Malta, not far from Dingli Cliffs.

Being the largest woodland area in Malta, Buskett inevitably offers good and unique birding on the island. Birding in Buskett can be split in two types of birding: birding the woodland and valley area, or birding from the top of the hill within Buskett, across the valley, opposite the castle.

Birding from the woodland and valley: A walk around the valley and woodland is recommended throughout the year. Different seasons will naturally produce different species. This area is easily accessed from the main tented car park of Buskett. Various paths through different habitat (orchards, deciduous woodland, conifer woodland, valley) can be taken. Area should be visited as early as possible in the day, especially on weekends and during school holidays as place can be inundated with local picnickers.

Birding from the top of the hill: During the migration of raptors in autumn (late August to mid-October), local birdwatchers gather on the ridge above the valley, opposite the castle, to count migrating raptors (and other birds). Days with calm, southerly winds are usually best for migration. Birds tend to be high in the early afternoon but very good views are usually obtained later in the day as birds circle the area and eventually roost in the trees of Buskett.

Details

Access

Access to the raptor watching site is best accessed by car from the road that takes you to the archeological cart ruts area of Clapham Junction. Continue along this road towards Siġġiewi until you reach a large pig farm. Park here and walk towards the direction of the castle and if you are in the right time you should see birders on top of the hill in front of you. Reaching this area from the main car park in the valley is possible but requires a steep uphill walk through a path that is not easy to find.

Terrain and Habitat

Forest , Scattered trees and bushes , Plateau , Valley

Conditions

Hilly

Circular trail

No

Is a telescope useful?

Can be useful

Good birding season

All year round

Best time to visit

Winter , Spring , Summer , Autumn , Spring migration , Autumn migration

Route

Paved road , Wide path , Unpaved road , Narrow trail

Difficulty walking trail

Easy

Accessible by

Foot , Bicycle , Car

Birdwatching hide / platform

No

Extra info

Buskett is an Important Bird Area (IBA) providing an ideal habitat for migratory birds to find food and seek shelter whilst on their epic journeys. The site, situated in the valley of Wied Il-Luq, is a great place to observe birds of prey during migration as well being an area of historical interest.

The site also hosts Tal-Bosk Farmhouse, one of three scheduled farmhouses in Buskett built by the Knights of Malta and collaboratively managed by BirdLife Malta and the Ministry for Environment. Home to many interesting and diverse species of flora and fauna, Buskett is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) within the EU Natura 2000 network.

View other birding spots in the area that are published on Birdingplaces

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