Chaotic Construction at Ċirkewwa Leaves Shearwaters Shell-Shocked!

A Shearwater Scandal Shakes Up the Ċirkewwa Coast!

Uwejja, you’d think after all these years we’d learn to stick to a schedule, but no, it seems that in Malta, the calendar is just a suggestion. In the latest furor to flap across our sunny shores, BirdLife Malta is all aflutter over the unexpected turn of events in Ċirkewwa.

Imagine, if you will, a quiet morning with the waves kissing the coast, fisherman fixing their nets, and tourists clicking away at their cameras. Suddenly, out of the blue, construction cranes dance to the rhythm of jackhammers paving the way for a new airstrip where silence once reigned.

The Characters Behind the Chaos

Meet Żeppi, a Ċirkewwa native with a passion for unnecessary development. Touting his mantra, “Progress waits for no bird!” he’s the brain behind the chaotic construction project that has even the most chillaxed Maltese up in arms.

Then we have Rita, a feisty BirdLife Malta activist famed for guarding bird nests as if they were Fabergé eggs. Her special move? The “bird blockade” – a one-woman protest where she chains herself to anything that looks like it might harm a feather.

Don’t forget about Hugo, a tourist from a faraway land where wildlife documentaries are his only taste of the outside world. He came to Malta specifically to hear the infamous “għana” of the Yelkouan Shearwaters during their breeding season—only to find an entirely different kind of għana emanating from bulldozers!

Plot Twists & Turntables

Little did everyone know, the construction was never approved. Żeppi, who fancied himself a bit of a DIY enthusiast, took the concept of “do-it-yourself” to extreme heights, unofficially transforming what should have been a serene sanctuary into a full-fledged building site.

The echoes of the unpermitted project rippled all the way to Mdina, where the echoes shouldn’t have reached at all. But do you know what they say about Malta? Whisper in Mellieħa, and they’ll hear you down in Gozo!

“We’re here to save these birds from the great peril of progress!” Rita exclaimed, chaining herself to a crane. “These shearwaters deserve a peaceful love season, not a done-it-yourself airstrip!”

As for Hugo, the poor guy ended up leading an impromptu bird-watching tour for a group of equally confused yet eager Instagrammers who thought they’d stumble upon Malta’s newest hotspot: “The Ċirkewwa Chaotic Crane Reserve”.

User Engagement: #ShearwaterScandal

Dear readers, have YOU seen something fishier than Hobz biz-Zejt in the conservation areas of Malta? Share your sightings and join the #ShearwaterScandal discussion! Your tweet could be the pebble that starts the conservation avalanche!

When asked about the uproar, Żeppi nonchalantly munched on his pastizz and shrugged. “Mela, what’s the big deal? A few noisy days, and then voilà, Malta is on the fast track,” he said, blissfully ignorant of the raging tweeters vowing to make #ShearwaterScandal trend harder than Gozo’s artisanal ġbejniet.

In an unexpected twist of fate, Malta’s entire online community rallied behind the shearwaters, with Facebook groups popping up like pastizzi in hot oil, and the collective power of e-activism pushing for an immediate halt to the not-so innocent airstrip project.

So what’s the moral of our story? In Malta, never underestimate the power of a resilient bird, the infectious enthusiasm of a lone protester, or the ability of bemused tourists to completely misunderstand a situation. And for heaven’s sake, don’t mess with the breeding season—because that’s when the true Maltese spirit soars high, much like our beloved shearwaters.

The Times of Mela—where the news flies faster than a flock of scandalized shearwaters.