Right on time, the migrant birds are returning to Tasmania for the breeding season. It’s as though their lives run like clockwork. The metaphor of the clock is not so far-fetched when you think time and timing is so vital to avian lives. As sure as the neighbourhood clockmaker in Sandy Bay puts out his “now open” sign on the pavement each morning and withdraws it at dusk, the birds attend to their daily rituals. These, of course, are not performed to the ticking of a clock … [Read more...] about Striated pardalotes on time like clockwork
On The Wing
Passport to birdland
Birdland is a magical place where it’s possible to escape all the pressures and stresses of the environment of the city created and inhabited by one species – humans – and immerse yourself in a less one-dimensional world. Birdland is nowhere in particular, and does not have to be special or noteworthy. It could be in the wildest of wild forest, or in suburbia. It could be a pristine beach, a few hectares of eucalypt woodland, or a neatly manicured city park. It could be a backyard. That’s the magic of birds; they bring beauty and wonder to every corner of the planet, wild or untamed, and my On the Wing writing is their celebration.
Bird flu and a day of heartbreak
A shimmering azure sky pierced by darting white shapes, far out to sea and coming closer. Greater crested terns on the wing, hunting fish in the calm, silky waters of the Derwent off Long Beach, Lower Sandy Bay. It was a delight to see them bowing their heads to spot fish just below the surface of the water, then tilting their long, pointed wings before dropping likes stones, hitting the waves with a splash and then emerging with a wriggling, silver fish, in their yellow … [Read more...] about Bird flu and a day of heartbreak
Memories of birding amid rock pools and wrack
The magnificent world of Tasmania’s birds is portrayed in a new book by noted birdwatcher and photographer Els Wakefield but this is not just a work featuring exotic and rare species. Els with her photography and insights give equal weight to those species that are familiar and common. The silver gulls that frequent the fish punts on the Hobart quayside is a case in point. Els reveals she and her late husband, Bill Wakefield, had a role in determining the lengthy life … [Read more...] about Memories of birding amid rock pools and wrack
Tweet success of little boy’s rosella song
A seven-year-old boy singing the praises of his favourite bird, the eastern rosella, has become an internet sensation. When Miles Phillips decided to write a song about the beautiful bird that had landed on the deck of a holiday resort he had no idea that a video of him performing the catchy tune would garner close to two million views on social media. It has also been played on several radio stations and been compared to the work of Taylor Swift and the Ramones. It all … [Read more...] about Tweet success of little boy’s rosella song
Winter’s a prime time to look for local birds
Tasmania has a group of birds found nowhere else on earth and winter is an ideal time to go in search of them. When winter arrives some nature-lovers I know put away the binoculars and go into hibernation, sitting out the colder months to await the arrival of migrants in spring. But sitting by a warm fire – as I admit I’m tempted to do some days when there’s a coating of snow on the mountain – can be a lost opportunity to discover the wonder of the birds that call Tasmania … [Read more...] about Winter’s a prime time to look for local birds