All eyes are on the skies during World Migratory Bird Day on May 9 to see if a remarkable long-distance record – a non-stop flight of 13,560 km – can be beaten. The record was set by a bar-tailed godwit which travelled from the place of its birth in Alaska to Tasmania two years ago. Although the record flight at first appeared a one-off for a species known for its unequalled powers of flight, several of the birds are still being satellite tracked to see if it can be … [Read more...] about Eyes on the sky for record-breaking flight
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Art that sings reminds us of fragile future
In the parlance of my craft, journalism, young reporters are urged to make their stories “sing”. Attending the opening of bird artist Belinda Kurczok’s latest exhibition, it occurred to me that the same applied to her art. Her birds, especially a painting of playful swift parrots, are alive, full of spirit. They sing. In spring I missed the arrival of the migratory parrots because I was in Britain but earlier this month I managed to get my annual swiftie “fix” when I viewed … [Read more...] about Art that sings reminds us of fragile future
Penguins under pressure from selfie craze
Stanley, North-West Tasmania - It’s just after sunset and tourists have gathered to see a popular wildlife attraction - penguins emerging from the ocean. Travelling from surf to sand is always a difficult journey for the penguins but in recent years another hazard has emerged to join the menace of dogs, cats and even traffic on roads adjoining penguin colonies. It is the mobile phone. A craze for “selfies” is riding the waves at tourist locations where the penguins are the … [Read more...] about Penguins under pressure from selfie craze
Barking up the wrong Octopus tree
It started out as a mission to win a bet and turned into a walk to remember in the wild. The bet with a birding friend centred on whether the Octopus Tree on kunanyi/Mount Wellington is a swamp gum or a gum-topped stringybark. Within a half hour or so tramping the Shoobridge Track, the identity of the tree became incidental. It was the rainforest surrounding the tree, and the birds living within its lush and fecund confines that stole the show. To answer the first question … [Read more...] about Barking up the wrong Octopus tree
Green rosella call helps ease a troubled soul
The haunting whistle of a green rosella cut through the early-morning mist. A Bridgewater Jerry had laid a meandering carpet of pure-white cloud across the Derwent and I presumed the rosella had sought higher ground to escape the mist. The rosella, hidden within or behind a line of ornamental fir trees marking the boundary of the Calvary Hospital in Lenah Valley, was out sight but not out of mind. The parrot’s call formed a portal, a link to the natural world although I was … [Read more...] about Green rosella call helps ease a troubled soul