Archives for April 2014

The strange, mysterious and exotic came to the Derwent this autumn and I’m not talking about the latest exhibition or event at the Museum of Old and New Art.  A pair of nankeen hight herons took up residence on the banks of New Town Bay and much to my delight I managed to see the beautiful birds after being alerted to their presence by local residents. The night heron is not usually seen south of KingIsland – where there is a long-established breeding colony – and so it was … [Read more...] about The exotic and mysterious comes to town

ON a British winter’s day, as cold as it gets, I finally put to the test the only piece of scientific research I have ever conducted – to address the notion that European blackbirds introduced to Australia in Victorian times have developed an Australian accent.  Anecdotal evidence of the “okker” blackbirds has long fascinated me and over time I have attempted to determine whether it is true or not from the Australian end – namely by getting friends over in Britain to dangle … [Read more...] about Okker Aussie blackbirds sing own song

BIRDWATCHERS gathered on wetlands across Australia earlier this month for a “farewell to shorebirds” celebration to send the migratory waders on their way to breeding grounds on the other side of the world. But in truth there was not much to celebrate. Shorebird numbers are in freefall because of the draining and degradation of the wetlands in which they live over their whole migratory range, which stretches from the far south of Tasmania to breeding grounds within the … [Read more...] about If wetlands go, birds will follow

The Inverawe Native Gardens were looking for their 100th bird species and I thought I’d get a feather in my cap by spotting it.  My mission had started earlier in the year when I noted from the gardens’ newsletter that species 98 and 99 had turned up at the gardens at Margate and the owners, Bill  and Margaret Chestnut, were excitedly anticipating what in cricket parlance would be a ton. I thought that with a little research, and hard work on the spot, I might record the … [Read more...] about A quest for birding fame