Archives for November 2015

A sweet melody told me in early spring that I had ventured into the nesting territory of a pair of Bassian thrushes on Mount Wellington/kunanyi. The song is a resonant one, designed to penetrate thick forest clothed in layers of fern frond and leaf, and without it you would never know the thrushes were about. The same goes for the nest, perfectly camouflaged to merge with the forest, like the Bassian thrush itself. The thrush is seldom seen, preferring to hide among mossy … [Read more...] about Thrush in no rush to be seen

A pair of visiting birdwatchers I met at the Waterworks Reserve in early spring said they had two reasons to visit Tasmania – one was to see the biggest member of the honeyeater family, the yellow wattlebird, and the other to tour the Museum of Old and New Art. The next day they managed to kill two birds with one stone at Berriedale. By chance I saw them again at MONA where I had gone to see the British art house musical London Street, in the museum complex’s cinema. The … [Read more...] about Wattlebirds in the Mona frame

The blackbird might top the list as the most frequently seen bird in suburban gardens but I’ve discovered it is also very much on the radar of some of the not-so-friendly birds that also make our gardens their home. If a garden species is to fall victim to the talons of a bird of prey, or the claws of a butcherbird, more than likely it will be this elegant songster that originally hailed from Britain. The Mercury last month carried a report highlighting the importance of … [Read more...] about Sit tight and tune in