Archives for April 2023

It’s called the “sad robin” and it has reason to feel as sombre as its drab, uninspiring plumage. It may be a member of the colourful robin family but by its dull appearance you would never know it. The family name of robin evokes an image of shimmering, flaming red breasts; the sad, or dusky robin, however, comes clothed in brown-grey with not a hint of colour. And it’s also bigger and less dainty, spritely, compared with the other three Tasmanian robins, the scarlet, the … [Read more...] about ‘Sad’ robin with nothing to sing about

When people gather for outdoor events involving food and drink anywhere near the Tasmanian coast they can expect gate-crashers to arrive at any moment – flocks of gulls looking for a hand-out of food. A group of friends gathered at the Snug Caravan Park at the end of summer were expecting to be harassed by gulls but one of my readers reporting the event says that the birds were noticeable by their absence. “Surprisingly there were no gulls present,” said the reader in his … [Read more...] about Gate-crashers spoil the party

Bird-lovers in Australia are casting anxious eyes to an outbreak of avian influenza which is decimating bird populations in the northern hemisphere and South America. The bird flu has not reached Australia yet but the convenor of Birdlife Tasmania, Eric Woehler, says it is just a matter of time before it arrives here. Dr Woehler said that the current outbreak and spread of bird flu in Eurasia was of serious concern to researchers and conservationists in the Southern … [Read more...] about Australia on alert for bird flu

The last of the migrants have slipped away. Summer friends making off without even a goodbye, a cheery shout from the treetops, see you in September. They are conspicuous by their absence. The summerbirds and satin flycatchers no longer flit among the treetops, and the welcome swallows and tree martins leave clear airspace in park glades and across the surface of the twin reservoirs at the Waterworks Reserve where I usually see them hawking insects. An eerie quiet also … [Read more...] about Goodbye summer vistors, see you in September

I was reminded that wildlife is literally on our doorstep last month when I caught Covid and was forced into self-isolation. Bird-watching had to be confined to my garden for seven days but I was not complaining. It gave me some new material for a talk I was scheduled to give to the Lenah Valley Garden Club on gardening for birds. And in the long hours spent peering out of the windows overlooking my garden I also had time to take stock of what I had achieved with my … [Read more...] about Birds in search of a garden ‘oasis’