Archives for October 2023

Wildlife is returning to the Queens Domain after a program to restore its rare and endangered native grasslands. Mammals and birds are back in unprecedented numbers and there are even reports of the critically-endangered forty-spotted pardalote being seen there. The transformation of the Domain is the result of a comprehensive program to clear the reserve of its thick cover of out-of-control she-oaks which are crowding out other plant species. Although she-oaks are native … [Read more...] about Forty-spot spreads its wings

Birdwatchers in Tasmania are hoping that the naming of the swift parrot as Bird of the Year in a national poll will boost the chances of its survival. The “swifty” emerged winner in the contest earlier this month after seeing off competition from the tawny frogmouth. The publicity afforded to the critically endangered species could not have come at a better time. It has been revealed in recent years that numbers of swift parrots are in freefall and there are concerns it … [Read more...] about Swift parrot flies into the spotlight

Australia Post has put its stamp of approval on the annual Aussie Bird Count by issuing a set of stamps featuring three of the birds most commonly seen in our backyards and neighbourhoods. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the count, which since its inception has become Australia’s biggest citizen science project. Last year more than 77,000 people took part, counting nearly 4 million birds of 620 species. The record is expected to be broken this year. The birds … [Read more...] about Bird count continues to fly high

A warm north-westerly wind brought an early surprise at the very start of string – a flight of summerbirds. Usually I see summerbirds – more formally known as black-faced cuckoo shrikes – a little later in the season and their arrival made my day I had been focused on the domestic migration, watching eastern spinebills and crescent honeyeaters moving through the Queens Domain on their way from the coast to breeding areas on kunanyi/Mt Wellington. The summerbirds make a … [Read more...] about Summerbird springs a surprise

A group of Aboriginal schoolchildren gathered under the spreading canopy of a Moreton Bay fig tree in a Melbourne park, their schoolteacher explaining the significance of the location. It was here, he said, that over the years Aboriginal activists had gathered to demand a better future for their people. The chatter of the excited children was matched by the musical call of a red wattlebird, flying into the lower branches of the tree and perhaps hoping that the gathering … [Read more...] about Birds sing the story of Australia