Archives for June 2026

A great-crested grebe rode the choppy waters of Montrose Bay. It was a pleasant surprise to spot the elegant grebe because I did not have grebes in mind when I set out birding on a chilly winter’s day. I was looking for kelp and silver gulls as part of Birdlife Tasmania’s annual gull count. A little earlier, strong winds drove me off my intended destination, the gull-dense Glenorchy tip. When I reached the kiosk at the entrance a council office had blocked my way. “Too … [Read more...] about Grebe expectations on open waters

Although ravens are reputed to be among the world’s smartest birds, I’ve discovered the black currawongs that visit my garden in winter can show them a thing or two. The “mountain jays” – as they are known in country districts – easily outsmart the forest ravens in the contest to be first to the cheese that I put out for the birds each morning. The currawongs have learned over time not to wait for the cheese to land on the lawn when I toss small chunks of it from the … [Read more...] about Cheeky currawongs outsmart ravens

No longer a blot on the landscape. The tide has turned for the once degraded New Town Rivulet with a dramatic transformation of the watercourse where it meets the Derwent. I had always approached the rivulet outlet in New Town Bay with a sense of dread while taking part in the annual gull count for Birdlife Tasmania. The rivulet at this point was channelled through concrete culverts, the stones and boulders of the stream-bed caked in plastic, littered with rusting bikes and, … [Read more...] about Welcome new life flows for New Town gulls

I call it lazy birding, sitting on a seat in the woods watching the world of nature cruise by. Let wildlife come to you. No need to work up a sweat. It’s especially rewarding in winter when we have more time to study the resident birds without feeling the need to chase and identify the migrant species. So on the first day of the new season I chose to sit out my usual keep-fit walk in the Waterworks Reserve and perch myself on a seat fashioned from a fallen tree, a location … [Read more...] about Lazy birding reveals nature’s wonders