Don Knowler

Every time I see a swift parrot I am filled with dread at the thought that it might be the last one I see in the wild. Numbers of swift parrots are in freefall and so when a flock turned up at Mount Nelson in the spring birders rushed to see them, as I did, fearing we might not get the chance again. Birds are too precious to lose and with one in six of Australian bird species threatened with extinction this fact is brought into sharp focus by a recently published book, … [Read more...] about Times change but enchantment remains

A forest raven I call Gloria, who visits my garden each day, was feeling the heat. Her beak open, she was panting under the scorching sun on one of the hottest days of summer. Birds do not have sweat glands, so the primary way of dissipating excessive heat is by panting, just like a dog. If you see a bird during the hottest part of the day, it will likely have its mouth open. It’s ridding heat from its body through the open bill. On hot days when birds are seen panting it … [Read more...] about Splash out on a birdbath to aid birds

As a child in Britain I used to delight in gathering the tubular flowers of foxgloves and using them as finger-puppets. The game was inspired, of course, by the plant’s curious name which still evokes the magic of the English countryside, as told in children’s classics like the Beatrix Potter stories. Did foxes really use the flowers to warm their fingers on chilly days? The childhood fantasy ignored the fact the flowers emerged in summer, decidedly not glove weather but it … [Read more...] about Gloves off when it comes to ‘sinister’ weed

The most beautiful of bird of spring, the satin flycatcher, kept me waiting this year before I finally tracked it down. It’s the last of the summer migrants to arrive, usually from the middle of October but it eluded me at first. I searched and searched in the foothills of kunanyi/Mt Wellington where I usually hear and see them. October passed and we were well into November before I heard the familiar “churring” territorial call and the sweet, melodic song. It was far from … [Read more...] about Satin flycatcher arrives with a flourish

A tiger snake got more than it bargained for when it eyed the chicks of a pair of Tasmanian native-hens on the Lower Pipeline track in South Hobart. The parents immediately swung into action, emitting an alarm call before rushing at the snake. It had emerged from the Sandy Bay Rivulet, which runs parallel to the track, and the tiny, matt-black chicks seemed too tempting a target to resist. But approaching the chicks, it was immediately put to flight – or should I say put … [Read more...] about Native-hens on a turbo-charged attack