Masked lapwings might run the gauntlet of traffic and dogs when they nest in towns and cities but they are at least free of their age-old foe, the swamp harrier. Or so a lapwing pair believed when they set up home on a patch of open ground along Blair St in Richmond. A swooping swamp harrier was soon to disrupt their suburban bliss. Not only a harrier invaded their idyll, but a brown falcon The remarkable three-way tussle between lapwing, harrier and then the brown falcon … [Read more...] about No hiding place for lapwings
‘Chilled’ Tassie magpies give peace a chance
Tasmanians have a reputation for being laid-back and friendly – and the same goes for our magpies. Although the national press at this time of year is always full of magpie attack stories and advice on how to counter aggressive birds, it’s a phenomenon largely absent from Tasmania. There’s no doubt magpies prove a serious problem on the mainland, from swooping posties on their rounds, to terrorising schoolchildren on their way to school. There’s plenty of advice in the … [Read more...] about ‘Chilled’ Tassie magpies give peace a chance
Australians at the ready for bird count
Tens of thousands of Australians are gearing up to take part in the Aussie Bird Count - the nation’s biggest citizen science project - which starts on Monday. During the event last year more than 60,000 people turned their eyes to the sky to tally an astonishing 3,608,545 birds, with the rainbow lorikeet holding the crown. When the count was first held in 2014, the lorikeet was also recorded as number one by the 9000 bird counters who took 20 minutes out of their week to do … [Read more...] about Australians at the ready for bird count
Supermoon lights way for migrating birds
One of the greatest images of bird migration I’ve ever seen is of a flight of geese crossing a full moon, the birds in silhouette. Nothing could best portray the wonder of migration, in which many birds are guided by the moon and the stars on their epic journeys that can encompass the far ends of the earth. A supermoon on the night of September 18 came right at the height of the spring migration and I was out in the garden not just contemplating the remarkable sight of an … [Read more...] about Supermoon lights way for migrating birds
Nervous wait for a welcome sight
September 11 is auspicious for me not because it happens to be my birthday and the date of the infamous 9/11 terror attack on the World Trade Centre in New Year – it’s a day to watch for the arrival of our welcome swallows. They should have turned up in good number just before September 11 but any delay makes me nervous. With growing reports of the decline in bird numbers, including swallows, my birthday has also become an unofficial cut-off point in the timetable I have … [Read more...] about Nervous wait for a welcome sight