Don Knowler

The sun was shining strong and hard when I awoke on the first day of spring and the day held promise for summer migrants. On September 1 I always go to my local birdwatching spot, the Waterworks in Dynnyrne, to see if welcome swallows have arrived but by the time I reached the reserve at about noon the weather took a turn for the worst. Winds blowing from the south-west brought rain to the Waterworks Valley and snow to the summit of kunanyi/Mt Wellington. Even the migratory … [Read more...] about False start to spring

I had a rare interaction with my resident house sparrows last month when I had to beep the horn to prevent them being squashed under the wheels of my car. The sparrows use the crushed mudstone of my drive as a dust bath and never bother to move as I come and go on foot, knowing I’ll give them a little space and respect. The car, though, is a different matter and although sparrows have no doubt over the eons learned to recognise friend and foe among the human population, the … [Read more...] about Sparrows deserve our respect

A wedge-tailed eagle which posed a threat to a German schnauzer in my sister-in-law’s garden has returned with a vengeance – this time to disrupt the family’s plans to sell their home. In June I wrote that the eagle had carried off a baby wallaby from the property overlooking the Tamar north of Launceston and then eyed the schnauzer which Judith Stanton was minding while its owner, her son and his family, took a holiday. This time the swooping eagle was not looking for a … [Read more...] about The day of the eagle

The trilling, far-carrying song of the fan-tailed cuckoo announced to all in the Waterworks Valley in Dynnyrne that the spring was on the way. Snow might still be coating kunanyi/Mt Wellington on a chilly winter’s day but I knew from that morning on the march to the season of warmth and rebirth was inexorable. The cuckoo, or at least the individual leading the way, came early this year, Thursday, August 9. I keep records of such things and usually the cuckoos are not heard, … [Read more...] about Cuckoo announces spring

The annual battle against rats and mice invading gardens and homes in winter has had a tragic side-effect – birds of prey have been killed by rat poison. The damage that rodenticides are causing to our owl populations, specifically, was highlighted in an ABC news report last month but the problem has been ongoing for a number of years. When wildlife biologist Nick Mooney first raised the issue locally about a decade ago I did a quick survey of the raptors in the … [Read more...] about Death in the chicken coop