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Winter can be a dangerous time for birds and this is not just because of the cold weather and a shortage of food. A growing, sinister threat also lurks in the form of rodenticides which are sometimes liberally laid in and around properties in the winter months to keep rats and mice at bay. As I’ve learned in my own house with rats chewing electricity cables, the warmth of the human home can prove an attraction for rodents. But efforts to control rodents with poisons can be … [Read more...] about Winter poses growing poison threat to birds

A friend in Britain who had just watched a film featuring a British coastal walk, The Salt Path, urged me to see it. He said in his email the hit movie had stunning shots of ospreys. Without sounding like a know-it-all, I had watched the film myself at the State Cinema and was in a position to correct him. The bird, in fact, was a peregrine falcon. But all the same, a bird of prey symbolised freedom and escape for a couple featured in the movie who were on the coastal walk … [Read more...] about Spoof ‘Santa Cardinal’ flies high on AI

Tapping on the window, fluttering against its panes, a tiny brown bird was making a nuisance of itself when I had work to do at the keyboard in my study. Just a sparrow I’m thinking, common around my home. I pulled the curtains shut so it could not see its reflection, a common cause of birds attacking windows. The reflection is seen as a “rival” on their territory. I went back to my writing. The disturbance continued. Looking again, I could see it was not a sparrow at all. … [Read more...] about Tickled pink by a robin in the garden

Writing this column I combine two passions – a love of birds and words. Ink and feathers. Now I’ve met an artist who uses the printed word for a different purpose. Craig Williams frames his paintings of birds with the pages of books, magazines and newspapers. I discovered Craig’s remarkable art when he was invited to talk at the May meeting of Birdlife Tasmania. Not just a talk, a power-point presentation showcased the best of his work. In Craig’s art, vintage book pages … [Read more...] about Ink and feathers in the frame

The swamp harriers had delayed their migration to the mainland, or so it appeared. There they were, a small flock gliding and hovering above a pick-your-own-fruit nursery on the road to Richmond. Just a glimpse at first, before I pulled over. All the same there was something odd about this harrier flight. Not just the timing, but the fact the harriers which should have headed north were in a flock, when harriers are usually seen flying solo or in pairs. All was soon … [Read more...] about Farm takes scarecrow idea to new heights