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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

He rises and begins to round, He drops the silver chain of sound No bird has inspired so much poetry, literature and music than the skylark, with the cuckoo close behind. The trilling of the Eurasian skylark on open downlands is cemented in English folklore, but it can also be heard here. A member of the Pandani Bushwalking Club phoned me in early May to report both the sight and sound on the bird and also to let me know that Ralph Vaughan Williams’ classic … [Read more...] about A soaring skylark hits musical high note

The robins, magpies, crows . . . the history of Queenstown is told not only by its hills scarred by acid-rain. There’s also the feathered motifs emblazoned on footy guernseys. On a misty morning this thought occurred to me when I saw a forest raven crossing the sky above the Queenstown Oval, “The Gravel” as the pitch is known. I was on a trip to the West Coat that did not involve birds. As a footy lover, it was a pilgrimage of sorts to see the legendary gravel oval and … [Read more...] about Song of Smelter Robins echoes from the past