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It might have been a hot and sunny day, but I knew immediately that winter was on the way when the harsh, metallic call of a crescent honeyeater rang out across my garden. In the same way that the welcome swallow bookmarks spring and summer between the months of September and February, the crescent honeyeater marks the beginning and end of the period when nature goes into its own form of lockdown. Although both species are migratory, plotting their course by the stars and … [Read more...] about Chilling reminder of change

The descending, joyous twitter of the silvereyes takes on a more sombre note as we go deeper into autumn. The song becomes more melancholy as these little birds switch to winter mode. The male melody of spring and summer is designed to lure females and declare territory. In autumn and then winter both the male and female silvereyes utter a different call as they strive to keep in contact with each other on the great migration they undertake from Tasmania to southern … [Read more...] about Long-haul travel with silver lining

The swift parrot has always provided a backdrop to the Bruny Island Bird Festival in the decade the event has been in existence. This is not just because the parrots have put on aerial displays over the Adventure Bay Community Hall where the festival is centred. The rapid tweets of the “swifties” has also formed a soundscape to accompany music, poetry reading and speeches in the hall itself. This year, however, the parrots will not be seen or heard. A rescheduling of the … [Read more...] about Absent ‘swifties’ may be a portent of things to come

With an anguished squawk, a white-faced heron let it be known it was not happy. It took flight on lanky wings as its feeding ground on the lower Sandy Bay Rivulet was invaded by a noisy, eager bunch of university students. The elegant bird was not to know it but the students in gumboots were taking part in an environmental initiative, to not only clear the rivulet of rubbish but to plant reeds so that fish species would have somewhere to deposit their eggs. The … [Read more...] about Tide turns for Sandy Bay Rivulet

My touchstone of the seasons is the arrival and departure of the swallows. I welcome the swallows in spring and salute their departure in autumn. It’s an act rooted in ancient folk-lore and ritual, with the Roman natural philosopher Pliny the Elder writing in the First Century AD that farmers took their cue from the swallows on when to sow and when to reap In my case, it is the first sight of the appropriately named welcome swallows in September and their departure in late … [Read more...] about The swallows’ flight tilts at the winter