I heard it first before its giant shadow fell across me. Not the whoosh of wings you’d think an eagle would make, as it strikes for the kill, dagger talons outstretched. This was more a rustle of feathers, like the whisper of a gentle breeze brushing the grass of a paddock, or the canopy of the rainforest. With slow, deliberate flaps of its wings, the eagle bent its head to observe my every move, not more than 10 metres above me. Its eyes were firmly fixed on mine. I felt … [Read more...] about Wings from the past
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Emotion and the orange-bellied parrot
Dawn breaks over Bathurst Harbour as if it’s being sketched in charcoal by the hand of an artist. Distant mountains etched in fine strokes from a sharpened pencil, smudged here and there to portray mist. Hills between mountain and shore in darker shades and rainforest hugging the waters’ edge drawn vertically in a rougher, heavier hand. It’s barely light as I lie in my bunk bed with a view over the stern of the luxury tourist vessel, the Odalisque, moored in a sheltered spot … [Read more...] about Emotion and the orange-bellied parrot
Cuckoo reluctant to leave
The far-carrying, trilling call of a fan-tailed cuckoo rang out across the Waterworks Valley. It’s a constant refrain in the summer months but this was at the start of winter. Was it a fan-tail choosing to make an ultra-late departure for its wintering grounds on the mainland or one choosing to take its chances and brave the Tasmanian winter. Certainly a cold snap earlier in the month of May had given the cuckoo every incentive to leave. It’s not the first time I have … [Read more...] about Cuckoo reluctant to leave
Students tackle lorikeet menace
A group of students from Hobart College certainly demonstrated they were out to make a difference at a World Environment Day event earlier this month. Their “A Fair Go for Swifties” presentation attracted a big crowd at the Hobart Sustainability Learning Centre, during which the students laid out plans for not only monitoring populations of the critically-endangered swift parrot but an invasive bird species, the rainbow lorikeet More than 80 students at the college have … [Read more...] about Students tackle lorikeet menace
Birds unite people across the globe
No two places have the same birds and that, partly, is the magic of birdwatching. Travel short distances and the birds change, as do the people who watch and study them. Birds are not merely inspiring creatures, filling us with wonder and awe as we observe them in our gardens or contemplate their remarkable trans-continental journeys. Their global presence gives birds the power to unite people across the globe in appreciation of their beauty. They bring birders together … [Read more...] about Birds unite people across the globe