Superb fairywrens have a special significance for the Knowler family because 25 years ago they skipped ahead of us as we were walking down the mudstone drive of what would ultimately become our new home. We had been house-hunting after arriving in Hobart from Queensland, and we like to think the fairywrens somehow influenced our decision to buy. As bird-lovers, what better bird to welcome us to a new neighbourhood? As a bonus, on that first inspection we also saw a scarlet … [Read more...] about Supurb fairytale could end all too soon
On The Wing
Passport to birdland
Birdland is a magical place where it’s possible to escape all the pressures and stresses of the environment of the city created and inhabited by one species – humans – and immerse yourself in a less one-dimensional world. Birdland is nowhere in particular, and does not have to be special or noteworthy. It could be in the wildest of wild forest, or in suburbia. It could be a pristine beach, a few hectares of eucalypt woodland, or a neatly manicured city park. It could be a backyard. That’s the magic of birds; they bring beauty and wonder to every corner of the planet, wild or untamed, and my On the Wing writing is their celebration.
Charles Darwin comes to town
At a time when the question of immigration – illegal or otherwise – is grabbing headlines in western countries, migrants of a different kind have flown under the radar to take up residence in Britain. The suburban and urban streets across southern England are alive with avian foreigners – rose-collared parakeets. Although parrots are not native to Britain, the skies above London especially are ringing to the whistles and shrieks of the parrakeets which historically are more … [Read more...] about Charles Darwin comes to town
Eyes on the sky for record-breaking flight
All eyes are on the skies during World Migratory Bird Day on May 9 to see if a remarkable long-distance record – a non-stop flight of 13,560 km – can be beaten. The record was set by a bar-tailed godwit which travelled from the place of its birth in Alaska to Tasmania two years ago. Although the record flight at first appeared a one-off for a species known for its unequalled powers of flight, several of the birds are still being satellite tracked to see if it can be … [Read more...] about Eyes on the sky for record-breaking flight
Art that sings reminds us of fragile future
In the parlance of my craft, journalism, young reporters are urged to make their stories “sing”. Attending the opening of bird artist Belinda Kurczok’s latest exhibition, it occurred to me that the same applied to her art. Her birds, especially a painting of playful swift parrots, are alive, full of spirit. They sing. In spring I missed the arrival of the migratory parrots because I was in Britain but earlier this month I managed to get my annual swiftie “fix” when I viewed … [Read more...] about Art that sings reminds us of fragile future
Barking up the wrong Octopus tree
It started out as a mission to win a bet and turned into a walk to remember in the wild. The bet with a birding friend centred on whether the Octopus Tree on kunanyi/Mount Wellington is a swamp gum or a gum-topped stringybark. Within a half hour or so tramping the Shoobridge Track, the identity of the tree became incidental. It was the rainforest surrounding the tree, and the birds living within its lush and fecund confines that stole the show. To answer the first question … [Read more...] about Barking up the wrong Octopus tree