Word spread through the birding community at the end of October that the beautiful satin flycatcher had arrived, the last piece of the summer migratory jigsaw. Noted bird photographer Alan Fletcher tipped me off, sending me two pictures he had taken of male satin flycatchers in previous days. I hadn’t seen the species myself, or even heard their unusual metallic call, and immediately I set off in pursuit, to a location at the Waterworks Reserve where I had seen the migrants … [Read more...] about Last piece of the summer jigsaw in place
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.
Punk bird on the march
The “punk bird” is on the march across Australia and it is not improbable that some day it might bring its anarchy to Tasmania. You have to see the “punk bird” and been witness to the punk revolution in Britain in the 1980s to realise how apt the description of the species is. This is a bird with a cocky waddle, with wings that whistle when it flies at high speed and a spiky hair-do. We are talking here of the crested pigeon which in the past half century, and particularly … [Read more...] about Punk bird on the march
In search of Errol Flynn
A white-faced heron hunted galaxias in the Sandy Bay Rivulet, at the point where it crosses Errol Flynn Beach and merges with the Derwent River. Jollytails, spotted mountain and climbing galaxias …. the heron was having a field day but I was less interested on this spring day in the natural history of the rivulet than its place in man’s modern, and ancient, history. Errol Flynn Beach is dominated by a large artwork proclaiming “1909”, the year the Tasmanian destined to … [Read more...] about In search of Errol Flynn
Pollution message of hope
An albatross called Aria carries on her wings a powerful message about the devastating effect pollution is having on our oceans. Aria’s odyssey brings her into contact with sea creatures having trouble with trash: there’s a seal being strangled by a cord; a whale hopelessly tangled in a discarded fishing net and a sea turtle choking on a plastic bag that it thought was a jellyfish. The tale of Aria – told in a children’s book called Garbage Guts – is fictitious of course … [Read more...] about Pollution message of hope
Curlews bring sadness on their wings
The sight of 22 eastern curlew – the biggest of all the birds termed waders – on the Pittwater mudflats carried with it a tinge of sadness. As I watched these dramatic birds, notable for their long down-curved bills, probing for marine worms and molluscs the thought occurred to me that it might be the last time I’d see this species in such great numbers in Tasmania. It might even be the last time I saw an eastern curlew. Numbers of the curlew have been in freefall in recent … [Read more...] about Curlews bring sadness on their wings