The phone rang early one morning with an excited David Kernke on the line. He wanted to report that the welcome swallows had arrived back at Shene, the historic property he is restoring with his wife, Anne, at Pontville. I had heard earlier in the year that amid all the restoration work at what is considered one of the most significant homes in Tasmania, if not Australia, a family of swallows had also been left in peace to claim their own piece of heritage. The craftsmen … [Read more...] about Hard act to swallow
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.
A room with a view
My investment in a modest Bruny Island property appears to be paying dividends. The property might be small without “mod cons” but the tenants occupying it are more than happy. No sooner had they moved in to Box 10, Waterview Hill on North Bruny, they decided to start a family and already I have gone from landlord to de facto grandparent, eagerly awaiting the chance to see the offspring. The one-bedroomed shack might be small but it nestles in what an estate agent would … [Read more...] about A room with a view
Plastic a drastic issue
Fishermen for eons have used seabirds to identify fish hotspots. Although trawlermen are these days armed with hi-tech equipment to identify shoals below the ocean’s surface, out on the high seas they still look to the horizon to see how gannets and short-tailed shearwaters are performing. In shallower, more sheltered waters the recreational fishermen do the same. They usually watch for crested terns which are adept at spotting fish, before gathering to plunge into the … [Read more...] about Plastic a drastic issue
Plover lovers and haters
With the arrival of spring it’s always time for members of the unofficial Plover Appreciation Society to stand-up and be counted. You either love plovers or hate them, the hate part coming into play when particularly aggressive and belligerent members of the species choose to dive-bomb members of the public enjoying the first warm days of the season on public open spaces. The plovers – or masked lapwings to give them their proper name – are only doing what comes … [Read more...] about Plover lovers and haters
Tuned into the song of spring
THE grey fantail perched atop a silver birch was singing a joyful song to welcome the coming of spring. The rain clouds had just lifted over Hobart and now rays of late-winter sunshine rained down on the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens on the Domain. The fantail was a beautiful male in the crisp, new spring plumage. He sang a song of mellow descending notes, the song carrying further than usual. The male was putting an extra effort into the tune, no doubt to attract a … [Read more...] about Tuned into the song of spring