In the world of birds, lazy bird-watchers describe small and nondescript birds that are hard to identify as LBBs, or little bird birds. I was surprised to learn recently that in the mysterious and arcane world of mycology, fungi fanatics have their own term for similarly coloured, sized and hard to identify species – LBMs or little brown mushrooms. The term in fact does not relate to a range of species but to just one group or genus, Tubaria. This contains one of … [Read more...] about The beating heart of the forest
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.
Gulls enjoy the good life
THE hot-chip brigade – the gulls that try to steal our fast food on the waterfront – might be viewed as a nuisance but they are a vital indicator of the heath of the human environment. They are certainly not “rats with wings”, to use a pejorative description used by some members of the community who are not gull fans. Such is the regard that birders give gulls that a dedicated team of Birdlife Tasmania members each year conducts a survey of gull numbers far and wide to … [Read more...] about Gulls enjoy the good life
Rosellas join the winter feast
I camped out on the Domain at dusk last month to witness the amazing Dark Mofo light show spreading across the city – only to find the birds putting on a winter spectacle of their own. Birds were definitely not on the agenda after I lingered outside the Aquatic Centre after a keep-fit swim to see the Articulated Intersect art installation from a vantage point high above the city. I was a little early, and with time to kill I watched the sun set behind Mt Wellington, the dark … [Read more...] about Rosellas join the winter feast
Looks aren’t everything
In a fast-paced, fast-changing world there is something wonderfully reassuring about the predictability of birds and their place in the environment. ``All’s well with the world,” I always mutter to myself when I find the superb fairy-wren, the new holland honeyeater or green rosella where I expect them to be. With a little time on my hands at Lake Barrington in the north-west earlier this year I decided to take a stroll to an area of dry woodland on the lake’s shores where … [Read more...] about Looks aren’t everything
A little friend in need
The tiny marsupial blinked through pin-prick, shining eyes. I was blocking his path as he tried to scurry into the undergrowth on Mt Wellington. Sharing a track with a dusky antechinus half-way up the mountain, we had both been caught out by a sudden change in the weather that brought a blizzard swirling around the peaks to the south. I did not have a winter coat, or a hat but my problems paled into insignificance when I considered those of the antechinus. A brown falcon … [Read more...] about A little friend in need