An eastern rosella sat on a WWI memorial plinth, surrounded by his chattering flock who were plucking seeds from the grass of the Solders Memorial Avenue on the Queens Domain. It so just happened to be Anzac Day but I had not gone to the solders’ walk to honour the fallen in the Great War. My aim had been to observe the antics of the rosellas, birds I do not see closer to home in the Waterworks Valley. The parrot sat on the plinth honouring Segreant Frank Bennett and … [Read more...] about Chattering rosellas a link to the Anzac story
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.
‘Sad’ robin with nothing to sing about
It’s called the “sad robin” and it has reason to feel as sombre as its drab, uninspiring plumage. It may be a member of the colourful robin family but by its dull appearance you would never know it. The family name of robin evokes an image of shimmering, flaming red breasts; the sad, or dusky robin, however, comes clothed in brown-grey with not a hint of colour. And it’s also bigger and less dainty, spritely, compared with the other three Tasmanian robins, the scarlet, the … [Read more...] about ‘Sad’ robin with nothing to sing about
Gate-crashers spoil the party
When people gather for outdoor events involving food and drink anywhere near the Tasmanian coast they can expect gate-crashers to arrive at any moment – flocks of gulls looking for a hand-out of food. A group of friends gathered at the Snug Caravan Park at the end of summer were expecting to be harassed by gulls but one of my readers reporting the event says that the birds were noticeable by their absence. “Surprisingly there were no gulls present,” said the reader in his … [Read more...] about Gate-crashers spoil the party
Australia on alert for bird flu
Bird-lovers in Australia are casting anxious eyes to an outbreak of avian influenza which is decimating bird populations in the northern hemisphere and South America. The bird flu has not reached Australia yet but the convenor of Birdlife Tasmania, Eric Woehler, says it is just a matter of time before it arrives here. Dr Woehler said that the current outbreak and spread of bird flu in Eurasia was of serious concern to researchers and conservationists in the Southern … [Read more...] about Australia on alert for bird flu
Goodbye summer vistors, see you in September
The last of the migrants have slipped away. Summer friends making off without even a goodbye, a cheery shout from the treetops, see you in September. They are conspicuous by their absence. The summerbirds and satin flycatchers no longer flit among the treetops, and the welcome swallows and tree martins leave clear airspace in park glades and across the surface of the twin reservoirs at the Waterworks Reserve where I usually see them hawking insects. An eerie quiet also … [Read more...] about Goodbye summer vistors, see you in September