The sparrows of Salamanca Square have met their match – an eagle-eyed magpie who stands guard at the electric doors of Banjo’s. Over the years I have enjoyed the antics of the cheeky and smart sparrows who always seem to find their way into the bakery despite the efforts of staff to keep them out on the pavement. ‘The sparrows have enjoyed rich pickings of pastry and crumbs inside Banjo’s, timing their assault at the precise moment customers trigger the sliding doors. But … [Read more...] about Magpie ‘minder’ keeps sparrows at bay
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.
Resolution consigned to history
It did not take long for me to break the first of my New Year resolutions. I visited the Waterworks Reserve after vowing in late December I’d give my favourite birding location a break. The promise was prompted by a reader who complained that I invariably write about the birds of the reserve and I ignore other locations, particularly the dry and sandy eastern shore where the bird life differs from the wet forests of the Waterworks Valley. The point was taken but I could not … [Read more...] about Resolution consigned to history
Something to crow about during pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has been the “corvid” one for me, presenting an opportunity to study Australian crows beyond the single species than occurs in Tasmania. Crows and ravens appear to have been a constant backdrop of lockdown and self-isolation. Some may see crows as portents of doom as portrayed in ancient folklore, omens of evil. For me they have been a pleasant distraction, taking my mind off the reality of life disrupted on and off by the disease. Life with COVID, … [Read more...] about Something to crow about during pandemic
Home or away, emu’s top of pecking order
At the start of a new year, I always look back at the past 12 months do a tally of what bird stories have dominated the headlines across the world. Without doubt, 2022 was the year of the emu. Two stories stand out, but then again emus also made the news in 2021 when a mob of the birds were banned from an outback pub. Star bird on my latest list goes to an emu that struts its stuff not in Australia but in the United States. The pet emu named Emmanuel Todd Lopez has become … [Read more...] about Home or away, emu’s top of pecking order
Birds fly high on the school curriculum
“You’ve got to get them young,” Linley Grant said as she spread out the paraphernalia of birdwatching on a desk at Campbell Street Primary School. There were feathers and old nests, binoculars, identification charts and brightly coloured maps showing bird migration routes. There were cards to be handed out displaying Tasmania’s 12 bird species found nowhere else on earth and to top it all, a stuffed masked owl and wedge-tailed eagle, the latter towering over the children … [Read more...] about Birds fly high on the school curriculum