December 2021 marks a tragic anniversary in the bird world. A century ago nature-lovers were given hope that one of the most beautiful birds known to Australia was flying free and had not succumbed to extinction as had been feared. Although the paradise parrot had vanished from view about 20 years previously, a birdwatcher reported in December 1921 seeing a pair of the birds in cattle country inland of the south-eastern Queensland coast. What’s more, Cyril Jerrard followed … [Read more...] about A fatal gift of beauty
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 special place in our hearts
Eleven of the 12 Tasmanian birds found nowhere else on earth can be spotted with ease at the Waterworks Reserve just a few kilometres from the Hobart CBD. It was an interesting talking point when I was asked to discuss the avian treasures of the reserve on the ABC Radio Drive program recently. The birds, though, were not the only focus. The presenter of the program, Kylie Baxter, also invited listeners to describe why the reserve in general was important to them. Kylie was … [Read more...] about A special place in our hearts
Winds of change embrace the white goshawk
High in the sky, a white goshawk battled wild winds and the attention of an angry kelp gull. Flying against the backdrop of a snowy kunanyi/ Mt Wellington, the all-white goshawk might have believed the peak offered it camouflage as it patrolled the airways. But the raptor was mistaken. Its fluttering wings revealed its menacing presence to watching eyes Ironically, the mountain should have been free of snow in the last few weeks of spring but an unseasonal blizzard brought … [Read more...] about Winds of change embrace the white goshawk
Godwit clocks up the air miles
The godwits that arrive in Tasmania and New Zealand each summer are known for their epic flights that span the far north and south of the globe. One plucky godwit, however, has stretched the limits of endurance by finally arriving in New Zealand after being forced to make a dramatic U-turn back to Alaska after 33 hours of non-stop flight. All was going well for the male bar-tailed godwit after he took off from tidal flats in Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim delta on 11 September. … [Read more...] about Godwit clocks up the air miles
Starlings no match for ‘bully boy’ miners
The “bully boys” of the bird world, noisy miners, were muscling up one afternoon when a flock of starlings strayed onto their patch outside the Hobart Aquatic Centre on the Domain. The starlings didn’t stand a chance when they arrived to hunt insects in the mown grass surrounding the pool complex. They were soon sent on their way. Noisy miners are often mistaken for an introduced species with a similar name, the Indian myna found in mainland cities. The noisy miners are … [Read more...] about Starlings no match for ‘bully boy’ miners