It was a glorious day on the Tasmanian wetlands. Golden plovers – an increasingly rare sight – lolled on the saltmarsh and the piping call of pied oystercatchers was carried on a salty breeze. The calm and tranquility was only briefly broken by a passing flash-winged little falcon, or hobby, causing consternation among a flock of tiny waders, red-necked stints, and putting them to flight. On such a day, under an azure sky, you could forget there was a cloud on the … [Read more...] about Golden moment on the saltmarsh
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.
Swift parrot flying to extinction
Swift parrots come and go during the spring and summer, and you have to be as fleet of foot as they are fleet of wing to catch up with them. The usual happy hunting ground for a swift parrot fix is the blue gum forests of Bruny Island where they are common and easily seen. This year, however, the swift parrots have not shown up, preferring gums richer in nectar and pollen along the East Coast. The swift parrots are very much in the news this summer with revelations their … [Read more...] about Swift parrot flying to extinction
A language without words
The heron fixed me with a wary, if calm eye. I was so close I could see the yellow of its irises as it stood motionless on a wooden fence post at the Waterworks Reserve. A lone heron, a lone walker. A meeting of minds. The heron and I appeared to be on the same path to self-discovery. I was attuned to a glorious summer’s day, finding a little “me time” away from the family. The white-faced heron seemed to have the same idea; coolly taking in the view, the goings on all … [Read more...] about A language without words
Muttonbird makes waves in Ireland
The muttonbirds that breed in Tasmania are known for their long-distance flights linking Australia to the far-north of Asia but one bird last year decided to go global in a different direction. In June, a muttonbird was found on a beach in Ireland, making it the first of its species discovered in Europe. The Irish bird-watcher who found the muttonbird – called the short-tailed shearwater beyond our shores – could not believe what he had stumbled across at first. Initially … [Read more...] about Muttonbird makes waves in Ireland
‘Home birding’ takes off
A new term has entered the bird-watching lexicon thanks to the coronavirus pandemic – home birding. The phrase has been coined by the internationally renowned Laboratory of Ornithology at Cornwell University in the United States to describe how nature-lovers worldwide have coped with lockdown and isolation. Prevented from going in search of birds, birders have looked closer to home. But the notion of birdwatching in the garden or even from the front window is not confined … [Read more...] about ‘Home birding’ takes off