My “sit spot” in the foothills of kunanyi/Mt Wellington allows me to be immersed in the world of nature, a haven and sanctuary from the pressures of life. Once I would have described this window on nature as merely a seat fashioned from a fallen blue gum. The term “sit spot”, however, now stems from a book I have been reading, Rewilding the Urban Soul by Claire Dunn. The Melbourne-based author sets out to discover the “untamed heart of the urban jungle” and succeeds in … [Read more...] about City dwellers cast into the urban wild
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.
Where the birdsong has fallen silent
As British television personality Michael Portillo went to air on SBS with his latest travel adventure in Indonesia, something was missing. The armchair bird-watcher looks and listens for birds when locations near and far are on the screen but beyond the commentary by Portillo on his Great Asia Rail Journey there was an eerie silence in the rainforest that formed his backdrop. In one corner of the world it appeared Rachel Carson’s frightening prophecy of a “silent spring” … [Read more...] about Where the birdsong has fallen silent
Pointers on the stubble quail scent
The Pointer Sisters led the way in the quest to find a rare and protected bird ¬- the stubble quail. With keen eye, ear and nose the Sisters came with all the equipment for their unique trade to locate the elusive bird hidden in a grassy, wet paddock in the wild country surrounding Bothwell. The Pointer Sisters, of course, are dogs. To be more precise they are named Tessa and Maggie, Tessa a German short-haired pointer and Maggie a Vizsla-German short-haired cross. To see … [Read more...] about Pointers on the stubble quail scent
‘Fart bird’ debate purely hot air
Trying to identify the song of the only native thrush found in Tasmania, I received a shock when I discovered the ABC had dubbed the species the “fart bird”. I took a double take: was I really reading this about the Bassian thrush? But there it was, not so much in black and white, in audio on ABC Radio Melbourne’s Afternoons with Jacinta Parsons. Jacinta was in conversation with BirdLife Australia’s Sean Dooley who was detailing ongoing research into how the Bassian thrush … [Read more...] about ‘Fart bird’ debate purely hot air
Love is in the air for regent honeyeaters
Singing lessons for a bird? It seems implausible in the wondrous world of nature but that is the prospect in store for captive-bred teenage honeyeaters looking for love. The regent honeyeater is one of Australia’s most threatened bird species and conservationists have hit a snag in their efforts to save it from extinction. They’ve discovered the captive-bred birds do not know how to sing the right love songs to attract mates. Programs to breed rare species in captivity to … [Read more...] about Love is in the air for regent honeyeaters