Cold, dank and grey, even the birdsong was muted during the winter solstice? My hands freezing, my feet like blocks of ice, on the shortest day of the year I was about to turn back home after an early-morning foray to the Waterworks Reserve when a flash of fiery red caught my attention. There on the road ahead of me, the tarmacadam still sparkling with frost, stood the tiny figure of a scarlet robin. There was a time when the sight of a robin would not have been unusual, … [Read more...] about Moggie menace takes huge toll on birds
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 spreads its wings
Swift parrots are known to undertake the longest migration of any parrot worldwide but one bird has taken marathon flight to a new level. Instead of landing at the usual destination of Victoria or southern New South Wales after a flight from Tasmania, the long-distance parrot overshot the Australian mainland altogether last month and ended up on Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. The single parrot landed on a chicken coop and its arrival was immediately brought to the … [Read more...] about Swift parrot spreads its wings
Gulls the canary in the coalmine
Birds can teach us a lot about ourselves and the world we live in. I am reminded of this fact each year when I set off on the annual count of seagulls conducted by Birdlife Tasmania. It is important to keep an eye on our silver, Pacific and kelp gulls because – along with all species of birds – they are a vital barometer of environmental health. In Tasmania’s urban areas it has been found that the silver gulls who cadge and steal food at fast-food outlets and feed on food … [Read more...] about Gulls the canary in the coalmine
Plants and birds reveal a link to China
The golden, button leaves of the rare fargus beech brighten the sombre early days of winter when chilly winds laden with sleet and snow begin to bite in Tasmania. The changing foliage of the fagus, or tanglefoot as it is also known, spur both local nature lovers and tourists at this time of year to visit the highlands where Australia’s only deciduous tree is found. This year, however, the Coronavirus pandemic put a stop to such outings. Obeying the lockdown, I was … [Read more...] about Plants and birds reveal a link to China
Hopes rise for orange-bellied parrots
For the first time in a decade more than 100 orange-bellied parrots have travelled from Tasmania’s south-west to their wintering grounds along the Victorian and South Australian coasts. But the joy of researchers and volunteers at seeing a dramatic rise in the population of the critically-endangered species has been tempered by the restrictions placed on the movement of mainland birders who are critical to monitoring the parrots during the winter months. All the same, such … [Read more...] about Hopes rise for orange-bellied parrots