A forest raven I call Gloria, who visits my garden each day, was feeling the heat. Her beak open, she was panting under the scorching sun on one of the hottest days of summer. Birds do not have sweat glands, so the primary way of dissipating excessive heat is by panting, just like a dog. If you see a bird during the hottest part of the day, it will likely have its mouth open. It’s ridding heat from its body through the open bill. On hot days when birds are seen panting it … [Read more...] about Splash out on a birdbath to aid 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.
Gloves off when it comes to ‘sinister’ weed
As a child in Britain I used to delight in gathering the tubular flowers of foxgloves and using them as finger-puppets. The game was inspired, of course, by the plant’s curious name which still evokes the magic of the English countryside, as told in children’s classics like the Beatrix Potter stories. Did foxes really use the flowers to warm their fingers on chilly days? The childhood fantasy ignored the fact the flowers emerged in summer, decidedly not glove weather but it … [Read more...] about Gloves off when it comes to ‘sinister’ weed
Satin flycatcher arrives with a flourish
The most beautiful of bird of spring, the satin flycatcher, kept me waiting this year before I finally tracked it down. It’s the last of the summer migrants to arrive, usually from the middle of October but it eluded me at first. I searched and searched in the foothills of kunanyi/Mt Wellington where I usually hear and see them. October passed and we were well into November before I heard the familiar “churring” territorial call and the sweet, melodic song. It was far from … [Read more...] about Satin flycatcher arrives with a flourish
Native-hens on a turbo-charged attack
A tiger snake got more than it bargained for when it eyed the chicks of a pair of Tasmanian native-hens on the Lower Pipeline track in South Hobart. The parents immediately swung into action, emitting an alarm call before rushing at the snake. It had emerged from the Sandy Bay Rivulet, which runs parallel to the track, and the tiny, matt-black chicks seemed too tempting a target to resist. But approaching the chicks, it was immediately put to flight – or should I say put … [Read more...] about Native-hens on a turbo-charged attack
Elusive snipe finds home in the suburbs
I’ve looked for the elusive Latham’s snipe in wild and unforgiving places. The tarns of kunanyi/Mt Wellington usually but I’ve now discovered I might be looking in the wrong place. Instead of climbing the mountain or going further afield to button-grass plains in the state’s west I should be looking closer to home. It appears the rare Latham’s snipe is likely to turn up in the most unlikely locations, including patches of wet ground in urban areas. Vital information for the … [Read more...] about Elusive snipe finds home in the suburbs