Two musk lorikeets, their iridescent green backs illuminated by the summer sun, had found what in the bird world would amount to a bouncy castle and they were squawking with delight as they put it through its paces. I had been in the process of learning the French game of petanque at Long Beach, Sandy Bay, and to the annoyance of my earnest teammates I had delayed throwing my boule, captivated by the antics of the lorikeets. The “bouncy castle” – ironically close to a real … [Read more...] about Lorikeet fun and games
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.
Penguins learn road sense
Crossing the Neck at Bruny Island one stormy night I was amazed to make out what looked like the shape of a penguin standing in the middle of the road. As the wind lashed diagonal stripes of rain across the muddy dirt strip, I struggled to keep my focus on the puddled road ahead, knowing on one side was a steep drop into the waters of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel below me. But I soon confirmed my eyes were not deceiving me. There, staring straight at me, yellow in the light … [Read more...] about Penguins learn road sense
Eagle causes a flap
A low cloud had descended across the Tamar, making a visit to the mighty river’s wetlands pointless. But every cloud has a silver lining and I was treated instead to a remarkable story with an eagle at its heart. As I sat in my sister-in-law’s home high above the Tamar Valley north of Launceston, rueing a missed opportunity to stalk the waterbirds at the Tamar Wetlands Reserve, she recounted the time a wedge-tailed eagle came to call. Normally, there’s a view of a dam … [Read more...] about Eagle causes a flap
The circus leaves town
Mother Nature has packed up her tent and moved on. The passing parade of birdlife over the spring and summer is well past and approaching the end of autumn I can only wait in anticipation of the circus’s magical return in September. At this time of year I can’t resist the metaphor of the big tent to describe all the spectacle, the antics, the comedy and the drama that has played out since early September. The avian circus has acts of all kinds including those of the flying … [Read more...] about The circus leaves town
A haven for bird life, 200 years on
It took a royal visitor to point out what we in Hobart take for granted – the majestic realm that is the Royal Tasmanian Botanic Gardens. Prince Edward was on a walk-about in the gardens as part of their 200 anniversary and when he stopped to ask a group of locals if they visited the gardens often he was surprised to hear that for one couple it was their first visit. “But the gardens are so special,” he enthused, “You must come more often.” He had a point. As a local … [Read more...] about A haven for bird life, 200 years on