A pied oystercatcher probing the neatly manicured lawn on the Queens Domain at the entrance to Hobart was a fitting symbol for the city’s wildlife wonders on a glorious winter’s day. Untroubled by the passing traffic, the beautiful bird dressed in black and white plumage, and carrying an impossibly long red beak, went about its business against the snowy backdrop of Mt Wellington. As I watched the bird from across the road, standing in the car park of the Hobart Aquatic … [Read more...] about Symbols of the city
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.
Spring arrivals herald summer
The sound of spring echoed through the Waterworks Valley in mid-August, even though winter was refusing to loosen its grip and there was snow on Mt Wellington. On a rare sunny day amid frost and snow, I heard the call of the striated pardalote, the first of the summer migrants to arrive in the suburbs. The swallow might herald spring in other parts of the world, but traditionally in Hobart the pardalote announces the end of winter with its resonant three-note call. Out in … [Read more...] about Spring arrivals herald summer
Birds come in from the cold
I DIDN’T need the weatherman on ABC television to tell me that a cold snap was on the way which would dump snow on the streets of Hobart. The black cockies were coming down from Mt Wellington about four days before the rare snow event at the start of this month. It was in fact the same day as weatherman Simon McCullock’s prediction that snow was arriving in coming days. According to southern Tasmanian folklore, the sight of yellow-tailed black cockatoos arriving in the … [Read more...] about Birds come in from the cold
‘Killer seagulls’ hog the headlines
When it has come to headline-grabbing news this northern summer in Europe, forget the war on terror, the war on illegal immigrants, the Greek financial crisis. Britain has been at war with its seagulls. The “killer seagulls”, to quote no less an authority than The Times of London, have become such a threat to national security that the Prime Minister himself has had to intervene. Like the gulls themselves, the national media appears to be in a frenzy. Along with The … [Read more...] about ‘Killer seagulls’ hog the headlines
Scenic route reaches to new heights
The Tall Trees Drive winds its way along the south-eastern coast of Tasmania weaving and climbing through some of the most spectacular scenery in the state. The road may not be officially named and marked as such on the map – well at least as a major highway of note – but all the same it represents a must-see, and feel, tourist experience. Although the road has been promoted in the past as the Wielangta Forest Drive, it largely remains a hidden treasure and is known only to … [Read more...] about Scenic route reaches to new heights