BirdForum

Each time I see a ladybird I recall Clock a clay
A poem in a school book years ago and far away
Written about the spotted beetle by the great poet John Clare
A gem amongst Nature poetry that to the best compare.

The spotted ladybird beetles help gardeners in no small way
On insects that destroy fruit and vegetables they have been known to prey
They live on aphids, mites, scales and mealy bugs and keep the gardens pest free
And blossoming fruit...

Francis Duggan

Last Wednesday I headed back out to check on the Wallcreeper nest. This time I was a little bit more prepared. I had a full HD videoscoping setup (Swaro ATM80HD, 25-50xWide eyepiece, UCA digiscoping adapter, Pana SD100 HD camcorder) and a digiscoping rig (Swaro STM80HD, TLS800 digiscoping adapter, Canon EOS 350D). So I lugged all this stuff up the gorge with me, along with a local university student (Silvia Pramstaller) who is also very keen on birds.

...continue reading (and see

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Dale Forbes

The bullfinch he is faithful he only has one wife
He pairs with her and he stays with her till the end of his life
A handsome looking fellow of dark, white, pink and blue
He doesn't cheat on his partner and to her he remains true.

Though not the finest songster his voice one can't mistake
A sort of a wheezy whistle on hedgerow at daybreak
He sings in Spring and Summer but never in Winter or Fall
But his plainer looking wife is songless she...

Francis Duggan

On a wattle in the scrubby paddock a grey shrike thrush whistles and sings
Champion songster of the quiet places with the sunshine on his brown wings
Though out of his breeding season and though the Spring seems far away
From tree to tree he flies and whistles in the bright sunshine of day.

His song cannot be mistaken once heard you know him again
And why most of the fine feathered songsters for to look at do seem rather plain
Is somehow beyond me...

Francis Duggan

In the backyard upon a wattle tree
A brown bird with gray under throat I see
An Olive Whistler whistling loud and clear
His distinctive song so beautiful to hear.

The olive whistlers are considered to be rare
And not seen often and not everywhere
But there is such beauty in their flute like song
And I could listen to them all day long.

They search for insects on trees and on ground
And to uncover their food they scatter...

Francis Duggan