Australia’s Mound Builders

In the avian world, the term ‘big foot’ bears no relation whatsoever to the mythical sasquatch of the Pacific northwest, but rather refers to the Megapodiidae (mega = big; pod = foot), an ...

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos

HAPPY EARTH DAY! Brilliant sun pours down onto Nova Scotia, melting the last of the snow, warming the soil, and awakening tulips and daffodils. The lawn is greening and growing before my eyes, its pho...

Honeyeaters

With less than a week remaining before the vernal equinox, a late winter storm has again wreaked havoc in Nova Scotia, dumping freezing rain, ice pellets and snow during the past two days, rendering r...

Australian Bowerbird Artistry

During our year in Australia, Vilis and I observed three species of bowerbirds, the males of which build and decorate courtship bowers and arrange display courts to attract potential mates. In Townsvi...