Dr Ann Jones shines a light on WA’s urban birds for new ABC nature series
They’re everywhere, cawing at us from trees, chirping noisily at sunset, occasionally even swooping us if we get too close.
In fact, WA’s urban birdlife is so ubiquitous it can be tempting to dismiss our cacophonous neighbours as nothing more than distant housemates; things we share our home with but give scant attention to.
But one ABC presenter and podcaster, Dr Ann Jones, is determined to give Australia’s urban birdlife the attention it deserves — and this time she’s got WA in her sights.
Last year the award-winning presenter headed to Perth to film the latest in her series The Secret Lives of Our Urban Birds, looking at everything from the splendid fairy wren to the good old black swan, our stunning and endangered black cockatoos and the most majestic of all, the wedge-tailed eagle.
Jones headed out with local ornithologist Simon Cherriman to a spot 30km east of Perth, where she helped the scientist tag and inspect a seven-week-old egret — an experience she won’t forget in a hurry.
“Wedge-tailed eagles are intimidating, so I was on my best behaviour!” says Jones, who is speaking to Play from her home in the Eastern States.
“It was quite moving seeing such a young bird up so incredibly close; to see its wedge-tail, to be able to see the tiny detailed feathers around its eyes.
“I live in Victoria, and for the traditional owners here (the Wadawurrung), Bunjil is a creator spirit, so I was literally shaking when I held that bird.
“I was scared of it, scared I was going to hurt it, and I was overwhelmed to be in the presence of a bird whose mythology goes back literally tens of thousands of years.”
Thankfully the chick was fine, tagged, measured and popped back into its nest under Cherriman’s watchful and experienced eye.
It was just one of several up-close encounters Jones had while visiting our shores.
“I studied at WAAPA a billion years ago, so I knew that Perth had some absolutely ripper birds,” says the presenter, who holds a PhD in history, and is the host of several successful ABC podcasts and programs.
“And I also knew that the arid areas through the middle of Australia acted like a sort of barrier to gene-swapping for birds.
“So, the birds found in the west versus the east can be very different — lots of species and calls and behaviours that are ‘normal’ for Perth birds are completely different on the east coast.
“That made the prospect of a visit pretty exciting, really — and I was forever pointing out the calls of the western gerygone to the crew — amazing!
“I don’t get to hear that at home!”
Jones spent time with various bird experts, checking in with scientists trying to save some of our at-risk species; she also visits a rescue centre for injured cockatoos.
But it was her experiences with a group of like-minded bird-fanciers at a local Perth primary school that left the most lasting impression.
“The highlight was probably meeting with school teacher Zoe Crane — she actually got in touch with me via Instagram about her class of kiddos who were obsessed with birds,” Jones explains.
The series sees Jones pay a visit to the school, and join the kids while they take part in last year’s Aussie Bird Count.
She says she was thrilled to see how much passion they had for the urban birds living in and around their area. “Getting to go bird -watching with so many enthusiastic new friends was a super big highlight,” says Jones, who’s excited her new series may inspire more of us to look up, take note and go into bat for our feathered friends.
“I want to connect people to birds, and more broadly to the nature that is around them,” she says.
“Seeing the wonders of the natural world isn’t something you have to drop everything and go to Kakadu for — you can see these things, literally, where you live.
“Getting to know the birds that live in your neighbourhood means you will never be without friends.”
The Secret Lives of Our Urban Birds: Perth starts on August 13 at 8.30pm on ABC.
Source link
#Ann #Jones #shines #light #urban #birds #ABC #nature #series