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Birds matter, Ramsar matters

Ramsar sites in Victoria can be extremely dangerous places to visit given the largely unsupervised shooting activity occurring there.

Australasian Darter

We have photographed Australasian Darters before but this chance meeting in Western Victoria was a reminder of just how remarkable this bird is.

Driven to distraction: Bird life and death in Victoria

The aftermath of the 2024 duck shooting season in Victoria, broken birds and broken hearts. This is what they said.

Original sin

Human rights concerns have been front and centre during our research regarding wildlife abuse and violence in Australia. The latest duck shooting debacle in Victoria is an exemplar of that.

Why Victoria’s decision not to ban duck shooting is far worse than you might think

What we all knew, on Monday 29 January 2024 the Victorian Government announced it would not ban duck shooting in the state.

Duck shooting in South Australia and Victoria, January 2024 update

The South Australian Government’s Duck shooting inquiry fails to deliver any positive change and Victoria, after its inquiry, strides determinedly down the same path.

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo and family

A pandemonium of parrots, they surround us with their cries, so recognisable in the Australian bush. What a beautiful bird this is.

Number of ducks killed in Australia 2023

Based on a mixture of actuals and estimates based on previous years, the number of ducks likely killed in Australia's duck shooting states in 2023 was 424,000. Including the Northern Territory the number rises to 657,170.

New South Wales and duck shooting: 2023 update

In our story 'By another name' we described the culture of shooting ducks on rice fields in New South Wales. Here is an update.

Duck shooting in South Australia: November 2023 update

Duck shooting can also endanger or kill other animals who were never intended as ‘targets’. Birds may be incorrectly identified by shooters, or young birds may be abandoned by their parents who flee the sound of gunfire in fear.

Recreational Duck shooting in Tasmania

The Tasmanian State Government said it had no plans to ban recreational duck hunting.

Recreational shooting of Australian birdlife in Victoria: 2023 how many died?

Victoria’s Game Management Authority has provided its grim statistics for ‘recreational’ duck and quail shooting for 2023.

2023: Inquiry into Victoria's recreational native bird hunting arrangements

A Victorian Government parliamentary inquiry has concluded recreational native bird hunting in Victoria should end as of 2024.

Duck shooting in South Australia: 2018-19 historical note

In 2018 we made extensive trips through South Australia and up into the Northern Territory.

Holding on: Duck shooting in Victoria 2023

The Eastern Australian Waterbird Survey shows that waterbird populations, breeding and habitat availability are all showing long-term declines over the last four decades.

Ugly duckling

History matters so here for the record: 2017 Duck shooting season in Victoria, a very bad year for ducks and a year from which they have never recovered.

Birdlife and death and people suffer too

In this story we consider the harm caused to people because of the mass slaughter of wildlife.

By another name: Duck shooting in NSW

In New South Wales waterbirds are shot in large numbers on private land.

Last gasp: Birdlife and death in Australia

We reflect on the duck shooting season of 2020, following the most catastrophic bush fires ever experienced.

The nature of Australia

Here is some history regarding the 2018 Duck shooting season in Victoria.

Dead duck

We travel south in the darkness through the tortured and forlorn landscapes of the region.

Spectacled Flying-fox

Our first encounter with Flying Foxes in the Pacific, and after a long bike ride across the island, was on Tongatapu, the main island in the Kingdom of Tonga.

Weights and measures

We go back to 2018 and weigh up some politicians.

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary

While in Kumarakom we wanted to visit the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, the land of the Night Herons.

Grey-headed Flying-fox

On Christmas Day 2019 we visited a ‘camp’ of Grey-headed Flying-foxes in Melbourne.

Pacific Black Duck

We tell this story through the images of one bird, the Pacific Black Duck. A grumpy bird it might be, but that does not justify its treatment.

Rose-breasted Cockatoo and others

The Rose-breasted Cockatoo or Galah is a very clever bird indeed. Given the right circumstances it has a lifespan of 40 to 70 years and pairs for life.

Coorong

I remember the Coorong from long ago, then it seemed wilder somehow than it does today.

Bush Stone-curlew

What is happening to Bush Stone-curlews in North Queensland is deeply distressing to observe.

Kookaburra

Laughing Kookaburras are the iconic bird species of the Australian bush because of their distinctive call.

White-winged Chough

The White-winged Chough is a bird that has been equipped with the skill of near silent flight, flapping and gliding just above forest floor.

Anecdotes for birds

A series of short anecdotes about birdlife.

Australian Pelican

On an image gathering trip in the South East of Australia we find ourselves sitting among a pod of Pelicans at the mouth of the Snowy River.

Rainbow Lorikeet

Rainbow Lorikeets pair for long periods, all being well, that means for life.

Tawny Frogmouth

Here are our family of city dwellers, this year, as for each and every year, there are two young birds.

Birds tumble from the sky

Dead and dying birds tumble from the sky, gun violence, brave rescuers among the carnage.

Birds matter, Ramsar matters

Ramsar sites in Victoria can be extremely dangerous places to visit given the largely unsupervised shooting activity occurring there.

Australasian Darter

We have photographed Australasian Darters before but this chance meeting in Western Victoria was a reminder of just how remarkable this bird is.

Driven to distraction: Bird life and death in Victoria

The aftermath of the 2024 duck shooting season in Victoria, broken birds and broken hearts. This is what they said.

Original sin

Human rights concerns have been front and centre during our research regarding wildlife abuse and violence in Australia. The latest duck shooting debacle in Victoria is an exemplar of that.

Why Victoria’s decision not to ban duck shooting is far worse than you might think

What we all knew, on Monday 29 January 2024 the Victorian Government announced it would not ban duck shooting in the state.

Duck shooting in South Australia and Victoria, January 2024 update

The South Australian Government’s Duck shooting inquiry fails to deliver any positive change and Victoria, after its inquiry, strides determinedly down the same path.

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo and family

A pandemonium of parrots, they surround us with their cries, so recognisable in the Australian bush. What a beautiful bird this is.

Number of ducks killed in Australia 2023

Based on a mixture of actuals and estimates based on previous years, the number of ducks likely killed in Australia's duck shooting states in 2023 was 424,000. Including the Northern Territory the number rises to 657,170.

New South Wales and duck shooting: 2023 update

In our story 'By another name' we described the culture of shooting ducks on rice fields in New South Wales. Here is an update.

Duck shooting in South Australia: November 2023 update

Duck shooting can also endanger or kill other animals who were never intended as ‘targets’. Birds may be incorrectly identified by shooters, or young birds may be abandoned by their parents who flee the sound of gunfire in fear.

Recreational Duck shooting in Tasmania

The Tasmanian State Government said it had no plans to ban recreational duck hunting.

Recreational shooting of Australian birdlife in Victoria: 2023 how many died?

Victoria’s Game Management Authority has provided its grim statistics for ‘recreational’ duck and quail shooting for 2023.

2023: Inquiry into Victoria's recreational native bird hunting arrangements

A Victorian Government parliamentary inquiry has concluded recreational native bird hunting in Victoria should end as of 2024.

Duck shooting in South Australia: 2018-19 historical note

In 2018 we made extensive trips through South Australia and up into the Northern Territory.

Holding on: Duck shooting in Victoria 2023

The Eastern Australian Waterbird Survey shows that waterbird populations, breeding and habitat availability are all showing long-term declines over the last four decades.

Ugly duckling

History matters so here for the record: 2017 Duck shooting season in Victoria, a very bad year for ducks and a year from which they have never recovered.

Birdlife and death and people suffer too

In this story we consider the harm caused to people because of the mass slaughter of wildlife.

By another name: Duck shooting in NSW

In New South Wales waterbirds are shot in large numbers on private land.

Last gasp: Birdlife and death in Australia

We reflect on the duck shooting season of 2020, following the most catastrophic bush fires ever experienced.

The nature of Australia

Here is some history regarding the 2018 Duck shooting season in Victoria.

Dead duck

We travel south in the darkness through the tortured and forlorn landscapes of the region.

Spectacled Flying-fox

Our first encounter with Flying Foxes in the Pacific, and after a long bike ride across the island, was on Tongatapu, the main island in the Kingdom of Tonga.

Weights and measures

We go back to 2018 and weigh up some politicians.

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary

While in Kumarakom we wanted to visit the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, the land of the Night Herons.

Grey-headed Flying-fox

On Christmas Day 2019 we visited a ‘camp’ of Grey-headed Flying-foxes in Melbourne.

Pacific Black Duck

We tell this story through the images of one bird, the Pacific Black Duck. A grumpy bird it might be, but that does not justify its treatment.

Rose-breasted Cockatoo and others

The Rose-breasted Cockatoo or Galah is a very clever bird indeed. Given the right circumstances it has a lifespan of 40 to 70 years and pairs for life.

Coorong

I remember the Coorong from long ago, then it seemed wilder somehow than it does today.

Bush Stone-curlew

What is happening to Bush Stone-curlews in North Queensland is deeply distressing to observe.

Kookaburra

Laughing Kookaburras are the iconic bird species of the Australian bush because of their distinctive call.

White-winged Chough

The White-winged Chough is a bird that has been equipped with the skill of near silent flight, flapping and gliding just above forest floor.

Anecdotes for birds

A series of short anecdotes about birdlife.

Australian Pelican

On an image gathering trip in the South East of Australia we find ourselves sitting among a pod of Pelicans at the mouth of the Snowy River.

Rainbow Lorikeet

Rainbow Lorikeets pair for long periods, all being well, that means for life.

Tawny Frogmouth

Here are our family of city dwellers, this year, as for each and every year, there are two young birds.

Birds tumble from the sky

Dead and dying birds tumble from the sky, gun violence, brave rescuers among the carnage.