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, s.