“They’re an integral part of the chain, they’re predators and they’re preyed upon, and they interact with plants and insects they’re part of the big web of life.”īut Carol is concerned by some observations: “I’ve noticed incredible changes and I worry about those birds that are disappearing from the area. “Most people tend to love watching them and they’re a good indicator of what’s happening to the health of the environment.
“Birds are such a noticeable part of the environment,” Carol says. Most concerning to Carol, and fellow birdwatchers, is what these changes mean for biodiversity and the reasons for the changing patterns – most likely a changing climate.
Birds have long had a significance in ancient folklore, foretelling the future and symbolising many facets of life, from birth to death, and everything in between.Īs a birding guide in the Blue Mountains from her arrival in the 1980s, Carol Probets has witnessed changes in the prevailing species – the ones that have started to dominate and others that seem to be in decline.
