Meet the Australian Water Lizard. They like to climb trees and drop down on rivers and lakes to hunt. They can remain submerged for up to 90 minutes. Males can reach up to 3 feet in length.
“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore….”
How adorable is this Noisy Miner chick?
Masked Lapwings are one of the reasons I so love birds.
Who else but a bird could have a face like this?
There is the Australian White Ibis,
the gregarious Australian Magpie,
always assertive Silver Gull,
and shy and lovely Australian Wood Duck.
We are on the move now, exploring new places, so please excuse me when I am less present than I wish I could be.
Cheers to you from magical Oz~
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So much beauty — and variety — in our world. I’ve often thought God must have such great fun creating all these colors and species! And Cindy, thank you for bringing them up close so we can all enjoy them.
I’m packing my bags and heading your way, just as soon as the barbie cools to coals…
“The Lizard of Oz” – ha ha ha! These birds make me smile! 🙂
❤️carmen
Your comment made me smile <3
Wow! What a collection of fascinating creatures, beautifully captured by you. I love them all.
I love you for loving them <3
Anytime you are present is a very good time, Cindy. These birds are stunning, and you capture far more than feathers. Thank you!
It is people like you that make blogging the rewarding experience that it is. Thank you Jennie & be well my friend <3
That is so nice, Cindy. Thank you, my friend. 😍
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What a gorgeous gluttony of bird pics! I adore this, Cindy.
You should have seen today. Day 3 Oz. I made personal friends with a kookaburra. He followed me all over the Botanical Gardens. He is hands down the cutest and calmest bird I have ever seen. This is only day 3 and I haven’t even left Sydney. Why don’t I live here. This is bird centrale.
What fun! Do you see anything of the fires?
Not yet. We head closer the day after tomorrow.
I have never seen a masked lapwing before – I just love the yellow! Are some of these animals what they call “invasive species”?
We need an Australian to weigh in here as I am not an expert on Australian birds. I think these are all native Ozzie birds. They are all in my very heavy Australian Bird book that I am toting along with me, and I am glad I am because I am using it multiple times a day. I cannot believe the sightings today and it is only day 3 in Oz and I haven’t even left Sydney.
From what I understand the Miner bird above is a natural but there is an introduced Indian Myna bird that is very similar but is a dark brown where the above bird is grey. It is causing untold damage pushing out native birds from their habitats etc. All the rest are native. Wait till you get among the parrots Cindy. Or there are many Australian animals at Taronga Zoo across the harbour by ferry or drive over the ‘coathanger’ bridge to the north side to see it 😀 ❤️ 🙏🏽 🦋 🦘 🐬 🐳 🌺
I am so eager to see all the parrots. I spent yesterday, almost all day, with a Kookaburra who followed me from place to place in the Botanical Gardens. I fell in love and now think kookaburras are the cutest bird I have ever seen with personalities to match. I really should live here. I would be so happy living among such amazing birds. <3
Ah, I didn’t realise that you were on a different continent!! lol!!
I need to use my Australian bird book just to identify many of these amazing exotic birds! I spent all day yesterday with a very friendly kookaburra. Heaven!
Yes, from what I hear Australia is jammed packed with beautiful wildlife and your beautiful photos certainly support that.
All true!
Im-peck-able shots as always, my dear friend! ❤◦°˚\(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦❤
Thanks sweetie (｡♥‿♥｡)
Beeeeuteeeful birds…and I love the lizard of oz!
He was a very friendly chap! Cheers to you Dor <3
Gorgeous photos Cindy. I really like the lizard who can stay underwater for an hour! Happy travels…
He can, but he is obviously a magical dragon.
Indeed. 🙂
<3
Love the lizard. Australia has such a variety of them. Birds are awesome in Australia too. Flocks of wild cockatoos, colorful lorikeets, and pink galahs just to name a few. My daughter who lives there says they call the ibis bin chickens so they must like getting into the garbage.
I envy your daughter living here and you because you get to visit her!
🎵We’re off to see the lizard, the wonderful lizard of Oz…🎵
Laughing……
Wonderful pictures, the masked Lapwing wow. xxx
So happy you enjoyed & yes indeed, the lapwing is a most unusual birdie!
Wonderful shots as always, Cindy!
Very kind & much appreciated!
The Noisy Miner chick won my heart, Cindy, and made me smile. I am always amazed at how well you capture and humanize the expressions of birds! –Curt
Awwww, so appreciated Curt <3
Amazing capture Cindy.❤
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Your photography takes my breath away. Wow, what magnificent creatures these are!
Honored. Thank you very much!
#3 – such an excellent bird, such a great shot of it. Oh, and a post title after my own heart, Cindy
Smiling. Thanks so much & cheers!
You capture such emotion with your lens…Every photo is an interaction that leaves me feeling great. As for that Water Lizard,,,he is one proud dude, and rightfully so.
He does has that ‘lizard king’ vibe doesn’t he!
I would not want to come face to face with that lizard. The pictures are great as usual.
He was actually kinda shy & friendly…… 🙂
I will take your word for it. 🙂❤
Trust yourself <3 Love to you.
Beautiful shots you got here.
You are a good person. Thank you.
Thank you for the kind words Cindy. You are most welcome.
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Lovely picture
Thank you.
Great to see your enjoying your visit to our beautiful yet diverse country Cindy, agree that our Kookaburra is quite an unusual bird.
They are awesome and I am seeing them daily now and loving every second in their company.
Cindy, these are lovely photographs!
Grazie mille Charles!
Wonderful creatures. I think my favorite–for the name alone–is the noisy miner.
I love miners and myna birds. When I was a child there one that could talk up a storm in our local pet store.
I love the title of your post, but more than that, I love that Noisy Miner chick. I’d never seen (or heard of) them before, so I’ve just spent some happy moments on YouTube watching videos of them. I can see (hear) why they’re called Noisy Miners! But what cute birds. 🙂
I used to follow your blog from an older one of mine (I forget which, I’ve had many) and now I’m back again. Off I go to click the Follow button.
Welcome back!!! Lovely to hear from you and happy you enjoyed the miner. They are adorable and humorous birds <3
Thank you!
♡´･ᴗ･`♡
Remarkable gallery, Cindy! The Magpie is really, really cool!
And there are all these different kinds of magpies, including a dainty one, called a lark magpie, and a more raven looking one. I am surprised to see that all the corvids yield to the parrots, even when they outnumber them.
What great birds! I recognize some of them!
Aren’t they impressive creatures! Happy you recognize some. I have my ponderous Australian Bird Guide to help me out with the tougher ones!
We stayed at a rented house outside of Brisbane. I’ll never forget waking up at 5 am and just listening to those exotic bird calls.
The Masked Lapwings are certainly beautiful and unusual-looking Cindy, but so are all the other birds here. The Wizard of Oz line is extra apt for that 🙂
All I need are some ruby slippers….. ( ˊᵕˋ )♡
What a great title to go w/mr lizard, Cindy! Fun pics! 😊
Happy you enjoyed & cheers for the weekend Felipe!
You too, Cindy! All I thought it was Saturday ‘cause we had the youngest grandchild over last night, but the weekend is still to come, yay! Thanks, Cindy – still smiling every time I see Lizard of Oz 😊
Your comments make me smile ♡´･ᴗ･`♡
☺️
I will probably never travel to Australia; so I am savoring these beautiful photographic glimpses via your eyes/lens/heart. Who knew that a lizard could stay underwater for that long! And the feathers + coloring on the birds you have photographed are awe-inspiring…
You are a kind friend. Thank you. I so many amazing creatures including an egg laying mammal called an echidna and huge fruit bats hanging on trees upside down. They are black with orange fur. And of course there are kangaroos in your backyard and parrots in your trees. I love Oz! Cheers to you my friend~
Way to much cute is happening here!! Now I must research the Australian water lizard – how cool is that beautiful being?!
They were so wonderful. I loved the way we stood at an impasse staring at each other. Plus the things they can do are incredibly awesome (◍•ڡ•◍)❤
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Thank you for sharing & be well my friend! (ෆຶдෆຶ)
Beautiful birds! I love that lizard. LOL!
He had quite the air of Oz about him! დ
😀