Archives

Australian King Parrot~

Mar2

Even the females are kings!

Female Kings have green heads and red bodies.

Males are the only Australian parrot with a completely red head.

Although king parrots appear red and green to us,

birds have an extra cone in their eyes that enable them to see ultraviolet wavelengths.

Under ultraviolet light, some of the King Parrots wing feathers glow with golden light, like a crown.

King Parrots mate for life and often are seen in pairs like these two.

Cheers to you from the beautiful Aussie kings~

Aussie Picnics~

Feb26

Are definitely the best.

The most interesting folks stop by.

Whats for lunch?

It’s an awkward question for me because I hadn’t planned on wallabies stopping by.

The good news is, they aren’t picky guests!

Cheers to you from Australia’s friendly wallabies~

Who are you said the Black Cockatoo?

Feb20

Yesterday was the last day before we left Booderee National Park in New South Wales, to follow more of The Yellow Brick Road in Oz.

We have been seeing so many truly beautiful birds, but none of the vulnerable Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo, which is an enormous and very impressive cockatoo.

Yellow Tails are a vulnerable species, facing rapid population decline, due to habitat destruction and human predation, hence they they tend to be shy around people they don’t know

I had seen Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos here eleven years ago, but was packing my suitcase, resigned to not having a repeat experience, when I spied this one out my window.

I found my Wizard of Oz! And now, you have too.

Cheers to you from all The Wizards in magical Oz~

Kookaburra Day~

Feb6

I spent the day with this guy as my constant companion. Wherever I went, there he was!


There could be no better welcoming committee in the world.

He even laughed!

I basically fell head over heels.

Kookaburras are carnivorous birds, so he wasn’t looking for food.

He was just curious and friendly.

You have to admit, he is one of the cutest birds you have ever seen.

Oz really is for the birds,

which means, Oz is for me too!

Cheers to you from the laughing Kookaburra~

(Note: Heading to Tasmania, so excuse me when I am absent. I will check in when I can. Until then, be well!)

The Lizard of Oz~

Feb2

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~