In the park with a Cocatoo

I'm still trying to get the perfect shot of the sulphur-crested cockie. I like the brilliance of the yellow crest, but even still... y'all are going to have to suffer through more pictures of these birds until I get my hero shot. (here's my last cockatoo post)

I might add that since they put new wood chips around the swings in the park, it has been cockatoo city! I think there must have been some tasty bugs in the chips as the cockies have been tearing though the grounds and ripping up just about everything. I also think the random foodstuff left after the weekend picnics are a hit with the birds. Yesterday I watched a cockie pull the straw out of a McDonald's cup, take the top off and upend the contents over itself. mmmm... sticky sweet cockatoos.

Taken August 2010 - Park by our apartment, Macquarie Park, NSW

Hunter Valley - Lock Ness??

What do you think this is?

I spent almost half an hour watching this thing swim around a damn (read Australian for pond or lake) in the Hunter Valley. This was the clearest picture I could manage . The above kept swimming around the clumps of reeds flicking water over its back.

After about an hour of guessing around on Google to figure out what it was, I finally discovered the truth. I'll let you click here to find out. ;)


Taken August 2010 - Damn (Australian for pond) in the Hunter Valley, NSW

Taronga Zoo - Asian Aviary

I'm not certain which these beautiful birds are... something like Singapore sparrows? I'll let you tell me :)

Nevertheless, these cuties were happy to enjoy the spring sunshine while I sat on the ground in front of the. There are several aviaries in Taronga (4 or 5... maybe more?) and this one is lovely and cool with its own water-features and carp in the pond. It's a lovely place to simply sit and let the birds fly by.

Taken August 2010 - Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW

Cockatoo!

I have never lived in a place with such dominate birds! The sulphur-crested cockatoo is one of the most common sights in the park by my house, as the one pictured attests to. :) It's actually quite entertaining to walk through the park right now. As long as you continually walk towards a predictable point (picnic table, swings, walkway...) the cockatoos will just continue to happily munch on whatever they are munching on. If you deviate, slow or speed up, they kind of run away, at least as much as any bird can run. The only time they squawk is when they are show off to each other or think they can get the food off of another bird.

Hunter Valley - Pelican

I still get a kick out of seeing pelicans just flying around. They tend not to like city life, so you do have to go 'up the coast' to find them, but hey, I'm not fussy! Pelicans have until recently been birds that I have only imagined. I know that I have seen my fair share of pelican images, but to actually see one in the feather is really quiet surreal. They are about the size of my old dog, and really do have the most impressive jowels I have ever seen! (and this is including the previously mentioned cassowary). I would also say that they are obviously birds that live in windy areas, and I don't think I've seen them fly so much as glide from place to place.

I'm hoping my next visit up the coast will be to a place I've been led to believe have basically tame pelicans. I'd love to get a proper close up look at these lovely birds. :)

Taken August 2010 - Damn (Australian for pond) in the Hunter Valley, NSW

Australia Zoo - Cassowary

This is quite possibly the more awesome and the most terrifying bird I have ever met. Think emu with attitude and a huge wart-like horn staring at you eye-to-eye. Very cool, but daunting none the less.

As you can tell, there's food in the bucket, which is what caught the bird's attention initially. I ended up sitting down on the raise walkway to watch the cassowary eat. So cool! it's neck is really quite floppy and iridescent blue. When it swallows, you can actually see the form of the object sliding down its neck. Gah!

These lovely, ugly birds are loosing ground on the whole no dying off front. If you get a chance to go to the zoo and see one, it's well worth the trip.

Taken February 2010 - Australia Zoo, Brisbane, Queensland

Botanical Gardens Sydney - Miner

We are now in the middle in of winter here in Australia. This concept of winter still baffles me. As I spent most of the day outside in a sweater with 3/4 length sleeves, without an undershirt or jacket, I think of this weather as more early autumn-ish.

As the day was so very beautiful, we decided to head into the city and visit the botanical gardens. Most of the flora and fauna are in their rest and regeneration phase... it is winter after all. This made it almost impossible to miss the blooming cherry trees at the foot of one of the paths we were walking along. N and I spent several minutes taking pictures of the beautiful pink flowers against the pure blue sky.

Just as I was about to join the boys back on the path to continue on our way, a miner bird flew into the tree on a branch less than 2 meters away from me. My first reaction was bewilderment, my second was to yell at it. (The bird managed to send half of a freshly caught bee at me hitting me in the shoulder, while it ate happily ate the other half.)

Normally I yell at miner birds, basically because I think they are bullies and a nuisance. I have recently come to understand that there are actually 2 notable species of miners in Australia, one is native, the other introduced.

On a personal note, I think this is the best photo of a bird I have ever managed to take. I hope you enjoy!

Taken July 2010 - Botanical Gardens, Sydney, NSW