Australia Life - Things Living In-Around Australia

Birds

This Blog is dedicated to all the living plant and animals that were subjected to my camera lens on our September 2014 visit to Australia. From Sydney to Brisbane, Cairns/Port Douglas, Darwin, Melbourne and a few points in between, I've got photos. And, lots of them.

White-bellied Sea Eagle - Yellow Water, Kakadu National Park

The birds in this blog are organized according to a classification provided in A Photographic Guide to Birds of Australia by Peter Rowland - 1999 New Holand Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd. This book is available on Amazon.com.

Here are the bird groups I have photos of:

Order Anseriformes (Geese and Ducks)
Order Pelicaniformes (Pelicans, Egrets, Darters, and Cormorants)
Order Coraciiformes (Kookaburra)
Order Ciconiiformes (Herons, Ibis, Storks, and Spoonbills)
Order Charadriiformes (Gulls, Terns, Jacanas, Dotterels, and Lapwings)
Order Columbiformes (Doves and Pigeons)
Order Psittaciformes (Parrots, Cockatoos, Corellas, and Lorikeets)
Order Passeriformes (Honeyeaters, Bowerbirds, Magpies, Crows, Finches, Swallows, Silvereyes, etc....)
Order Accipitriformes (Eagles and Kites)

Wildflowers

Wildflowers in Australia are so often completely different from nearly anything we see in the Intermountain West in the United States. Many families are unrecognizable. It's absolutely fantastic. Of course, I had my cameras around my neck the entire time we were in Australia -usually put them away when I went to sleep at night. I took less photos of plants than I would normally, but I think I did get a few really cool ones. Let's start with the orchids.

Orchids

Donkey Orchid - Diuris orientis

Then we'll finish with everything else.

Every Other Plant

Snake Wattle - Acacia aculeatissima

The Great Barrier Reef

On September 18, 2014 we spent a day snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef with Wavelength Marine Charters out of Port Douglas, Queensland. Group size is limited to 30 individuals as opposed to as many as 450 people on other tours. We had a marine biologist on board, her assistant, and the skipper. The tide was low, the sun was shining, and we had a remarkable day.