Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Things to Love in Oz: Birdlife

In addition to Vegemite! and Jackets! I am loving on these birds they got Down Under. The trees in Sydney are full of feathered things that look like they've escaped from pet stores. It's so much fun to see these guys all around.

cockatoos on porch

These are sulphur-crested cockatoos on my sister's front porch. On her porch. You see these everywhere--they're as common as mockingbirds--and it blows my mind.

cockatoo

At the koala park near her house, you can feed these guys, and lots of other birds, and the cockatoos say cute things like, "Hello Darling," and "Wanna treat?" Sure, maybe this is not their pristine natural behavior, but it is totally adorable.

emu

You can feed an emu too, as Matt is doing here, even though an emu would just as soon kill you as look at you.

Kookaburra at State Forest

That's a kookaburra. They are ubiquitous and wonderful. Remember the song, "Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, merry merry king of the bush is he"? Dad took this picture today at a state park near Amy's house. They really do make a sound like laughing. But here's my fave, the rainbow lorikeet. These are super common too. There were two of these in a bush next to where our car was parked this afternoon.

Wild Rainbow Lorikeet

Peacock at Koala Park

Sorry peacock, the lorikeet makes you look so BORING. (Kidding, dude, you know you're my bird.)

This concludes today's postcard from Australia. I thought y'all needed an avian update.

UPDATE, commentary from my Dad:
I talked with an Aussie on the street in Paramatta yesterday and he asked what would bring an American to his little river town. When I said that every tree held amazing birds he seemed surprised. He seemed to think about it for a minute and recalled a travel ad for Australia that he had seen while in California. He said that the ad talked about Australia being world-famous for parrots. He said, "I didn't know that." I told him that I had seen a King Parrot just that morning. He didn't know what that was. I guess it proves that we don't appreciate the common place things in our lives.

8 comments:

The Dental Maven said...

And their names are almost as cool as the birds themselves!

Michele said...

Those are some fancy birds. If we had more like them and less pigeons over here I would probably be less inclined to call them "rats with wings".

Coffee with Cathy said...

Becky -- What wonderful photos! Thanks so much for sharing and letting us come on vacation with you. Keep those postcards coming, please.

Sara said...

Awwwww! And some of them talk! Yay!

Absolutely remember that song. Kookaburras are cute!

The Stiletto Mom said...

You look like you are having a blast! Just read back over everything after getting back from Hot-Lanta which was in fact HOT.

Thanks for sticking the Vegemite song in my head for the next week or so...I owe you for that!

Hope your trip continues to go well!

Anonymous said...

I am so relieved that you are posting regularly from Down Undah. I was afraid I'd have to suffer excruciating and painful withdrawal symptoms until you returned stateside! Those jackets are KILLER, girlfriend. Ab-so-lute-ly SMASHING. Yes.

I can't believe the birds on Amy's porch. Amazing!! And you know, I once fed an emu. Honest. But I was quite convinced it planned to remove my hand at the wrist and it took me a while to work up to it. Like until some 6-year-olds came along and showed me up.

Enjoy OZ... and the joy of wearing (stunning) jackets in July!!

Scott said...

The Koala Park! I remember that place...

Keely said...

I hate cockatoos. Emus are much more my style.

Also, wombats. But only because I like to say 'wombat'.