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Oceania » Australia » Northern Territory » Darwin
December 4th 2011
Published: December 5th 2011
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Botanical gardenBotanical gardenBotanical garden

I took this photo of a giant tree at the end of the dry season, not long after we first got here. Now the grass is much greener and everything more lush.
So not everything about Darwin is dangerous and poisonous. But most things are much bigger and more colourful. The tree leaves are h-u-g-e. The birds are bigger and more colourful. (Some are small, like the finches.) The bugs, as previously discussed, are giant. And again, some are small, but in general they're bigger than I'd like! However often even the bugs are very colourful and quite beautiful!







There are SO many amazing and beautiful things. Every day we see loads of cockatoos, both white and black. They are as plentiful as Ottawa pigeons. Well not quite, but almost! They love to eat the seeds off certain trees and luckily for us, there are several of these trees right across the street from our place! So this weekend there were 26 black cockatoos in one tree! They make a very loud screeching noise that is easy to recognize and so we always know where there are some around. All the birds here are very different than in Canada, even the pigeons. The only ones that I recognize are seagulls. Literally every other bird I've seen is new. Many of them have very colourful feathers and
White cockatooWhite cockatooWhite cockatoo

Just hanging out on a palm tree close to our balcony.
they sing very lovely songs. Even the pigeon call is different than in North America.







There are fruit trees everywhere and when there aren't fruits on them, there are flowers, so it is just constantly beautiful and deliciously aromatic. One day I climbed a mango tree and shook a branch and Majeed stood on the ground and caught the mangoes. They were awesome! They're just going out of season now... :-(



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Black cockatooBlack cockatoo
Black cockatoo

There were about 20 of them in the tree but I couldn't get a good shot of them all. Isn't this just wild!?
IbisIbis
Ibis

We often see big groups of these birds on the grass, hanging out and eating.
African birdAfrican bird
African bird

This is a cool looking duck-like bird. A lady told me that it flies here from Africa but I don't know if that's true.
PeeweePeewee
Peewee

In my opinion, this bird is kind of like the "sparrow" of Australia, in the sense that it is kind of disheveled-looking and dirty. But it's still cool. And much larger than a sparrow.
Giant pigeonGiant pigeon
Giant pigeon

Most things here down under are just BIGGER, including pigeons.
Botanical gardenBotanical garden
Botanical garden

Not sure what kind of tree this is, but it is huge.
Drunken parrot!Drunken parrot!
Drunken parrot!

These are red-collared lorikeets and during the wet season (now) they get drunk on this certain type of berry they eat and sometimes fall right out of the tree!
Galah cockatooGalah cockatoo
Galah cockatoo

Another kind of cockatoo, with a pink chest! Very cool...
Rocks on the beachRocks on the beach
Rocks on the beach

The colours of the rocks are outstanding. They go from pure white to pink to deep red, all shades of brown, mustard yellow, rust, purple. I've never seen prettier rocks.
SunsetSunset
Sunset

We go to the beach to watch the sunset several nights a week. Each one is really breathtaking.


5th December 2011
Rocks on the beach

Great shot!!!
Lots of great pics, but this one evokes all sorts of stuff - cell division, galaxies forming, silversmith at work... love it!
5th December 2011

Oh Deejelaine
I remember our trips and your fascination with all the bugs and birds and fishees and wild creatures. Remember the deathwatch of one such insect ending in a spectacular funeral procession to the rocky beach at Isle de St Anne (je crois) outside Qc city. You wonderful, weird, witchy woman. I miss you! Love the photos... xox Horak
5th December 2011

Galah
This the type of bird that shredded my hand in an aviary in Perth. It was all friendly and then just started shredding my hand! It didn't like women, the people in the first aid center said. Yeah? Well post that information at the gate!!!! I'm really enjoying the blog!

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