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I have built this website in the hope that other people will appreciate the beauty, grace and and incredible originality of each bird or animal. I never used to notice and in fact had no idea that many of these birds and/or animals even existed let alone what their names were or the personality traits that make them all unique. It sounds strange but a couple of years ago birds started flying in front of my car and seemed to be around me wherever I went. Then the possums started coming and bringing their babies and I started to take notice .... but not that much. The first birds that started hanging around were butcherbirds, who were actually after the catfood, and I began to notice their habits and what beautiful voices they had. After a very long term relationship breakup I started to really notice the world around me and what birds came in what season, when they had babies and their own unique traits. I started walking more and taking photos and figuring out how to get close without scaring them and feeling great when I got really beautiful shots. I also did a few courses in digitial photography, photoshop and website building, thinking that it was interesting but just a distraction. However it has all come together and played a part in getting me to the point that I am now. I've worked out that birds and animals sense your energy and learn to trust you. It is amazing how close I can get if I go slowly and calmly, don't make any sudden movements and make my own particular 'bird noises'. Some of them, like the finches and some of the water birds let me get a little closer all the time while others like the pigeons and doves and the herons have a boundary that if I cross, they take off. Others, like the rainbow lorikeets are opportunistic and although normally they are almost impossible to photograph, because they don't stay still, when they are feeding they will allow me to get close because, quite simply, they don't want to stop eating. The Little Pied Cormorant likes sitting in the sun and airing it's wings and has favourite spots where it sits everyday. Most people don't even notice it's there but it has let me get quite close and it's so beautiful and looks a little like a land penguin. (Although it can fly and dive under the water as well, very versatile little bird!) The possums, which I think many people find annoying, are so amazing in their habits and the mothers come at night bringing their babies when they are a couple of inches long in their pouch until they are big. The latest baby has such a strong, stroppy little personality and loves it's food. The other night I was woken up at about 4am by a banging noise. I came downstairs and turned on the light to see the baby possum sitting right up on the kitchen bench with a loaf of bread in one hand and an apple in the other. It looked like, 'I'm so busted' and one of the cats was sitting on the couch looking at it like 'you are so in trouble!'. It wasn't even that perturbed and just jumped down and waddled out the door. Birds love sunny days but they also love it after rain and there is always lots of birds around after a good fall. I assume that is probably because there are more insects etc around. I love the majesty of the Egrets, the grace of the Herons and Pelicans, the gregarious darty little Redbrowed Finches, the amazing colours and family orientation of Ducks, the beauty and shyness of the Pigeons and Doves and the beautiful voices of the Butcherbirds and Rufous Whistlers. What has probably been the most challenging for me is actually doing it and not listening to the voices of self doubt and negativity. This is something completely new for me and hard to put myself in a position where other people can see what I'm doing, particually when my head can tell me that it's not any good, I don't know what I'm doing, people will think I'm an idiot, blah, blah, blah! However as a friend said, when I voiced these negative thoughts, 'but you have to keep doing it because you love it and it makes you happy! Please send any feedback, comments or information if I have incorrectly identified a particular bird (sometimes it's hard to tell as they can differ so much depending on locality) to the email address below. If you have any photos you would like to share please also email them!
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