Gary Beilby - Wildlife - Science & Art

If my tongue could hang out and pant...

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:25 +0800

Panting in the sweltering heat, this Melbourne Zoo ostrich was quite unphased by my presence.

Brown cuckoo-dove

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:38 +0800

An edge-dweller of East coast Australian rainforests, this is an impressively tame bird. I saw it sitting on the open path in front of me and I started clicking furiously as I crept ever closer. I finally reached my close point - the 2m minimum focus of my lens, and clicked away, impressed at my flawless stalking. Then, as I shot, a family of Japanese tourists walked past the 2 of us - and the bird still didn't fly away. Of course the explanation is that my rhythmic motions hypnotised the bird.

Nankeen wading heron

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:30 +0800

He was quite content to just sit, waist deep (do birds even have waists??), in the water. The Nankeen night heron is very much a water bird, but still - I can't say I've ever seen a bird do this before.
Note the lovely breeding plumage white head feathers on this guy.

Not calling, just boiling

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:22 +0800

Melbourne was melting when I visited a few weeks ago. Everywhere birds were open mouth breathing and hanging their wings wide to try and gain relief from the oppressive heat.

Interface

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:33 +0800

Increasingly endangered as more and more tropical Indonesian forest is destroyed for palm plantations, Orang utans like this one have reason to look solemn. Zoo populations may soon be the only viable ones.

Sweepy

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:36 +0800

In sweltering Melbourne summer heat, this Tree-kangaroo relaxes lazily in the fine mist of sprayed water.

If you see someone without a smile, give them yours

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 10:39 +0800

Again, the delightful juvenile Pseudocheirus peregrinus struggles valiantly to escape his confines.

Manic Man

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:45 +0800

At the Healesville Sanctuary vet hospital this tiny Ringtail possum infant battled to escape his humidicrib type hospital hotbox with an almost Disney cartoon zeal. I could just post pictures of this guy all week.

Australasian gannet

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:43 +0800

These gorgeous soft graduated colours make the Australasian gannet a strikingly beautiful bird.

Major Mitchell

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:53 +0800

He can laugh, as I labour over capturing his portrait - because he just saw the screaming schoolkids run past, spilling cordial on my camera bag. Who promoted him to Major anyway?