I saw something today.....

[TraamisVOS]

... and that something was looking at me.

Can you see it?

L1009499 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

 

[stillshunter]

Did you whistle to it with the edge of a gum leaf?....and then draw it a little closer with a few tongue clicks.

 

[TraamisVOS]

shhh.....

 

[deirdre]

Wallaby!

 

[TraamisVOS]

Wallabies are tiny!

 

[deirdre]

This one's a little unfair becasue they were captive, but....

View attachment 34181
Wallabies on Churchill Island by Deirdre Saoirse Moen, on Flickr

 

[stillshunter]

Hmmm...not saying that James has himself a wallaby there - but I highly doubt it. Talking those smaller macropods; I have a few around my property. Here's one at dawn, testing the limits of my old jumbo Sigma lens, my camera's ISO and their shared back-focus issue.

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Wobblies by stillshunter, on Flickr

 

[deirdre]

I wasn't aware that wallaby was such an inspecific term, but I was also going based on the height of the gum tree and the height of what had been called wallabies when I visited Australia, which seemed to be up to about a meter in height.

So: that tree is apparently taller than I was estimating. Though gum trees aren't small here by any means, they are dwarfed by our native redwoods. That and they're not native here.

 

[TraamisVOS]

This one's a little unfair becasue they were captive, but....

Very nice, when were you in Aus??

That kangaroo was taller than I am, it had been running from a dog somewhere. I heard a dog barking in the distance then saw the roo bursting out from the bushes and cross the park and into the bushes on the other side.

Hmmm...not saying that James has himself a wallaby there - but I highly doubt it. Talking those smaller macropods; I have a few around my property. Here's one at dawn, testing the limits of my old jumbo Sigma lens, my camera's ISO and their shared back-focus issue.

That is a good shot. How big is your property?

 

[BBW]

First, Mark - that is an awwwwww inspiring picture!

James, my 15 inch screen MacBook Pro really made me squint...I was looking at whatever that brownish thing is in the right foreground and wondered if you guys had Armadillos? Then I went on to Flickr and looked at the large size and finally saw that fellow!

Deirdre, "unfair" or not - what a rich wonderland with that little wallaby!

I have always had a fondness for Kangaroos ever since Christopher Robin introduced them to me via his friend Winnie The Pooh.

 

[olli]

Is it true that you are supposed to run in circles?

 

[TraamisVOS]

James, my 15 inch screen MacBook Pro really made me squint...I was looking at whatever that brownish thing is in the right foreground and wondered if you guys had Armadillos? Then I went on to Flickr and looked at the large size and finally saw that fellow!

You made me look and I did see that 'armadillo'! The closest thing we have here are echidnas. I've seen echidnas at that park, kangaroos, rabbits, wombats and koalas. They're really rare though, they're usually nocturnal animals. The kangaroos are more often seen, they're not nocturnal.

Is it true that you are supposed to run in circles?

That's a pretty random question....!

Do you mean if I'm being chased by a kangaroo? If so, I've never heard that.

 

[BBW]

Is it true that you are supposed to run in circles?

From Kangaroos?

I didn't think they were aggressive per se. Planning a trip Down Under, olli?

 

[olli]

Sorry. Too much beer and whiskey over St Paddy's day. I'm confusing my kangaroos with my crocodiles - think I'd best avoid Australia.

 

[BBW]

Actually, I think Australia beckons!

 

[stillshunter]

Oh Olli, don't let that disorienting feeling worry you too much. It's just from being in the company of us Australians. You'll adjust over time and might even get a little kick out of it. Then when you come here it will all make sense. Apparently it has something to do with how our environment subtly affects your body. I'm no scientist but they say the body is made up of more than 70% water (including your brain). Now just watch what happens when you flush toilets down here.....the water goes the other way . So that's over 70% of your subtle body going the other way down here.

But, again, we sort of like it.

@ James: I'm out on 110 very wet and sodden acres at the moment.

 

[TraamisVOS]

Sorry. Too much beer and whiskey over St Paddy's day. I'm confusing my kangaroos with my crocodiles - think I'd best avoid Australia.

haha, I haven't heard that about crocs either so I don't know. I wouldn't want to run circles around a croc through, their tail can be just as devastating as their teeth.

 

[deirdre]

Sorry. Too much beer and whiskey over St Paddy's day. I'm confusing my kangaroos with my crocodiles - think I'd best avoid Australia.

Just don't put your hand down any holes. Really.

 

[olli]

Deirdre I remember reading Bill Bryson's book Down Under which covered much of the same ground as the BBC article. He was constantly marvelling at how many things can kill you. I was slightly amused by the "The beer is stronger than you think, regardless of how strong you think it is" comment in the BBC article. When I lived in Munich part of the entertainment for the locals was watching the Australians (and the Americans and the Brits and the Irish) trying to drink the local brew and ending up in the gutter or the police station or - occasionally - the morgue.

James, apparently it's not a good idea to run in circles or zigzags when being chased by an alligator or crocodile. I read this on the internet so it must be true. Good thing I manages to avoid them up till now.

 

[TraamisVOS]

Just don't put your hand down any holes. Really.

But I wouldn't put my hand down any holes anywhere in the world, not just Australia!

Deirdre I remember reading Bill Bryson's book Down Under which covered much of the same ground as the BBC article. He was constantly marvelling at how many things can kill you. I was slightly amused by the "The beer is stronger than you think, regardless of how strong you think it is" comment in the BBC article. When I lived in Munich part of the entertainment for the locals was watching the Australians (and the Americans and the Brits and the Irish) trying to drink the local brew and ending up in the gutter or the police station or - occasionally - the morgue.

I used to have that book, it was good reading. I lent it to my good neighbour but haven't seen it for 6 years now.

James, apparently it's not a good idea to run in circles or zigzags when being chased by an alligator or crocodile. I read this on the internet so it must be true. Good thing I manages to avoid them up till now.

I didn't know that. I don't know what I'd do if I was chased by a croc or gator, I mean I'd run like hell or grab a big stick and give it a good whack.