Day 96 - Mount Annan Botanic Gardens

Friday morning I worked on the computer trying to figure out some course accreditation stuff and job applications for when I get back to the US - it's sneaking up so quick!!! I spent a little bit of time reading more journals for my paper and trying to find something relevant to compare for the case study. After I got tired of paper stuff I staked out the bird feeder and looked around the yard for lizards. In the afternoon Ann dropped me off at Mount Annan Botanic Gardens where I wondered around for a few hours and took pictures of birds. I saw a another monitor/big lizard spp but it spooked before I had the camera up. I also saw another snake - this time a dangerous one - no worries though I kept my distance. After the gardens closed Tony picked me up and we went home for dinner. Afterwards I watched a little TV (which felt so weird after not having it for 4 months) and worked a bit more on the paper.


Double-barred finches having a drink


The finch on the left is a Zebra Finch - so bizarre to see them in the wild! The dove is a Peaceful Dove

Australasian Grebe - I swear it had a little fuzzball baby following it but I couldn't figure out where it went when I zoomed in.

A flower

This is Paterson's Curse a flower that takes over everything! It can make livestock sick, there are just fields and fields of it around.

Wollemi Pine - Species existed in dinosaur times, one of the world's rarest plants

Spotted Pardalote - He has a bright red butt and was singing the cutest little bird song ever

The Gardens

Red-bellied Black Snake, venomous - but often not fatal because of medical treatments available. They aren't very aggressive, it was quite happy to move along when it heard me coming down the trail

um, a big blue tree - I don't know...

I know you've seen the Lorikeet before but it just looks so pretty in with the red kangaroo paws - I think its eye is exactly the same color