(and sometimes the beast!)

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17.8.18

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL...

So far I've counted 19 different birds in the trees at the rear of my house in Maleny. Sometimes it's awfully difficult to get the whole of the bird in the shot due to the swaying of the branches so I've started trying to at least get their pretty faces. 
This blue-faced honey eater looked a bit damp the day he flew in. 
I had never seen a bowerbird before this lady turned up. I've since seen a male in the same tree but wasn't able to get as good a shot as this, which shows off her eyes to perfection. 
Kookaburras are frequent visitors, laughing it up out there nearly every morning and again in the afternoon. This one just looks mildly amused...
Wind-swept and interesting pee wee took a break from battling the winds...
Seemed almost impossible to get decent shots of these little sweeties, brown thornbills. They flit around so quickly and are so small I've only managed to focus on them a couple of times in time to get a decent shot.
 And it's not just the birds enjoying the trees. Ringtail possums are out there chomping on most of the trees every night and also on many of my pot plants.  There are little bite marks in lots of my foliage.
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Here are a few of my favourite faces from the last time I visited Australia Zoo. My daughters gave my sister and I a meerkat encounter recently which was thrilling and this chap sat on my lap (and then on my head!). It was a rainy day but very enjoyable. 
This dopey guy looks like someone I know, who shall be nameless...
So does this one! Hello Auntie Joan...
One of the sweet little otters on display. Look at that face!