Spot the Emu

November 23, 2016December 2, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 5 Comments

Can you spot the emu? This photo was taken on a Western Australian highway on a road trip from Exmouth to Monkey Mia, with a stop at Coral Bay. Coral Bay is a beautiful area where the Ningaloo Reef stretches along the coast just a short swim off the beach – a must see location for snorkelers. Monkey Mia is a famous location in WA where dolphins swim into incredibly shallow waters to get fed and interact with humans. On this remote stretch of road you will witness a very dry landscape with expanses of red dirt to either side. You may see small leafless shrubs with adorable tiny goats huddled underneath trying to seek refuge from the hot sun. Closer to the coast the shrubs get larger and slightly greener, and you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of some emus running across the land, darting in amongst the shrubs after being spooked by your car. They remind me of the Looney Tunes character the Roadrunner (with Wile E. Coyote), except that real roadrunners run at a speed of 20 mph (32 km/h), whilst emus can run at 31 mph (50 km/h). Below is a close up photo just in case he ran so fast you missed him!

Click here for posts on other Australian wildlife.

It wasn’t always so peaceful

November 18, 2016February 7, 2017 ~ laura lecce ~ 30 Comments

It wasn's always peaceful - Photograph by Laura Lecce — It wasn’t always peaceful – Photograph by Laura Lecce

Today is an extra special Friday… the one year anniversary of my blog!!! I want to thank everyone (all of my followers) for your support which has made blogging the wonderful experience it has been so far. Today I am breaking Friday tradition, and instead I want to share with you an alternate photo of one of my earliest posts. The original photo below (click here for original post) was of a peaceful Western Australian seascape with well behaved, black and white cormorants. Todays photo above was taken just moments before that one, the cormorants squabbling over a territorial dispute involving expensive waterfront real estate. Together these photos are the perfect metaphor for how quickly life can change in a mere moment, and that no matter how ugly a current situation is, the calm will eventually arrive.

Life at Sea - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Life at Sea – Photograph by Laura Lecce

Early on in my blog I also had a post on my battle with anxiety, especially bad when I travel on airplanes (click here for post). I am proud to say that two days ago I was courageous enough to fly alone for the first time in about 10 years. It wasn’t a great experience with definite moments of panic, but I calmed myself down and I made it. I did it by myself and I can be very proud of that! So here is to the incredible changes that one minute, one hour, or one year of time can bring to someone’s life. Happy Weekend Everyone!!!

Bad Omens

August 3, 2016August 3, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 12 Comments

Black Crow - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Black Crow – Photograph by Laura Lecce

If crows are a bad omen, then my life must be terrible! Having done a fair bit of driving through various parts of Australia in quite a few different states, one major thing in common is that crows are everywhere. Supposedly they can be an omen for bad luck, good luck, health, wealth, magic, change and death. Death is the one that makes the most sense, since whenever you see roadkill in Australia (which can be frequent when driving on more remote highways) you will always see crows crowding around the carcass sharing in a meal. It is a bit eerie to know that an animal relishes in death for its survival, but it is also nice knowing that since death must occur, it is great that it feeds into new life.

A Cheeky Pair

July 5, 2016February 6, 2017 ~ laura lecce ~ 5 Comments

Rainbow Lorikeets - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Rainbow Lorikeets – Photograph by Laura Lecce

I had forgotten what it was like in Australia waking up to such distinctive bird calls. Those which I had listened to my entire childhood, but only recently paid attention to. The earliest birds are the kookaburras (click here for post) with their loud and projecting laughs, mocking the sun as it rises. They wake the cockatoos, who show their distain with long and piercing screeches. Next are the large flocks of rainbow lorikeets (in the photo) which can be heard having territorial squabbles across the trees with their sharp and angry chirps. They are one of Australia’s most colorful birds, and like other parrots, they know how to be noisy! They mostly travel in pairs, and once paired will be monogamous for life. When feeding in a flock, the male will threateningly hop around his partner while she feeds to make sure no other birds interrupt her meal. They eat fruit, pollen and nectar, mostly from native Australian trees and shrubs such as the eucalyptus, and the bottle brush (Callistemon) seen in this photo. It’s hard to be angry about being woken up early when the birds are as pretty as these ones!

Black Intimidation

February 11, 2016October 25, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 7 Comments

Costa Rica is known for some of the most beautifully colored birds in the world. However, since I don’t own a telephoto lens, I rarely get to take bird photos unless the bird literally lands a few feet in front of me. For me, this particular bird will be forever associated in my mind with this beautiful country rather than the traditional toucan. These magnificently intimidating vultures could be seen no matter where we were, circling the skies all day, every day. This particular vulture was sitting on a farm fence post, his/her partner on the next one, both truly formidable in size and presence. Thanks to a rainy day, both had their wings fully spread to dry off their feathers. On the ground below them in the long grass, 5-6 wet chicks huddled together (and by chicks, I mean their fuzzy babies the size of medium chickens!). I would have loved to get out of my car and take a photo of the chicks too, but I envisioned my eyes being gouged out by the parents while they tear my scalp off with their talons. Needless to say, I stayed in the safety of my car, and left their chicks alone. A tribute to truly terrifying parents!

Vulture Parenting - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Vulture Parenting – Photograph by Laura Lecce

King of the Aussie Bush

January 15, 2016November 22, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 17 Comments

Here is a photograph of my favorite Australian bird, the Kookaburra. The loud calling sound it makes is like boisterous human laughter echoing through the outback, mainly in the early mornings and approaching dusk. A skilled hunter, these birds prey on mice, snakes, small reptiles and the babies of other birds, and are fittingly called the Kings of the Australian bush. This particular kookaburra is very riled up, having just had a dispute with a fellow bird, which was perched next to him. Whatever the argument they were having… he definitely won.

Life at Sea

December 1, 2015February 7, 2017 ~ laura lecce ~ 4 Comments

This photograph took quite a few tries to get it perfect. Animals don’t always behave the way you want them to, and so one must have patience. This was clearly the rock of choice for these Australian Pied Cormorants, and they sat there every day at this beautiful beach in Dunsborough, Western Australia. This was the one photo where they weren’t sleeping with their heads tucked under or noisily squabbling at each other. Sitting on a platform that is barely big enough for the five birds, they were constantly trying to push each other off to gain more space. The sleek black and white look of these birds is a wonderful contrast against the wavy turquoise waters, and makes for a beautiful picture.

Winter Beauty

November 20, 2015December 30, 2015 ~ laura lecce ~ 10 Comments

Surprisingly, New York winter is a great time for bird spotting in Central Park. The trees are bare, the backdrop is neutral, and there are no leaves to hide behind. So after I had truly had enough of gloomy, freezing winter days, I painted this bright little bird to cheer myself up. He sits above my kitchen bench, and makes me smile every morning while I make my breakfast.

Blue Bird of Western Australia

November 19, 2015May 23, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 1 Comment

Photographs of birds are always tricky and the smaller the bird the shorter the time it stands still. This gorgeous little bird is fittingly named the Splendid Fairywren. One of the common visitors of Cottage Café at The Berry Farm in Margaret River, Western Australia. A beautiful little spot to sit outside surrounded with tranquil garden, whilst drinking tea and enjoying delicious homemade scones with jam. I was lucky enough that this particular bird was not shy, and sat on my table happily eating the crumbs of my scone. A photograph of stunning blue bird to eternalize a beautiful memory.