Day Job

Day Job Photograph by Laura Lecce
Day Job – Photograph by Laura Lecce

Imagine your day job consisted of rebuilding your home from scratch every single day. That’s exactly what this crab, along with millions of other crabs are repetitively doing. They empty out their homes of the destruction the tide brings in with it each and every day. Some of these tiny little crabs get quite creative with their designs of rolled up little balls of sand. For this particular crab, he always exited his home on the right, and placed all the little balls on the left, and walked all the way around to place them on the outside, getting progressively further away from the entrance. Every single pattern of sand balls around the homes of these crabs looked different, as was each of their methods. Maybe they each have a plan that I cannot possibly understand. Has any individual crab ever tried to do it differently? Or each day, every individual repeats their own distinct pattern? I guess I will never know, but it always interesting to wonder.

Spring Babies

Spring Babies - Photograph by Laura Lecce
Spring Babies – Photograph by Laura Lecce

Each year the season of Spring brings with it an influx of animal youngsters growing up in the warmer months of the year. Spring time in Tasmania, Australia, is a particularly wonderful time of year where baby wombats are following their mothers around. They are incredibly cute and cuddly, and very solid little creatures. Don’t let that fool you though, as they have quite large and sharp claws for digging burrows, and can run surprisingly fast for their short little legs. This particular mum and bub was quite happy to be photographed, even sharing a very cute and cuddly moment with the camera whilst contently munching on the grass.

Cuddly Wombats - Photograph by Laura Lecce
Cuddly Wombats – Photograph by Laura Lecce

 

King of the Aussie Bush

King of the Aussie Bush - Photograph by Laura Lecce
King of the Aussie Bush – Photograph by Laura Lecce

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.

On The Hunt

On The Hunt - Photograph by Laura Lecce
On The Hunt – Photograph by Laura Lecce

This very cute echidna was photographed just outside of our lodge near Cradle Mountain in Tasmania. The echidna is a uniquely Australian creature with a resemblance to hedgehogs and porcupines, except that strangely, they lay eggs. On this particular afternoon, this echidna was on the hunt for ants and termites, using long claws to rip apart this tree trunk. Tasmania is rich in Australian wildlife and a wonderful place to get away and relax.

Life at Sea

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

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.

What a life

What a life - Photograph by Laura Lecce
What a life – Photograph by Laura Lecce

This iguana is a resident of Washington Slagbaai National Park in Bonaire. A small island in the Caribbean, it is one of the less travelled destinations in this area. The turquoise colored water of its beaches can provide stunning backdrops for any photograph. This particular iguana was incredibly unafraid, and wanted to climb into my lap to eat the avocado I was spreading on my sandwich. I have photographed many iguanas while on vacation, as they are remarkably individual with unique patterns and coloring of their scales. A truly beautiful creature, even if, regardless of how happy and relaxed they are, they always look grumpy.