Koala bear at Belair!

Today we went for a walk in the Belair National Park, just a kilometre from our home. We took a couple of lenses just in case, and then set off for the regular walk around the lake. As it turned out we got enough good shots for blips for a week, not that it works that way!

The park is just 20 minutes from the heart of Adelaide, and is set amongst magnificent gum trees, with koalas, kangaroos, emus, turtles and the countless array of birdlife. Especially water birds that live all around the lake.

At first I didn't see anything unusual or different and it looked like it was either a duck shot or a scene of reflections in the lake. Then as we were leaving Tina spotted a koala asleep in the fork of a nearby gum tree.

Luckily the long lens was on the camera and so I snapped away in case the koala moved out of the sun and into the shadows. Although it appeared to be sleeping in the photos, it did move to look at us as we were leaving. It was so nice to get an Aussie icon for my blip of the day. It looks more appealing in LARGE.

For those who are not familiar with this animal, a protected wild animal, the koala is a small bear-like, tree-dwelling, herbivorous marsupial which averages about 9kg (20lb) in weight. Its fur is thick and usually ash grey with a tinge of brown in places.

The koala is the only mammal, other than the Greater Glider and Ringtail Possum, which can survive on a diet of eucalyptus leaves. With virtually no water to drink.

Looking to the future, the emu is much scarcer and harder to find, but a wild kangaroo is next on my blip wish list! Preferably not one in a park, nature reserve or animal sanctuary. One in the wild will do! Then it will be summer time, and time to look for snakes!!

You can see a few more park photo in my BLOG here.

I also published a back blip today for the one day I missed while in Finland, 11th September. You can see it here.

On September 22nd when I blipped a photo of a Mexican gray wolf, I omitted to say that the special night was arranged by the WildEarth Guardians of New Mexico. Please check out their wonderful web site here, if you love animals and the preservation of native animals and their environment.