Australian Wildlife Tapestries

Mum Prickles, the Koala is keeping her eye on her joey, Dindi. He's a boy - and he's already getting adventurous! Prickles and Dindi live at Healesville sanctuary in Victoria, Australia.

Purple Swamp hens are a common waterside bird in Victoria, Australia. They can occasionally be seen swimming, but seem to prefer the long grass or reeds at the side of a waterway. I found this one foraging in long grass beside the lake in Jells Park in Victoria, Australia.

Blue Faced Honey Eater - chasing off a Red Tailed Black Cockatoo that strayed into its territory. World of Parrots, Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia.

A rare sight - a Tasmanian Devil out in the sun! There was a bit of a crowd around his enclosure at Melbourne Zoo in Victoria, Australia. I think he just came to check us out.

A Koala feeding - but sniffing first. Great bouquet! Taken at Healesville Sanctuary, in Victoria, Australia on Kodachrome slide film in 1990. Scanned to digital.

Koalas sleep for 18 to 20 hours a day - so when they wake up they're not usually ready for a portrait! This is Emily, who is pregnant, and lives at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia.

An Australian Wanderer butterfly resting on a leaf in the Butterfly House at Melbourne Zoo in Victoria, Australia.

The Spoonbills at Melbourne Zoo in Victoria, Australia, were feeling frisky. This male was trying hard to catch the attention of a female.

This scene is in the forest near Noojee in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The ground was steep and the forest was dense - untouched by loggers. Tough going!

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo hanging on to a dead tree branch in a gale. Shepherds Bush Reserve, Victoria, Australia

After an hour of entertaining the crowds at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia, this Koala decided she'd worked hard enough - and needed a nap!

A Budgerigar nesting in a hollow tree. Yes, they are native to Australia and not just pets. Healesville Sanctuary, World of Parrots in Victoria, Australia

These colourful birds really are the same species - believe it or not! The red and blue one on the left is the female and the green one is the male Eclectus Parrot. They have a nest in this hollow tree in the Great Aviary at Melbourne Zoo in Victoria, Australia. Think she's scolding him - maybe he didn't do his share of the housework!

The male Cairns Birdwing butterflies are more colourful, but I think this female is still beautiful. Taken at the Butterfly House at Melbourne Zoo in Victoria, Australia.

Not your usual puppy - this is a pure-bred Australian Dingo! One of two new arrivals at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia, she loved to race around and have fun - like any ordinary pup - so getting her to sit still for a portrait was quite a challenge!

Male Eggfly butterflies are quite territorial - this one (with the blue eye spots) is pushing an intruder off HIS plant! Taken at the Butterfly House at Melbourne Zoo in Victoria, Australia.

This family of Swamp Hens had taken over a pond in the Tasmanian Devil's enclosure at Melbourne Zoo in Victoria, Australia. They had 2 chicks and this one got a feed, Amazing what you see at the Zoo!

A Koala feeding. Taken at Healesville Sanctuary, in Victoria, Australia in 1990 on Kodachrome slide film - scanned as a digital file..

I took this shot a couple of days before Valentine's Day - so I'm sure the male Rainbow Lorikeet was asking his girl to be his Valentine! From the Land Of Parrots at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia,

Kanzi, the baby Gorilla, is becoming very attached to his Dad, Otana. He looked very relaxed as he snuggled up! Kanzi and Otana are Western Lowland Gorillas who live at Melbourne Zoo in Victoria, Australia.

This female Koala was exploring along the tree branch, when she came to the end of the line. Where to next? Seen at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia.

This Ostrich was just as curious about the Safari Bus as we were about him! He came very close to check us out. Taken at Werribee Open Range Zoo in Victoria, Australia.

This female Gang Gang cockatoo is looking very happy - she'd just had a little treat from me! Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia.

Helmeted Honeyeaters are Victoria's State avian emblem, and are critically endangered in the wild. Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia, is breeding them in captivity as part of their Fighting Extinction program, and trying to rebuild the wild population.

Leila, the Koala, has been in an enclosure near the front entrance of Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia for quite a while. Unfortunately very few people saw her there - so now she's in the new Koala Walk she's keen to show off how cute she is!

Dindi, the Koala joey, is still less than a year old, but getting more and more independent. Here he's hanging on to a branch to stop himself falling out of the tree! Taken at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia.

While taking a walk around Blackburn Lake Reserve in Victoria, Australia, I came across this lichen covered rock. In the middle of the lichen was this new shoot. No idea what the plant is - but new life is always welcome!

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Benni is the oldest of the male Koalas at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia - and a noted Dad! He's been there long enough to know how to pose- but a wave at the camera is something special!

After a lot of pushing and shoving, these critically endangered Helmeted Honeyeaters both got a bit of nectar! Taken at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia.

Marla is the oldest Koala at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia. She's seen it all before - so when someone points a camera at her - she just yawns!

So nice when an animal smiles for the camera! This female Koala very obligingly turned and smiled for me at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia.

One of the largest butterflies in Australia, these Cairns Birdwings are also amongst the most colourful. This beautiful specimen lives in the Butterfly House at Melbourne Zoo in Victoria.

The Flight Arena at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia, puts on a wonderful show called "Spirits Of The Skies". This Black Kite is one of its stars.

This beautiful Eclectus Parrot at Healesville Sanctuary, in Victoria, Australia, is very used to people. He's always ready to pose for the camera!

This Koala Mum was rocking her joey to sleep in the branches of a tree, at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia.