This is an old one, but was never posted to the blog. That evil looking bird up there is a cassowary and it has been declared by the Guinness Book of World Records to be “the most dangerous bird in the world.” It earned this distinction in large part due to its huge claws that it uses to defend itself, usually aiming for the torso of would be intruders, human or otherwise. Native to northeastern Australia and Papua New Guinea, it is the third largest bird in the world behind the ostrich and the emu. Like those birds, it is flightless, and it can grow to over 6 feet tall and weigh more than 150 pounds. Lucky for me I had a 600mm lens on my camera and could photograph from a safe distance.

The little corella is another one of those birds that goes by several names. If you prefer, you can also call it the bare-eyed cockatoo, the blood-stained cockatoo, the short-billed corella, the little cockatoo or the blue-eyed cockatoo. It is native to Australia and southern New Guinea (this one was photographed on Kangaroo Island in South Australia). The downy feathers have been used in the past to make head and armbands for traditional ceremonies and dances.

I figured why not keep things in Australia for another day. This is a green ringtail possum, also photographed in the Atherton Tablelands area of Queensland in the northeast area of the country. Like other possums, the green ringtail is strictly nocturnal. Unlike other possums, the green ringtail practices what is known as coprophagy. What is coprophagy you ask? The practice of eating one’s own feces. Here’s to not being a green ringtail possum.

This is an oldie — and a rarity — from my trip to Australia back in 2005. I was searching for platypus early one morning in the town of Yungaburra when I spotted this Lumhotz’s tree kangaroo in a tree across the river. Usually nocturnal, this guy was up a little past his bedtime. They almost look more like a primate than a marsupial and they are only found in northeastern Queensland.

The red kangaroo is the largest kangaroo species in Australia, topping out at about 200 pounds. It’s also one of the more common. I encountered this guy in a rugged area of South Australia in Flinders Ranges National Park.

I figured it was just about time I posted another koala. In a rare moment of wakefulness (they spend up to twenty hours a day sleeping), I photographed this one on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Note the spectacular overbite.

Time for some random kangaroo facts to enrich everyone’s lives. A female is called a flyer. The males are called either a boomer or a buck. And the young, of course, are called joeys. These two here, a mother red kangaroo and her joey, are in a place called Flinders Ranges National Park in South Australia.

I think I might finally be on my way to Yellowstone tomorrow night, but who knows, I’ve already had 4 flights cancelled over the last couple of days so we’ll see if this one gets off the ground. In the meantime, the delays have given me plenty of time to see movies — Black Swan being one of the more interesting of the bunch and inspiring today’s photo.  This was taken early one morning on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

Flinders Ranges National Park in South Australia is where the southern mountains start to give way to the Outback. This is fairly rugged country. It also happens to be full of several different species of kangaroo. It was late in the day when I photographed this red kangaroo crouching in the brush.

Flinders Ranges National Park in South Australia is where the mountains meet the Outback.Very rugged territory, and full of kangaroos. We saw lots of both red and western grey kangaroos, plus lots of emus mixed in. This red kangaroo was racing to get somewhere just before the sun dipped below the horizon.