On Friday we visited Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. If anyone is visiting the Gold Coast/Brisbane/Northern NSW area it is well worth a visit. The staff are really friendly and helpful and it is a great opportunity to see Australian wildlife up close. We have now become Green Guardians. Often we will do the Behind the Scenes tour when we take exchange students to visit, so on this tour you get to see the hospital and wildlife caring they do as well.
This is a photo of a Barking Owl – Ninox connivens. This hawk-owl was credited as being the source of the stories about the mythical bunyip by the Indigenous peoples of Australia. It’s ‘barking’ call and screeching was apparently one of the sources for the development of the bunyip or yowie legend – a mystical creature said to be found around waterholes/billabongs.
It is now an endangered species.
Wildflowerings - Art Studio Diary 
It’s too late to wish you a Merry Christmas, so I’ll be on time (ish) for Happy New Year!
Last time I was up in Townsville, I was woken in the middle of the night by a barking owl. It took me a while to work out why a yappy little dog would be sitting in a tree.
Hi Snail – thankyou for your Happy New Year!! I would wish you the same!
I must admit my Merry Christmas’s were a bit haphazard this year, still trying to figure out whether I actually sent all the Christmas cards out to everyone – it was all done in a bit of a blur and of course I didn’t actually keep a record…had a lovely day with family though which was nice.
Yes, small yapping dog in a tree – I think I would wonder of I was in some kind of warped dream…lol!!
They are also known as the “Murdering Woman” owl, and if you get to hear them in full cry – stands the hairs up on the back of your neck I can tell you!
Hello Greer,
I have heard about the ‘murdering woman’ tag but have not heard them in full cry – I can only imagine that it must be quite scary!