Benz World Blog » Herbivore

Estrildid Finch

Jason Benz — Sat, 21 Oct 2017 08:46:55 +0000

This bird is a Red-browed Firetail which is a type of Estrildid Finch. I photographed it this afternoon at Lamington National Park in Queensland, Australia. It is close to New South Wales but there is no road crossing the border. The only way in is a long winding dead-end track which climbs into the heart of the Green Mountain Gondwanan forest.

White Rhino

Jason Benz — Sun, 29 Jan 2017 11:00:25 +0000

This is a Southern White Rhinoceros at Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. The wild population is about 20,000. However the Northern White Rhinoceros has effectively become extinct recently. Only 3 animals remain in the wild. The Kenyan Government put the last male under 24hrs armed guard to deter poachers. The horn of the rhino is valued higher than gold. Thoiry Zoo in France lost one of their Rhinos to poachers in 2017.

This image has been accepted by Shutterstock for Stock Photography and is available for download here.

Caper White

Jason Benz — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 09:28:58 +0000

This is a caper white butterfly. They are currently undergoing a mass migration in Queensland, Australia which only happens every 6-10 years.

This image has been accepted by Shutterstock for Stock Photography and is available for download here.

Petra Treasury

Jason Benz — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 09:09:32 +0000

This is the Treasury in Petra, Jordan. It was made famous by Indiana Jones when Harrison Ford and Sean Connery “discovered it” while looking for the Holy Grail. It has of course been known to everyone in Jordan for thousands of years.

Dedicated to Rowan who loved this place.

Orchard Swallowtail

Jason Benz — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 00:43:25 +0000

This Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly has been visiting us each morning at our campsite on Great Keppel Island. Thanks to Karen at GKI pizza for the identification. It has a wingspan of about 5inchs making it the largest butterfly you will find in many parts of Queensland. Although it is part of the swallowtail group it has no swallowtail, adding to the list of Australias wonderful and eccentrically named creatures.

This image has been accepted by Shutterstock for Stock Photography and is available for download here.

Blue Triangle

Jason Benz — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 03:15:49 +0000

This butterfly visited our garden in Southport. It is a Common Bluebottle, Graphium sarpedon, or Blue Triangle in Australia. They are typically found in low-level rain forests flying just above the tree canopy. Somehow this insect has adapted to drier subtropical environments and are often seen in suburban gardens in Queensland and New South Wales.

Black Swans

Jason Benz — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 10:09:09 +0000

Black Swans are the state and bird emblem of Western Australia. Their white eyes turn red during breeding season. This image puts the herbivores and carnivores neck and neck on this blog at 22 each.

This image has been accepted by Shutterstock for Stock Photography and is available for download here.

Monarch Butterfly

Jason Benz — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 11:34:22 +0000

This is a Monarch Butterfly also known as a Wanderer Butterfly in Australia. This insect was in the ancient rainforests of Queensland. Unlike its American cousin which undertakes an epic multi-generational migration from Canada to Mexico the Wanderer opts for a less ambitious migration to and from the coast.

I have been relying on old photos for the last couple of weeks as My Camera is in Melbourne being repaired. I am hoping to get it back in time for the Jacaranda Tree festival in Grafton this month.

Scottish Longhorn

Jason Benz — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 19:38:08 +0000

This is a Scottish Longhorn Highland Cow, although it looks like a creature from Star Wars. As it came towards me I had to tell remind myself this is only a herbivore despite looking more dangerous than all carnivores I have photographed. This shot was taken last winter near Grantham in the UK.

We are over the worst of the jet lag from travelling back from Australia and plan to walk to a pub in Granchester tomorrow.

This image has been accepted by Shutterstock for Stock Photography and is be available for download here.

Baby Roo

Jason Benz — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 02:55:07 +0000

Generally kangaroos are not as photogenic as their wallaby cousins, but this little grey joey was an exception. I would like to get a shot of a big adult red kangaroo as it is Australia’s largest native animal, but all our encounters so far have been too brief to get a good shot.

We are visiting Peak Hill Mine today before our final dash to Sydney to get our flight back to the UK.