Emus Barred from Bar

The Yaraka Hotel in outback Queensland, Australia, has banned entry to Kevin and Carol emus, and as a consequence gained worldwide notoriety, as the story has gone viral. The world is in need of some light-hearted news during the COVID-19 pandemic and this story seems to be fulfilling some of this demand.

A local Animal Rescuer, Leanne Byrne, found an abandoned emu nest of eggs and raised the clutch of emus. Kevin’s and Carol’s brothers and sisters have moved on, but this pair remained and endeared themselves to the locals and visitors alike.

Leanne Byrne poses for a photo with one of her feathery babies.

A rift developed after Kevin and Carol learnt how to climb stairs to gain entry into the pub.

The inquisitive emus were captured on digital by pub customer and visiting tourist Sam Guzzardi.

The pair caused havoc by eating guests’ food and leaving messy, smelly deposits behind, which the pub owner wasn’t too thrilled about having to clean up each time it happened, and apparently emu toileting needs are frequent!

The emus are no longer allowed in the Yaraka Hotel after a spate of bad behaviour.(Supplied: Chris Gimblett)

In order to maintain a good working relationship, the owner of the pub set up emu barricades, citing ‘bad emu behaviour’ as making this a necessary action.

The hotel has erected barricades and put up signs urging tourists to keep the emus out.(Supplied: Chris Gimblett)

Kevin and Carol aren’t the only emus strutting there stuff around town. I’ve captured other emus in their strutting action too.

Bright & Breezy

Walking with Flair

A Fashion af-Flair

Take care everybody and be careful around misbehaving emus.

P.S. Original paintings and prints are available at http://www.pjpaintings.com

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Four Iconic Australians

The yellow-tailed black cockatoo is native to Australia and Tasmania. I often see flocks of yellow-tailed black cockatoos swoop and fly around my house, announcing their arrival with their distinctive raucous call. It is an iconic and beautiful Australian bird and one that I am very fond of.

There is uncertainty whether galahs are native or not to Tasmania. Records show that they were here as early as the 1840s. I thought galahs were rather harmless and not causing too much trouble in Tasmania but it turns out that the north-west Tasmanian council wants to cull galahs!! Apparently they are “costly and dangerous” because large flocks are killing trees and gnawing powerlines around Ulverstone.

a yellow-tailed black cockatoo and a galah

The sulphur-crested cockatoo is also an iconic Australian bird and it has established itself in Tasmania. They are thought to have migrated over the Bass Strait under their own wing, and there is this same line of thought about galahs. They are a common sight in Tasmania. The sulphur-crested cockatoo is viewed as a pest by many farmers as large flocks regularly settle on fields of crops for a nice healthy feed.

a sulphur-crested cockatoo

Kookaburras were introduced into Tasmania, in 1906, by humans, to try to reduce snake numbers.  The laughing birds were brought to Tasmania to eat snakes but they also eat native lizards and impact the native birds. They are nest robbers.

Despite two (or three?) of these four iconic Australian birds not being native to Tasmania, and worrying about Tasmania’s native species, I love seeing and hearing them. Birds are beautiful and I love them.

Take care from PJ Paintings

Prints are available at http://www.pjpaintings.com

Share houses

It is a little too squishy for three tawny frogmouths and a baby wombat to share a nest, so the frogmouths have generously given the best room in the house to their guest, while they try to get some shut-eye on the outside premises.

Share house

It’s a tight squeeze but this little wombat has managed to get comfy in this share house (wombats have such cute, gnarly feet!). Luckily wombats and Superb fairy-wrens are such gentle souls.

House sharing

Prints of my “Share house” and “House sharing” paintings are available at http://www.pjpaintings.com under the Animals tab.

I hope that you are keeping well and safe.

Cheers, from PJ Paintings