Woman spots what she thinks is a happy bird in the forest – then suddenly realizes her mistake

There’s a lot to be said for the peace of mind one can attain when surrounded by nature.

Long walks through leafy forests, Sunday strolls over luscious, green fields, gentle wanderings down country lanes… you get the gist.

For most people, getting out of the city and immersing themselves in what Mother Nature has to offer is a process that yields a great many benefits. It’s why certain individuals make a habit of it, working it into their weekly routine to keep themselves grounded and level-headed.

An added bonus is that you never truly know what you’ll encounter when you decide to lose yourself outdoors…

Kym Beechey, a woman from Australia, reportedly loves taking walks and appreciating nature’s beauty. A keen amateur photographer, she aims to get shots of the more impressive things she sees, though that can be difficult given how skittish most animals, birds, and insects are.

In any case, Kym was out one day when she thought she’d caught a glimpse of a baby tawny frogmouth (a bird resembling an owl).

Kym took out her phone and quietly prepared to snap a photo. It looked to her like the bird wore an expression similar to a smile, so she zoomed in hoping to get the perfect picture.

Yet no sooner had she done so than did she realize her mistake.

The bird wasn’t a bird at all, but rather a banksia pod. These often-funny looking pods grow out of banksia trees, and can be extremely unique in their appearance.

See Kym’s photo below:

As per reports, banksia trees grow predominantly in south western Australia, though can also be found in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Banksia trees are not classified as conifers, though their pods are often compared to pine cones.

The unique appearance of banksia pods is said to come from their pods bursting open – often in the heat of forest fires – a process that then releases their seeds.

Kym said she had a good laugh over what she initially thought was a “baby bird”, and now has a rather unique photo to add to her collection.

I for one didn’t know these trees even existed. Did you?