Saturday 14th December 2019. 0823 – 0923

3.5 mm of rain since yesterday. Sunny with a band of mackerel clouds right across the sky. Humid. No wind. Track damp

It goes without saying that this mornings Patrol was not as exciting as yesterday and in fact most of today’s action was along Bunya Street.
Walking down our drive I noted a bird perched at the very tip of a dead tree in the garden of the house opposite. I couldn’t recognise what it was but low and behold, it turned out to be another Oriental Cuckoo. A few metres along the street, a family group of Barred Cuckooshrikes landed right next to us and enabled a good close up picture. The final offering in Bunya St was at the end of the walk when a pair of Bush Stone-curlews were taking a rest in the house next door to the Oriental Cuckoo sighting!.
Nothing was at home at Allumbah Pocket but the long tailed Eastern Water Dragon was opposite the Memorial Bench. No Platypus today and a singular lack of mammals of all sorts.
At the Log Jam a Saw-shelled Turtle was present briefly before taking a dip. An interesting sight on another branch was what appeared to be a winged Turtle preparing for take off! Closer inspection revealed a Tiny Turtle with a leaf on his back which projected like wings on either side. In keeping with the season it was even decorated with a Christmas Tree!
The pair of Pacific Black Ducks seem to have adopted the Creek at present and were seen again at Picnic Peninsula. At the Figbird commune their tree is now starting to bloom and taking on the appearance of a Flower Bower.