Weather.

No rain. Scattered cloud with sunny periods. Little or no breeze. Track dry. Water level low and bottom visible in many areas. Need some decent rain.

Post.

A very good morning as two birds were photographed on our front bird table, one a new species for me, and a pair of Cairns Birdwing Butterflies were copulating on our patio lounge having been rescued from a concrete slab in full sun. I don’t think they would have survived if left to their own devices.
Photographing the above motivated Thomas and I to don our patrolling gear and set off.
We were soon rewarded when we sighted a female Green Ringtail Possum with joey at the entrance to the walk at Allumbah Pocket although they were rather high up for a first class photos.
Deviated to the Old Boiler Shed where we saw a pair of Fairy Gerygones but they were too busy to be photographed.
We returned to the Suspension Bridge where the two Golden Orb-weaver Spiders were still in position and the second one just off the track was in the process of securing a Honey Bee.
At this point we met a couple of visitors who were not only interested but also joined the Thomas appreciation society so we backtracked to show them the Possums.
At the Horseshoe Rocks we sighted a moderate sized Eastern Water Dragon.
Saw a small group of assorted birds including a Scarlet Honey Eater and a silver Eye but all very fast moving.
At The Log Jam two Saw-shelled Turtles were in residence.
A Spectacled Monarch gave us a good display along the Peninsula and Thomas received yet more admiration from two young women going in the opposite direction!
At Platy’s Pool observed concentric waves radiating from the point and having readied my camera to shoot the anticipated Platypus, was perfectly poised to get several shots of a Rakali or Australian Water Rat. I have seen them several times before but have not been in position to get a photo.
While walking along the stretch of Overhanging Bushes observed two small birds busy around the grass stems and in the hope that they might be a pair of Cisticola shot off a few photos. My guess proved to be correct!
In spite of the recent tree clearing, “Chocolate” the Common Brushtail Possum was at home in Bush No 2.
In the next bush, No 1, the small male Green Ringtail Possum had returned to his perch.
At the apex of Picnic Peninsula a moderately large male Eastern Water Dragon was relaxing on an inclined log.
The Pacific Emerald Dove continues to incubate her eggs on the usual untidy nest at the base of the Peninsula.
No Platypus to be seen today.
As we crossed the Highway Bridge spotted another dark coloured Brushtail Possum in one of the trees which sprouts from the bank alongside the steps below the Walkway.
It did not wish to communicate.
The female Bunya Street Bush Stone-curlew continues to incubate her eggs.

Bar-shouldered Dove. Geopelia humeralis

Red-winged Parrot. Aprosmictus erythropterus Juvenile female.

Cairns Birdwing Butterfly. Ornithoptera priamus

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Golden Orb-weaver Spider. Nephila Sp

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Spectacled Monarch. Symposiachrus trivirgatus

Rakali a.k.a. Australian Water Rat. Hydromys chrysogaster

Golden-headed Cisticola. Cisticola exilis (? diminuta)

Common Brushtail Possum. Trichosurus vulpecula – “Chocolate”

Pacific Emerald Dove. Chalcophaps longirostris

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

Shot of the Day