Thursday 22nd July 2021. 1350 – 1415

Weather

No rain. Temperature down to 10C at 0600. Bright and sunny. No significant breeze. Track dry. Water level steady. Moon Full – 2 days.

Wildlife Report

Warm in the sun although still quite cool in the shade of the trees.
Unusually found nothing at Allumbah Pocket or The Other Side.
A fine Saw-shelled Turtle was gracing the rock near the Memorial Bench.
On the Rocks opposite Snodgrass’s Pool “Scarface” the Eastern Water Dragon was on display. His facial lesion appeared a little worse than at my last sighting although certainly much better that it was and I suspect that the previous photo was not a true image.
A Platypus was then spotted against the far bank of Snodgrass’s Pool and although he remained stubbornly distant his presence was enjoyed by a family with 2 children from Victoria and another older couple.
Two tiny Saw-shelled Turtles were seen on the sloping log near Full Tide Island, two turtles were enjoying close company at The Log Jam and others were seen at Platys Pool and nearing Picnic Peninsula.
Approaching Highway Bridge I photographed the Golden Orb-weaver Spider and then spotted a disturbance in the water close to my depth measuring log under the bridge.
A Platypus soon bobbed to the surface and swam around for a couple of minutes in very poor light before being frightened by the click of my camera flash opening.
After a short wait she appeared again a few metres downstream where there is a low section of bank just above water level. She remained in this area making repetitive dives for at least 10 minutes and I swear that she was aware of my presence and playing up for me. At one stage she surfaced in the same spot at least half a dozen times within a metre of my camera and I had to reduce the zoom ration in order to keep her in focus.
In the paddock next to the bridge, several Cattle Egrets were mingling with the Cattle.
Half way across the Bridge I photographed the very tired resident Brushtail Possum.