Wednesday 1st September 2021. 1400 – 1510

Weather

41mm of rain in the gauge. Cloudy with intermittent showers. Gusty SE wind to 20knots. Track damp. Creek running fast and level slightly up. Moon phase Last Quarter.

Wildlife Report

Weather quite gloomy but radar showed no large areas of rain approaching so seized brolly and set out.
At Allumbah Pocket the Mistletoe Clump in the corner tree near the shelter was today occupied by a chocolate coloured Brushtail Possum and as I looked through my lens against the light I observed some movement at the end nearest the Creek. Changing my viewpoint and zooming in I saw the tail and hind leg of a joey which appeared to be struggling to climb back into the pouch. It had no sooner disappeared than Mum closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
As I crossed the Suspension Bridge I noted that the water level had risen somewhat and a good current was running through between the Stepping Stones but there was also some other disturbance in the water. The culprit was soon revealed as a Platypus which proceeded to forage between the stones and provided some interesting shots.
I checked out The Other Side, photographed a Pacific Emerald Dove, and by the time I arrived at the Memorial Bench the Platypus had reached the same point and enabled my to take some closer views.
At Snodgrass’s Pool the sloping tree trunk was today occupied by a Saw-shelled Turtle at the bottom while at the top a Little Black Cormorant was sitting and each appeared to be keeping a wary eye on the other.
I then checked out the upper level where “Scarface” was nowhere to be seen but the other Eastern Water Dragon which I missed on my last visit was present and permitted some photos.
There was some bird activity again around the flowering Bottle Brush trees and I photographed a very busy Scarlet Honeyeater.
Disturbance in the water at the base of Log Jam Peninsula alerted me to another Platypus which went across to the far bank but then turned upstream and within seconds was followed by another. Both continued ahead of me but were very elusive and I failed to get a worthwhile photo of either.
I was also preceded along the Peninsula by a pair of Orange-footed Scrubfowl before they flew across the Creek.
At Platys Pool a Freshwater Snake or Keelback swam downstream in a hurry and again no photo was obtained.
I met a couple who had just seen two Platypus around Picnic Peninsula but neither revealed themselves to me.
At the Lomandra Clump just below the Highway Bridge there were three Large Spiders present today. My regular Golden Orb-weaver had been joined by another smaller specimen but there was also a very similar spider with red legs rather than black. I have seen spiders of this colour in the same vicinity before but am uncertain of their identity. I will investigate.
“Highwayman” the Brushtail Possum was snug in his bush near the centre of the Highway Bridge but felt strong enough to open his eyes for me.
The rain seemed to have bought out the wading birds today and I quickly captured an Australasian Swamphen, a Masked Lapwing and a pair of Bush Stone-curlews along the fence line.
As I crossed the road a pair of Australian Figbirds were perched in one of the Poinciana trees.
A Spangled Drongo was seen along the path leading to Bunya Street.