Saturday 26th March 2022. 0935 – 1100 hrs.

Weather

1.5 mm of rain in the gauge. Overcast with occasional brief sunny periods. Light SE breeze. Track continues to dry. Water level fallen by about 15 mm. Moon Phase – Last Quarter +3 days.

Wildlife Report

The tall gum tree at the bottom of our garden which appears unfortunately to be dying was this morning bedecked with birds in place of foliage. There were by my reckoning around 70 Australasian Figbirds, both male and female, along with a couple of White-headed Pigeons and a Barred Cuckooshrike. They had to be worth a photograph.
Birds also figured heavily in today’s Patrol, the first subject being a Laughing Kookaburra perched on a tree in the Police Compound.
At Allumbah Pocket “Mrs Green”, the female Green Ringtail Possum was in the same position as on my last visit. It seem to me to be a rather insecure perch with a lot of surrounding foliage but perhaps that is the reason for her move.
“Nosey” the other female GRP was on her regular perch alongside the Suspension Bridge where she received a number of visitors directed by me.
I then spotted very little until the region of Flood Tide Island where I saw in short order a couple of Rainbow Bee Eaters and a mixed flock of birds including a Rufous Shrikethrush and a Varied Triller.
At the base of Log Jam Peninsula near the Evodia Tree a Golden Orb-weaver spider of the slim and sylphlike variety had set up shop and as I saw two more in the course of my walk I assume that this is a new generation of females.
My next sighting was at the base of Picnic Peninsula where a female Leaden Flycatcher proved a very willing subject.
As I neared the tip of the peninsula I heard a splash behind me and turned with sufficient speed to see a Water Dragon swimming across the Creek and emerging on the far bank.
A Spectacled Monarch along the Narrows was not as helpful as the Flycatcher and I failed to get a pic.
Another Golden Orb-weaver had built a web in the Lomandra Clump which was well attended by Nephila spiders last year.
Only a small number of Large Footed Myotis were roosting under the Highway Bridge.
At Nick’s Camping area both of the Bush Stone-curlews were photographed separately.
On the Left Bank I renewed my acquaintance with the resident Golden Orb-weaver and got a good shot of the Coppery Brushtail Possum in the old tree close to the water.
My final subject of the day was ” Tatty” the Coppery Brushtail with the torn ear who is providing me with an unprecedented series of frontal shots.