Sunday 5th June 2022. 0915 – 1050 hrs

Weather

No rain in the gauge. Sunny with some scattered cumulus clouds. Light southerly breeze. Track dry. Water level falling very slowly. Moon – First Quarter – 3 days.

Wildlife Report

Made a fairly early start this morning and at first it seemed very quiet although becoming quite busy with visitors later in the Patrol.
Allumbah Pocket had little to offer initially but “Nosey” the Green Ringtail Possums was waiting to greet me in the tree near the Boiler Shed.
I went on a comprehensive tour of The Other Side without finding much and on returning to the Track I saw nothing until I spotted “Whitespot”, another female Green Ringtail, sitting with her Joey in her favourite tree near Snodgrass’s Pool.
After a series of photos I continued and almost immediately took a shot of a Laughing Kookaburra which flew across the creek in front of me.
Approaching the base of Log Jam Peninsula I noted ripples spreading from the bank and soon saw the Platypus causing them. She continued foraging and I was able to get some good snaps before I was joined by a couple carrying a tiny baby. They were very surprised to see an active Platypus in the middle of the morning which I told them was common in Petersons Creek.
There was nothing to see at the Log Jam but at the upstream base of the Peninsula another Platypus was feeding under the branches overhanging the far bank. It was difficult to photograph.
While attempting to do this I met my friend from East Timor together with half a dozen others who I gathered are all working together at a Blueberry Farm. It was a pleasure to see a diverse group of overseas workers all taking an interest in our wildlife on their day off.
Nothing more was seen until the narrows where the first Saw-shelled Turtle I had seen today was on the far bank.
At the Lomandra clump near the Bridge I photographed the resident Golden Orb-weaver Spiders.
The number of Large-footed Fishing Bats roosting under the Highway Bridge had diminished even more but I was ably to find a small group close enough to focus on.
While crossing the Bridge I saw two juvenile Eastern Water Dragons on the rocks below.
On to the Pizzeria Beer Garden where the Bush Stone-curlews were relaxing among the furniture.
I crossed the Highway to the East Bank and with some difficulty found a female Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo with her joey, both high in the canopy and well concealed, so it took some time getting some half decent shots.
The Brushtail Possum was visible at the top of the hollow tree with tuft of fur seen on the far side of the trunk. I was unable to work out exactly what this was.
“Tatty” the Coppery Brushtail Possum was again in the Fig Tree but had reverted to her typical antisocial behaviour.