Weather

Overcast throughout both days with occasional glimpses of the sun. Occasional light showers. Light breeze at times. Track remains damp with muddy patches but improving. Water level high, steady.

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This is again a composite post combining images obtained in the course of checking the trail cameras on 2 occasions and a full length patrol today.
The trail camera exercise is not proving successful at present with no Platypus image being recorded. I camera produced 20+ images in daylight only and appeared as though triggering had been caused by the wind or water movement. The image published shows two Turtles as do several others but video recorded within a few seconds suggests that Turtle movement did not cause triggering. Research into this subject suggests that PIR triggering which relies on different temperatures between the animal and the background is not sensitive enough to detect a Platypus which has a low body temperature and wet fur when it is partially immersed in water. I am now trying timed triggering to see if this works.
As in my last post I will not attempt to talk you through my meanderings but will note the locations of the images.

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Wolf Spider. Lycosa spp.

Asian House Gecko. Hemidactylus frenatus

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Willie Wagtail. Rhipidura leucophrys

Lewin’s Honeyeater. Meliphaga lewinii

Image of Camera Trap

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

Weather

Not a lot of rain recorded but almost every day had been characterised by overcast skies and frequent light drizzle. Light winds only in this area. Track damp with some muddy areas. Water level high, steady.

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My apologies to my regular followers for the lack of regular posts during this week. The threat of Cyclone Mimi earlier in the week, constant drizzle, activities regarding the Platypus with a plastic ring around its neck and lack of wildlife when I have ventured out has resulted in little to publish.
Here is a collection of the animals that I have seen during my wanders along the Creek for one reason or another.
I will not attempt to write a disjointed narrative but the location of the various images are recorded.

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Cicada Green Baron. Psaltoda magnifica

Trail Camera at Petersons Creek

Weather

4.5 mm in the gauge. Overcast with occasional bright to sunny periods. Light southerly breeze. Track damp. Several muddy areas remain although Yungaburra Volunteers have fixed several of them with a fresh load of Quincan scoria and have also done some remedial drainage work under the Highway Bridge. Water level high and steady.

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After some heavy gardening, lunch and a bit of cricket, set out alone in the hope of spotting “Ringneck” the Platypus with a plastic band around her neck.
Saw a solitary Bush Stone-curlew in one of the creekside gardens along Bunya Street.
At Allumbah Pocket I found Mrs Green, the Green Ringtail Possum in one of the trees overhanging the Parking Area. Both she and her Joey were partially concealed by dense foliage forming an amorphous mass from which various recogniseable features protruded. Photography was as usual a challenge!
Entering the Walk I almost immediately saw a Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroo in the creek bank tree where Brushtail Possums are often roosting. While taking photos I was joined by a young woman from France who I introduced also to Mrs Green.
Moving on to Horseshoe Rocks, one of the resident Eastern Water Dragons was on display and pics taken.
As I moved on a group of young people started skylarking on the bridge so I yelled rather rudely that if they had not yet frightened it away there was a Tree Kangaroo to be seen nearby. When I met them later at Highway Bridge they had been transformed into grateful visitors from Cairns who were very pleased to have seen a Tree Roo.
Nothing was then seen until the Log Jam where in the absence of logs, three Saw-shelled Turtles were occupying the concrete slab. While photographing them a couple from China arrived and were also told about the Tree Kangaroo, an animal of which they had never heard! I was able to reassure them that many Australians were similarly unaware.
At Platy’s Pool another visitor asked for advice, this time a young woman with her small child in a sling who currently lives in Cairns. When told about the Tree Roo she was quite excited as she had urged her partner to come along but he preferred a nap!
The unidentified nest was still present at Picnic Peninsula but no activity to provide clues of ownership.
Crossing the Highway Bridge I photographed a juvenile Eastern Water Dragon on the rocks below which a few days ago were inundated with water from the street drains.
No platypus were spotted today so will try again tomorrow. Perhaps they are still recovering from the excitement earlier in the week!

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo. Dendrolagus lumholtzi

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Weather

Light showers from yesterday seem to have cleared. 4.5 mm of rain in the gauge. Sunny with scattered cloud. Light southerly breeze at times. Track damp but drying except where water is running off the paddock and creating persistent mud patches. Water level down by only 20 mm since yesterday.

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Somewhat tired this morning after the activities of the last 2 says assisting the DES Team. Sorted out my photographic gear and cleaned where necessary.
Noticed at breakfast time that a bird was perched in the Flame Tree but thought that I was seeing the back end of a Bar-shouldered Dove. Not until we returned from Atherton Library several hours later did I realise that it was in fact a Tawny Frogmouth which remained with us for the rest of the day being photographed at intervals.
We also have insect visitors in the form of numerous Christmas Beetles which are enjoying the Bottle Brush in the back garden.
Thomas and I decided on a late walk to see if there was any sign of Platypus after their recent disturbances.
It proved to be a quiet afternoon with the first sighting of wildlife a Black-faced Cuckooshrike which was photographed near Platypus Bend.
Nothing then until No 1 of the Overhanging Bushes where in spite of his numerous visitors yesterday the small male Green Ringtail Possum had moved less than a metre to an alternative perch on the other side of the canopy.
In the same vicinity I checked the nest of unknown ownership and photographed a Rufous Shrikethrush.
The final sighting of the day was a pair of Masked Lapwings on the nature strip opposite home.

Tawny Frogmouth. Podargus strigoides

Christmas Beetles

Black-faced Cuckooshrike.Coracina novaehollandiae

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Rufous Shrikethrush. Colluricincla megarhyncha

Masked Lapwing. Vanellus miles miles

Weather

48 mm of rain in the gauge. Sunny periods with increasing cloud. Breeze 10 knots S-SW. Track slightly wet. Areas of black mud which can be difficult to circumnavigate. Water level had been over the normal banks at times. At present approx 500 mm above normal.

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Thomas in disgrace today after having replaced a chewed through seat belt at a cost in excess of $400.00. Enough said.
Spotted a small Saw-shelled Turtle on a rock just upstream of the Suspension Bridge with another about to climb aboard.
At The Other Side, two Eastern Water Dragons were observed on the Rock behind the Storage Shed, one a male of substantial size.
More Turtles were seen on the fallen Tree at Snodgrass’s Pool and another Water Dragon on the path to the upper level on the other side of the Walk.
Cicadas were very noisy this morning and I found a Red Roarer at low level on a Grey Gum tree near Platypus Bend.
The Christmas Beetles have all vanished for the moment as the tree blossoms have all been destroyed by the rain and very few Honeyeaters were around for the same reason.
At Picnic Point while looking in vain for a Platypus I noticed a birds nest high in a tree on the opposite bank. It was similar in over all shape to a Sunbird’s nest but with the base attached to a branch rather than being suspended and much shorter and more dumpy.
Birds were tending the nest at regular intervals, I think still building, but they were too far away to identify. I did not spot any flashes of yellow and a very poor image of one of the visiting birds is more suggestive of one of the Gerygones which I believe have nests of this type. Any comments would be welcome.
I deviated to the Fig Tree which leans over the vacant lot and was pleased to see a Green Ringtail Possum high in the canopy. I think a male.
My neighbor met me along Bunya Street to advise that the female Bush Stone-curlew and one of the chicks seems to have disappeared but the male and other chick had visited for breakfast and were still in her garden. I took some photos before being warned off very firmly by Dad.
Hope that Mum and the other chick turn up again but in the meantime Dad and chick are enjoying meal worms!
Meanwhile on the other side of the road a Masked Lapwing and a juvenile Australian Brush Turkey were greeting each other.

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Red Roarer Cicada. Psaltoda aurora

Gerygone Nest. Species unknown

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

Masked Lapwing. Vanellus miles miles
Australian Brush Turkey. Alectura lathami

Weather

24 mm of rain in gauge. Sunny with high stratus cloud early. Overcast later with few spots of rain around 1700 hrs. No significant breeze. Track remains wet but has dried a little and slightly less mud.
Water level dropped about 250 mm since yesterday.

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Grass in desperate need of cutting which occupied most of morning and recovery time needed for watching cricket.
Made a late start along Creek and was rewarded with a view of “Mrs Green” the Green Ringtail Possum with joey but today in the tree with the mistletoe yesterday occupied by a Brushtail Possum. Introduced them to a large family group of visitors.
Near Snodgrass’s Pool a moderately sized but well marked Eastern Water Dragon was occupying one of the trackside rocks.
A Saw-shelled Turtle was climbing up a branch of the recently fallen tree.
Nothing else was seen until I obtained a rear view of another Turtle along The Narrows.
I had almost given up when I spotted waves radiating from South bank of the Platypus Viewing Pool and was soon joined by a mob of tourists.
A Platypus remained in the partly inundated grass for around 10 minutes while it foraged and scratched intermittently revealing glimpses of itself from time to time.
I fired off a number of random shots including a couple as it was emerging from the grass when I ran out of battery power.
To my amazement the first of these appears to show the neck band while the second suggests a groove running behind the right foreleg as suggested by a previous image.
Lady Luck certainly seems to be with us as we endeavor to keep tabs on “Ringneck”!

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Weather

65 m of rain in gauge overnight. Overcast. No rain as yet this morning. No breeze. Track wet. Several areas where surface water has eroded track surface. Black mud mainly in areas where water runs off the paddock. Water level has been above the banks during the night depositing 25 mm of very sticky mud. Water level now up by 300 mm. Strong water flow leaving mounds of debris in places.

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Not walking weather for dogs.
Along Bunya Street Spotted a Bush Stone-curlew in one of the garden which leads down to the Creek.
At Allumbah Pocket a Common Brushtail Possum was in the Mistletoe Clump where the track curves to the left to reach the Creek Bank. On closer inspection she had a Charcoal coloured joey sitting in front of her with it’s tail draped across her abdomen.
Close by in the tree next to the suspension Bridge, “Popeye” the Green Ringtail Possum was perched on an open branch and enjoying the scenery.
Found an Eastern Water Dragon at my new site for viewing them behind the storage area at The Other Side. Another sprinted into the vegetation as I rounded the corner of the paddock.
Very quiet for birds and insects today and observed nothing apart from deposits of mud on the banks and flattened vegetation in areas which had been inundated. Flood Tide Island is now living up to it’s name.
Found another male Green Ringtail Possum in No 3 of the Overhanging Bushes and took some pleasing images of him.
No Platypus seen today. No evidence of the flood level compromising any of the burrows of which I am aware.
I am concerned that it will not be possible to attempt capture of “Ringneck” while stormy weather and high rainfall continues at a similar level.

Common Brushtail Possum. Trichosurus vulpecula

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Weather

33 mm of rain in the gauge. Sunny early with scattered cloud. No significant breeze. Track wet with some areas of mud. Water level up slightly.

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Thomas invited to come but dismissed me with a withering look!
Left home alone and without umbrella.
Nothing seen at Allumbah Pocket but at The Other Side saw an Eastern Water Dragon behind the equipment hut near the paddock fence and another on the rocks in the corner.
Bumped into a couple from Brisbane visiting their local property and took photos of Christmas Beetles in the flowering tree near Flood Tide Island.
This species of Scarab Beetle seems to be the most common in this locality but in spite of reviewing hundreds of images I am unable to positively identify it. Can anyone advise?
No activity then until Platy’s Pool where there were also numerous Christmas Beetles and Dusky Honeyeaters but not much else.
No sign of Turtles, Possums or Platypuses today.
After crossing the Highway spotted a Silvereye in one of the Poinciana trees and took his photo.
The Bunya Street Bush Stone-curlews were again on view in a typical spot surrounded by ugly human artifacts. Both chicks were lined up with the parents.
Not a very productive day but had to publish something to let followers know that I am still on the case

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Christmas Beetle

Silvereye. Zosterops lateralis

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

Weather

10 mm of rain in the gauge, Bright and sunny initially but clouding up later with storm clouds increasing. Almost turned back on viewing dark clouds from the road but had umbrella so decided to continue. Traversed walk much faster than usual but heavy downpour commenced when at Stringers Stretch. Took shelter for about 15 minutes under Highway Bridge when it eased off enough to get home without getting soaked.
Track wet and will by now be quite muddy. Water level down 50 mm since yesterday but probably back up again by now. Still raining as I write.

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Went out to purchase a plant from Lakeside Nursery and deliver it to Malanda this morning so made an after lunch start to Patrol. Thomas keen to come today in spite of being warned about the weather.
At Allumbah Pocket sighted a Green Ringtail Possum in the tree on the right of the entrance. Very difficult to make it out through dense foliage but the furry bundle appeared too big for a single Possum so came to conclusion that the face seen is that of joey while the background mass is Mrs Green. Reluctant to hang around too long as concerned about weather.
In the tree on the right at the far end of Lloyd’s Suspension Bridge “Popeye” the male Green Ringtail Possum was awaiting us and looking quite perky.
At Horseshoe Rocks a female Eastern Water Dragon was displaying her full length but when I delayed taking a photograph she hid most of herself behind a rock.
The cause of the delay was the sighting on the rocks in front of the Memorial Bench of a moderately sized Saw-shelled Turtle with a tiny relative riding on it’s back. It made a particularly attractive image.
Another Turtle was on the downstream side of the newly fallen tree at Snodgrass’s Pool.
Hurried on pausing only briefly to photograph two more Turtles on the concrete slab opposite Log Jam Peninsula.
Paused again at Platy’s Pool where a Varied Eggfly Butterfly caught my eye as it tasted some nectar.
At Picnic Peninsula a small group had gathered to view a Platypus. The light had by this time become difficult for photography and I was unable to obtain an image but my naked eye impression was that this could well have been “Ringneck”.
As the rain commenced we retreated to the shelter of the Highway Bridge where we were joined by a family from Brisbane who made Thomas’s day by giving him several pats!
While there, a small insectivorous bat flew around several times before perching in one of the bridge joints.
Returned home when the rain eased without any further sightings.

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Varied Eggfly. Hypolimnas bolina

Run Off water from the highway cascading under the Bridge

Weather

30 mm of rain. Overcast with frequent showers. Mostly light but if I had not taken an umbrella with me on Patrol I would have returned like a drowned rat. Occasional gusts but mostly no wind. Track wet. Increasing areas of mud. Water level steady but rising immediately after heavy rain.

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Taking down Christmas decorations this morning and when almost all baubles and figurines had been removed I discovered a self invited animal which outshone all the others. A delightful Graceful Treefrog was sitting on a branch above a wooden ornament!
Set off on Patrol bearing an umbrella and glad that I did.
At The Other Side spotted “Popeye” the Green Ringtail Possum in the tree behind the Picnic Shelter and he watched me carefully as I took his photo.
Two Eastern Water Dragons sprinted from the rocks near the fence and vanished into the paddock before I could lift my camera.
A Black-faced Monarch was much more cooperative and sang his heart out as I snapped him.
No Dragons to be seen on the fallen tree at Snodgrass’s Pool but a small Saw-shelled Turtle had occupied it today.
A lot on insect activity in the flowering tree near Flood Tide Island and grabbed a few shots of Christmas Beetles. Numerous Honeyeaters were again present but kept well out of my way.
I had no sooner finished when the Heavens opened but I continued with umbrella raised.
By arrival at Platy’s Pool the rain was easing and the nectar feeders were again very busy.
A Macleay’s Honeyeater was particularly acrobatic and avoided most of my efforts but not this one.
Another male Green Ringtail Possum was roosting again in No 3 of the Overhanging Bushes.
Numerous Honeyeaters also at Picnic Peninsula and again elusive.
Under the Highway Bridge I briefly glimpsed a Platypus which emerged in a hurry from under the bank and it did not reappear.
The rocks beneath the Highway Bridge where I often observe juvenile Water Dragons and Freshwater Skinks were inundated this morning by water runoff from the road.
The Bunya Street Curlews were sheltering this morning in the centre of a bed of Swamp Lilies in their home garden. Mum was lying with her wings outspread to shelter the chicks and the head of one is just visible peeking out from under her left wing.

Graceful Treefrog. Litoria gracilenta

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Black-faced Monarch. Monarcha melanopsis

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Christmas Beetle.

Macleay’s Honeyeater. Xanthotis macleayana

Scarlet Honeyeater. Myzomela sanguinolenta

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius