1 mm or rain only. Overcast with few patches of blue. No breeze. Track wet but much dryer than yesterday. Water level down about 400 mm and current markedly decreased.

My furry friend and I had seen nothing of note until approaching the far side of the suspension bridge where we were subjected to the frosty stair of a male Green Ringtail Possum who was practically within touching distance in a fig tree alongside. He appeared to have not fear whatsoever and continued to peer at us while I took a selection of pics.
We continued on to the Memorial Bench where there were no Dragons to be seen.
White Spot was back on her high level roost and there appeared to be quite a lot of of activity going on. Though my lens I could see that Joey was climbing over Mum’s head until he was in position to inspect us. The results are seen below.
Cicadas were again noisy but present in much smaller numbers and high in the trees but I did photograph a Red Roarer.
At Platypus Point a group of Barred Cuckoo-shrikes flew into the trees and made themselves friendly.
At the Log Jam the logs were appearing again but no wildlife in evidence.
A Freshwater ( Keelback ) Snake swam across Platy’s Pool before vanishing into the grass but not before his presence was recorded.
This was followed by a Turtle taking a breath.
A Platypus was swimming downstream on the far bank of Stringers Stretch but decided to pay us a visit resulting in a couple of reasonable shots.
Took another photo from under the Highway Bridge to show how much the water had gone down in 24 hrs.
The resident Shrike-Thrushes were still on the job at the Viewing Platform but although the chicks could be made out in the nest they were not yelling for food today.
The Bush Stone-curlews had returned to the East side of the Car Park.
Although we had seen no other people on the walk, Thomas found, in front of Nick’s Pizzeria, a Dachshund Lover who new exactly the right way to tickle his ears. His day was made!

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Red Roarer Cicada. Psaltoda aurora

Barred Cuckoo-shrike. Coracina lineata

Freshwater Snake. Tropidonophis mairii

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Falling Water Level

Rufous Shrike-thrush. Colluricincla magarhyncha

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

59 mm of rain in a storm during the early hours. Scattered cloud. Mostly sunny. No breeze. Creek swollen and running bank to bank with strong current. Chocolate milkshake colour. Track wet with numerous shallow puddles and small streams running across. Not too muddy. Perfectly passable.

The word for today is PLATYPUS, PLATYPUS, PLATYPUS as no less than seven were seen this morning between Platypus Bend and The Narrows.
Checked out Allumbah Pocket and The Other Side without finding anything of interest.
A small Eastern Water Dragon was on a rock in the paddock opposite the Horseshoe Rocks.
No sign of White spot or any other Possums today so probably sheltering in denser vegetation.
Cicadas extremely noisy and numerous specimens of different species were on the Grey Gum trees between Snodgrass’s Pool and Wood Jam Peninsula. Not sure if I have sorted them out yet.
Sighted a Platypus burrowing in the floating grass at Platypus Bend but not interested in photography today.
The Log Jam was invisible apart from a new large log which had managed to snag itself in midstream and hence no Turtles.
A Platypus was exploring the far bank and as it headed upstream away from the Jam I observed a new phenomenon for the first of three occasions today. It surfaced in the narrow section of the Creek where the current was strongest and stayed perfectly still in relation to the bank while paddling to balance the speed of the flowing water. Easy to take photos!
At the same time a Pacific Black Duck passed going at high speed with the flow.
A third Platypus was seen at Platy’s Pool feeding in a mat of weed and debris in an area out of the current and seem to be enjoying itself.
Yet another Platypus near the Overhanging Bushes, a fifth along Stringers Stretch passing another going in the opposite direction and a final animal at The Narrows!
Under the Highway Bridge the Creek was almost twice it’s normal width with a swirling current.
At the Viewing Platform, one of the parent Rufous Shrike-thrushes was standing guard on the nest and as I maneuvered to optimise the view, two little heads popped up and opened their beaks for food! Great success at what seemed a crazy place to build a nest!
The Bush Stone-curlews had adjourned to the Bamboo Clump this morning or perhaps they were just drying out in the sun.

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Cicadas – assorted.

Platypus. Ortnithorhynchus anatinus

Pacific Black Duck. Anas superciliosus

Swollen Creek.

Rufous Shrike-thrush. Colluricincla megarhyncha

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

36 mm rain in early hours of this morning. Bright and sunny with scattered cloud. Light breeze from North West. Track wet in parts with some muddy patches.

Entered Allumbah Pocket from Bunya Street and immediately spotted in a fork of on of the the trees to the right what appeared to be the rear end of a Common Brushtail Possum. Checked form the other side of the tree and confirmed that it was Chocolate on of the local residents. No obvious sign of her joey but probably concealed after a wet night.
Across the bridge and White Spot, the Green Ringtail Possum was in her favorite tree but at a lower altitude and appeared to have Joey lying on her chest with his head on her shoulder and being cuddled! His tail was unusually hanging straight down. Perhaps the rain had washed the curl out of it?
A lot of different Cicada calls this morning and on the Grey Gums on the west side of the track from Snodgrass’s Pool onward there were numerous smaller and less colourful cicadas which I photographed.
At Log Jam Peninsula we came across a tiny, fragile Mantis climbing down the trunk of a large tree.
At the Log Jam there was one Turtle in the water about to climb onto a long but our appearance caused a change of mind.! There was a juvenile Eastern Water Dragon on another log.
No Platypus seen and no more Possums.
At Picnic Peninsula we met two friendly young blokes from the Czech Republic and in spite of some language difficulties managed to direct them towards the local wildlife.
At the Viewing Platform, one of the Rufous shrike-thrushes was minding the nest today.
At the East side of the Car Park the Bush Stone-curlews were back together in what is becoming their usual spot.

Common Brushtail Possum. Trichosurus vulpecula

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Floury Baker Cicada. Aleeta curvicosta

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii – juvenile

Mantis. Fam Mantidae. Spp unknown

Rufous Shrike-thrush. Colluricincla megarhyncha

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

2.5 mm of rain in gauge. Bright sun. Little cloud. Light southerly breeze. Track damp.

Bright sunny morning and pleased to see Chocolate, the Common Brushtail Possum back in the mistletoe clump at Allumbah Pocket. Unable to spot joey but usual in this roost.
A solitary Eastern Water Dragon was on the rocks opposite the Memorial Bench.
In the tree nearby White Spot the Green Ringtail Possum was in her high level roost with Joey revealed only by glimpses of his tail.
At Snodgrass’s Pool two Pacific Black Ducks were good enough to pose for me.
The Cicadas were very noisy this morning and numerous Red Roarers were decorating the Grey Gums on the West side of the Walk from Snodgrass’s pool onward.
Nothing was seen at the Log Jam but in the Evodia tree at the base of the Peninsula the crown was crowded with Christmas Beetles while half a dozen Ulysses Swallowtails flew around. A bit hit and miss but managed to get photographs of both although not unfortunately the brilliant blue of the butterfly’s upperside.
No Platypus around today.
Saw a Keelback Snake emerge from the water at Stringers Stretch but no photos.
Bumped in to Allan Gillanders who showed me the Long Eared Bats roosting in the gaps between the concrete beams of Highway Bridge.
The Rufous Shrike-thrushes were not at home today.
On the other side of the Car Park one of the Bush Stone-curlews was looking rather lonely while in the paddock a group were holding a Council Meeting

Common Brushtail Possum. Trichosurus vulpecula

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Pacific Black Duck. Anas superciliosus

Red Roarer Cicada. Psaltoda aurora – female

Christmas Beetles. Scarabaeidae

Ulysses Swallowtail Butterfly. Papilio ulysses

Eastern Long-eared Bat. Nyctophilus bifax

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

No rain. 70% cloud cover with periods of sun. Suggestion of storm cell formation to the West. Gusty breeze. Track damp, drying.

Feeling better this afternoon so gave it a whorl. No problems encountered and Thomas met two new fans!
Along Bunya Street noted a male Australian Figbird with plumage set off by a background of coloured leaves.
After meeting an old mate with his wife and two dogs on the Suspension Bridge, checked out The Other Side without success and continued on to Memorial Bench.
White Spot, the Green Ringtail Possum had climbed to her high level roost opposite the Bench. Not a lot to see initially but found a view which clearly showed Joey sitting alongside Mum on the perch although neither of their faces were visible. Showed them to a local couple who happened to be passing and Thomas received some well deserved admiration and pats! ( He gets upset if he is not Mentioned in Dispatches ).
Very little was seen after that until meeting a lass up from Cairns for the WE and who is a fellow Dachshund owner. I gladly gave permission for another love in with Thomas only too willing to participate and described to her how to find the possums.
Crossing the Highway Bridge saw a juvenile Eastern Water Dragon on the rocks beneath.
At the Platypus Viewing Platform one of the Rufous Shrike-thrushes was as usual in attendance at the nest.
The Bush Stone-curlews were relaxing today by the Bamboo clump.
Back at home the TV aerial was decorated by a group of pigeons and doves.

Australasian Figbird. Sphecotheres flaviventris

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii – juvenile

Rufous Shrike-thrush. Colluricincla megarhyncha

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

Crested Pigeon. Ocyphaps lophotes. + Peaceful Dove. Geopelia placida

No rain. Blue sky with bright sun and no clouds. No breeze. Track not inspected today.

Regrettably suffering this morning from a gastro bug and have decided that the walk is too far from facilities to chance a Patrol today! Thomas of course very disappointed as I am sure my regular followers will be.
If things improve I may have a stroll along the Creek later in the day.
I have decided to use the extra time to update you on a few changes to my blog which you might not otherwise have noticed.
These are a new Petersons Creek Map and two additional pages on the menu at the top of the Home Page which shows the Blog of the day. Their headings are SPOTTING TIPS and VISUAL GUIDE.

Petersons Creek Map.

My previous published map was not very satisfactory as the size was too small and left out a lot of features. I was unable to find a reasonably accurate map of a size suitable for my requirements so I took the bull by the horns and drew a map which I believe is sufficiently accurate to serve. It was then necessary to digitise the image and edit it on the computer. I have added a few names and more information to aid visitors to the area and I hope that it will help everyone locate the animals which I report on the blog.
This image can be downloaded either from this page or from the bottom of the Visual Guide page.

SPOTTING TIPS

This page is set out in two parts.
At the top is a section on What To Wear giving some basic advice.
Next is Equipment which covers binoculars and cameras.
The rest of the page deals with General Spotting and more detail on most of the animals and birds which you are likely to see on the Walk

VISUAL GUIDE

This is an annotated photographic guide which covers the length of Petersons Creek from the Car Park to Lloyd’s Suspension Bridge. Each Photograph shows a section of the creek which can be seen by the naked eye from a particular spot while the accompanying notes link the location to the map and give an indication of what you are likely to see in this section.
My aim is to provide a guide which can be downloaded onto a smart phone which is carried by many visitors. I have checked that a phone signal can be obtained at any point along the Walk, even under the Highway Bridge.
To create a short cut to either the whole blog or to a specific page on iPhone of iPad.
I would chose the Home Page from which you can select whichever Page you require:

1) Navigate to Page you require using Safari.
2) Open the Page.
3) Press the share button which will take you to a selection of options.
4) Select “Attach to Home Screen” and enter.( On my phone their are 2 rows, Top for Facebook etc and bottom row for other locations which is what you want)
An icon will appear on the screen.

The process is very similar on other smart phones although the terms used may differ.

Hope you all enjoy the new information. Comments or suggestions are always welcome

Cheers

Platypus Patrol

No rain. Bright sunshine. Sky clear apart from scattered small area of high level cloud and increasing cumulus from the East. Light breeze. Track damp, drying.

Allumbah Pocket clear. While crossing the Suspension Bridge noticed small parallel waves coming from downstream with no obvious source. Moving on a few metres revealed a pair of Pacific Black Ducks drifting in mid stream and guessed that they had probably just landed.
An Eastern Water Dragon was located in the paddock close to The Other Side. This appears to be a common spot to see them when walking early presumably because it catches the morning sun and warms up before the rock piles.
White Spot the Green Ringtail Possum had moved along to the trees opposite Snodgrass’s Pool where she was curled up into a real ball of fur. Couldn’t see any sign of Joey but am sure he was tucked in somewhere!
No Turtles this morning, but saw the typical bubble pattern of a submerged feeding Platypus right at the tip of Log Jam Peninsula. Sure enough the Platypus soon emerged and spent several minutes performing repeated dives right in front of me, resulting in some good pics.
No Possums in the Overhanging Bushes but found another Platypus opposite Bush No 4 and snatched a couple of shots before it moved to the far bank and continued on towards Picnic Peninsula. Caught a glimpse of another Platypus in Stringer’s Stretch but it did not reappear.
I happened to notice that the wooden bench along The Narrows had at least 20 Cicada nymph cases along it’s rear edge. It is obviously a popular spot for adult Cicadas to emerge!
At The Viewing Platform photographed the Rufous Shrike-thrushes nest and one of the owners before showing it to two local ladies and told them where to find the Possum. They reciprocated by giving Thomas his keenly anticipated pats and strokes!
The pair of Bush Stone-curlews were in the same spot on the East side of the Car Park. There were another dozen or so in the paddock along with a scattering of Geese and Ibis.
Along Bunya Street two Masked Lapwings were escorting a juvenile and making a lot of noise about it!

Pacific Black Duck. Anas superciliosus

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Cicada Nymph Cases

Rufous Shrike-thrush. Colluricincla megarhyncha

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

Masked Lapwing. Vanellus miles miles

No rain. Bright sunshine with scattered cumulus clouds and some high cirrus cloud coming in from the west. Light breeze. Track damp but drying. Still a residual puddle under highway bridge.

Thomas in ebullient mood after receiving much admiration and a pat half way across Lloyd’s Suspension Bridge! The Patroller was also pleased with photographs of a Platypus on the North side of the bridge and a Pacific Black Duck navigating the Stepping Stones on the South side.
This in spite of bridge swaying in response to wagging of Thomas’s tail and associated activity.
White Spot the Green Ringtail Possum seems to be making a habit of high level roost and showing nothing of Joey but the curl of his tail. At least we know that they are both there.
An Eastern Water Dragon was seen again in the paddock.
Cicadas were very noisy but today I took a photograph of a female Red Roarer just before Log Jam Peninsula and an Emerald Fairy Cicada at the Log Jam.
A Turtle hit the water just as we arrived at the Log Jam and but not identified as we were paying more attention to a large Platypus very busy foraging at the downstream side. We remained with him for 10 minutes or more until a smaller Platypus appeared from around the bend and was also photographed. No association between them was observed.
Nothing then until the Viewing Platform where we witnessed yet another changing of the nest guard at the home of the Rufous Shrike-thrushes.
The Bush Stone-curlews were again on the East side of the Car Park but appeared to be having a bit of a huff with each other.

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Pacific Black Duck. Anas superciliosus

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Red Roarer Cicada. Psaltoda aurora – female

Green Baron Cicada. Psaltoda magnifica

Rufous Shrike-thrush. Colluricincla megarhyncha

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

0.5 mm rain. Hazy sunshine. Scattered cumulus clouds, increasing. No breeze. Track damp.

Started the walk this morning with some trepidation, having dropped my camera and telephoto lens on the concrete floor of the patio when the hook securing it to a shoulder strap gave way! First sighting today was White Spot the Green Ringtail Possum who was roosting again high in the canopy and showing little of her joey apart from a pair of entwined tails. Fortunately the camera still worked and appears to have sustained no significant damage.
No obvious Eastern Water Dragons but a check along the upper level revealed two in the paddock and another was peeping out from behind a rock opposite Snodgrass’s Pool.
At Platypus Bend a small flock of White Headed Pigeons flew out of the trees but not fortunately until I had photographed their most prominent member.
To Turtles were seen at the Log Jam but just downstream I noticed a fast moving swimmer in the water. The images were not good enough to post but confirmed a Freshwater Snake (Keelback).
A bird took off from the water just past the Jam and was probably the Pacific Black Duck from yesterday but I did not see it.
At the base of Log Jam Peninsula I was peering up trying to sight one of the Cicadas who were calling loudly. Among the flowers of a Euodia Tree ( Melicope elleryana ) which is the host plant for the Ulysses Butterfly I sighted a number of Christmas Beetles Buzzing around. I fired off a few shots without much hope of a successful results but at least one was worth keeping.
Along The Narrows I sighted a small Platypus which insisted in hugging the far bank, mostly under the cover of overhanging roots and grasses. Not much good for photos.
One of the Rufous Shrike-thrushes was on the nest at The Viewing Platform.
The Bush Stone-curlews were still hanging out on the East side of the Car park.

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus leseuerii

White-headed Pigeon. Columba leucomela

Christmas Beetle. Scarabaeidae – Retulinae

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Rufous Shrike-thrush. Colluricincla megarhyncha

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

1.5 ml rain. Sun shining from cloudless sky. Very light breeze from west. Track damp but drying.

Thomas and I found nothing at Allumbah Pocket this morning.
There were no Eastern Water Dragons in the usual spots today but on exploring the upper level we found one over the fence on a low rock in the paddock.
White Spot the Green Ringtail Possum was in her upper perch again today and her Joey was revealed only by his tail.
At the Log Jam the only Turtle to be found was in the water taking a breath which was better than nothing.
A short distance away a Pacific Black Duck was having a wash and brush with the Green Flash looking very smart .No Platypus were seen today.
At the Platypus Viewing Platform the Rufous Shrike-thrushes were once again exchanging positions. Unless I have been extraordinarily lucky they must do this quite frequently.
The Bush Stone-curlews were again at the west side of the Car Park and seem to ignore the activity going on around them.

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Pacific Black Duck. Anas superciliosa

Rufous Shrike-thrush. Colluricincla megarhyncha

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius