No rain. Patchy cloud with intermittent sun. Wind blustery at times. Track dry.

Thomas and I sighted an Olive-Backed Oriole, along Bunya St. An Eastern Water Dragon was seen on the rocks near Snodgrass’s Pool. Five Platypus were sighted but all travelling at high speed looking for love. Difficult to obtain good photos under these circumstance. At Picnic Point saw 2 males approaching from opposite directions and prepared for video but the smaller of the two dived and vanished. The other spent several minutes diving and searching for it but without success. A number of Saw-shelled Turtles were sunbathing on the Log Jam and at Platy’s Pool.

Olive-backed Oriole. Oriolus sagittatus

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus.

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

No rain. Overcast with intermittent sun. Light breeze from south. Track dry.

No dogs this morning as set off chaperoned by daughter Pippa to meet with a group of Yungaburra ladies and volunteers from the Landcare Group at The Other Side. Enjoyed a sumptuous morning tea and gave a short talk about Platypus Patrol and the wildlife to be found along Petersons Creek before escorting the ladies along the walk to Highway Bridge.

Wildlife was not prolific this morning but we saw a glimpse of a Platypus approaching the Log Jam where a single turtle did not feel brave enough to face the approaching visitors. Just past the Log Jam a Platypus appeared and led us as far as Picnic Peninsula while swimming mainly on the surface and checking out territory. The pace slowed up after that as she started to feed along The Narrows. We had some excellent photo opportunities moving upstream at a walking pace before traversing the entrance to the Platypus viewing Pool.

Thank you ladies for your hospitality and your interest in the wildlife and I hope that you all enjoyed the walk.

Morning Tea at The Other Side

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus.

No rain. Bright and sunny with thin, high cirrus cloud and scattered cumulus. Light breeze. Track dry.

Thomas and I cracked it on our own today! Started with a Platypus sighted from Lloyd’s Bridge, followed quickly by a handsome Eastern Water Dragon and a lone Green Ringtail Possum in the tree opposite Snodgrass’s Pool. Showed the possum to two couples and directed another to the spot. Walked on to the Log Jam where a female Platypus was seen just downstream , closely followed by a male. Was lucky to catch video of the mating behaviour which again appeared to be unsuccessful. This blog is unfortunately not compatible with video so this will be posted separately on my Platypus Patrol Facebook page. A couple of Saw-shelled Turtles were hiding among the logs and another was showing off at Platy’s Pool. A snake sighting was reported to me but not observed. Walked on with a French couple met at the log jam and was able to introduce them to the juvenile Green Ringtail Possum at the Overhanging Bushes. Followed up with further Platypus sightings upstream of Picnic Peninsula and under the Highway Bridge. A Tour Guide also reported filming mating behaviour at the Narrows. The Creek is running hot!

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirax archeri

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

No rain. Bright and sunny with some wispy high cirrus cloud this afternoon. Blustery southerly wind. Track remains dry.

Full team on duty today but Cody unfortunately left his mojo behind. Saw nothing until the Log Jam where there were several Saw-shelled Turtles and a Krefft’s Short-necked Turtle. A platypus was busy feeding along the far bank on the upstream side of Picnic Peninsula. Also glimpsed another platypus in front of the Viewing Platform. Whistling Ducks and a view Magpie Geese can still be seen across the paddock behind the Car Park. A Black Kite was making heavy weather of the wind gusts above the Doctor House and landed in a nearby tree.

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Krefft’s Short-necked Turtle. Emydura krefftii

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Plumed Whistling-ducks. Dendrocygna eytoni and Magpie Geese. Anseranas semipalmata

Black Kite. Milvus migrans

No rain. Bright sunny day with light breeze. Track dry.

In spite of his success yesterday, Cody could just not be bothered and Thomas and I predictably had a relatively poor day. We started by finding that the Magpie Lark’s nest in Bunya St had fallen from the tree and was upside down on the nature strip with one deceased chick. We brightened somewhat when we found a much younger Eastern Water Dragon and you can see from the image that he had stacks of attitude! This was followed by a Platypus who surfaced very close to me between Snodgrass’s Pool and Platypus Bend. He crossed to the far bank downstream of me and was joined almost immediately by another Platypus swimming in the opposite direction. They both dived and I saw no further sign or either. There were 3 Saw-shelled Turtles at the Log Jam but not well displayed but the regular at Platy’s Pool was showing off. And that was it for today.

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

No rain. Bright sunny day with scattered clouds. Light southerly breeze. Track dry.

Cody decided today to give us the benefit of his experience and he certainly turned it on. He spotted a Platypus under Lloyd’s Bridge and by the time we reached Snodgrass’s Pool we had notched up another Platypus, 2 large Eastern Water Dragons and a Green Ringtail Possum. At least 7 Saw-shelled Turtles were on the Log Jam and we saw another 2 elsewhere including the largest I have ever sen in Petersons Creek. A third Platypus accompanied us along the upstream side of Log Jam peninsula into Platy’s Pool and the deserted young Green Ringtail Possum was in the Overhanging Bushes. We stopped to chat to a couple from Cornwall and were able to show them a Keelback Snake from the Platypus viewing Platform. A highly successful walk.

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirax archeri

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Freshwater (Keelback) snake. Tropidonophis mairii

Bright sunny day. Light SE breeze. Track dry.

Set off with Thomas after lunch and found a fast moving Platypus at Snodgrass’s Pool and close by a Rufous Shrike-Thrush was busy in the waterside bushes. Only one Saw-shelled Turtle occupying the Log Jam today. A Platypus followed me up the southern side of the promontory. He concealed himself under the roots at the bend but emerged at Platy’s Pool in time to put on a virtuoso performance for a group of visitors, surfacing almost at their feet. He continued on up the creek and I suspect that it was he that I saw again at Picnic Peninsula. The solitary Green Ringtail Possum was ready to receive guests in the Overhanging Bushes. I was quite surprised when, of a group of half a dozen visitors offered the chance to meet her, only one older lady accepted. She was delighted by the experience.

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Rufous Shrike-thrush. Colluricincla megarhyncha

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirax archeri

No rain. Bright sunny day. Light breeze. Track dry.

About to set off with Thomas when observed garden again full of bees. Gave them a chance to settle and sure enough another swarm had arrived and settled in a bush less than 5m away from the last lot!

Decided to go on Patrol regardless and were rewarded with a Bush Stone-curlew along Bunya St. and a Platypus underneath Lloyd’s Suspension Bridge. Had to wait a few minutes for a suitable photo opportunity and got a shot from almost vertically above! Saw another Platypus where the creek turns sharply downstream of the Log Jam where there were 5 Saw-shelled Turtles and saw another 2 at Platys Pool. A Cairns Birdwing Butterfly was hanging from a tree over the water, probably recently hatched. A more helpful Platypus was feeding for several minutes just below the Narrows and a final one shot the rapids submerged and surfaced right beside me under the Highway Bridge.

Now preparing to assist another bee keeper to take away our latest swarm!

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Cairns Birdwing Butterfly. Ornithoptera euphorion

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Slight shower late yesterday. Patchy cloud with intermittent sun. Cold, steady breeze. Track dry.

Nothing to be seen from Lloyd’s Bridge today but Thomas and I saw a Platypus as soon as we approached the Creek at the Memorial Bench. Didn’t spend long in our company and neither did another Platypus in Snodgrass’s Pool. At Platypus Bend we met a friendly Czeck family who made Thomas’s day and he would have been happy to stay with them for the afternoon. They were very excited having seen 2 Platypus and spent 20 minutes watching one.

Nothing else was seen until the approach to the Highway bridge where a small Platypus was foraging in the tree roots and hiding from view. When she headed downstream I decided to follow and when peering through the undergrowth from the higher level of the track I glimpsed her lying alongside a larger animal. Finding a clear view I observed that the male Platypus appeared to be holding her with his bill at the base of her tail and they remained in this position for a couple of minutes. They then started to swim in a circle which ended within a few seconds in a splash of water after which both vanished beneath the surface. The surfaced individually within a minute and both went their separate ways. The images suggest that the larger male raised his head and attempted to roll the female onto her back. Her fore legs can be observe crossed on her chest. The following splash obscures further activity but the time between this and separation appear inadequate for copulation to have occurred. Girl Power in Platypus culture is clearly keeping up with the rest of the World.