Friday 19th March 2021. 1500 – 1605

Weather

Some light rain this morning. Only 1 mm in the gauge. Cloudy with sunny periods and occasional light showers. SE breeze 10 knots. Track dry. Water level falling very slowly.

Wildlife Report

Shopping and library visit this morning so Thomas and I enjoyed a postprandial grandad nap before setting out on a late Patrol.
Before leaving home I had the opportunity to snap a Channel-billed Cuckoo, one of a group which have been visiting a gum tree at the bottom of our garden for the past few days.
Several White-headed Pigeons were seen along Bunya Street but not very photogenic as they appeared to be moulting their feathers.
At the entrance to Allumbah Pocket “Piratical Pete” the elderly Green Ringtail Possum was roosting in a tree above the large rock. It was difficult to obtain a good view through the foliage.
Nothing was spotted while crossing the Suspension Bridge or at The Other Side but a moderately large Eastern Water Dragon was seen at Horseshoe Rocks, although he retreated quickly behind a rock with only his head on view.
“Scarface” the large Eastern Water Dragon with tissue loss involving both upper and lower jaw on his left side was seen again at the path to the Upper Level. The tissue loss looks smaller as if it might be starting to heal so I am cautiously optimistic.
In the trees opposite Snodgrass’s Pool. “White Spot” the Green Ringtail Possum was easily seen but again no sign of her joey. I cannot be certain that it was not in the pouch but I am concerned that she has lost her baby which had reached the back riding stage but was a long way short of the age at which they normally leave mother. The Green Ringtail cares for it’s young for longer than any related species, I believe in the order of 140 days, but they are at their most vulnerable to predation and falls in the first year of life.
A group of Australasian Figbirds were calling loudly from the trees on the village side of the Creek and a couple came just within range of my camera.
A Spangled Drongo moved ahead of us in trees along the track and was also photographed, while a group of White-headed Pigeons at Log Jam Peninsula met the same fate.
Where the walk leaves the Peninsula their is a large River Oak where I saw my second ever Green Ringtail Possum and today a female with a joey was roosting on a high branch near the trunk. A bit of bush bashing enable me to reach a position where I could photograph the faces of both animals. These are the pair that I have seen several times in this vicinity on both sides of the Creek. I haven’t given her a name yet!
At Picnic Peninsula I met an escorted group of tourists from Cairns and gave their guide a few tips.
While crossing the Highway Bridge I spotted an Eastern Water Skink on the rock near the Bamboo clump.
The Bush Stone-curlew family had changed their position slightly and today were close to the hedge which surrounds the Medical Centre.