Weather

No rain in the gauge. Sunny with increasing cumulus cloud. Minimal southerly breeze. Track dry. Water level low. Full Moon – 4 days

Wildlife Report

Pleasantly cool this morning as I made an early start.
Nothing seen at the entrance of Allumbah Pocket but in the tree low on the bank just to the right of the Picnic Shelter a female Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo and her well grown joey were spotted quite easily although in dense foliage. It was moderately difficult to get a good image of Mum but her offspring could be readily viewed from near the centre of the Suspension Bridge.
At Horseshoe Rocks two Eastern Water Dragons were gracing the skyline and another Dragon was seen at the Upper Level.
In a flowering tree a few metres on I obtained photos of a North Queensland Day Moth, a Christmas Beetle and some Small Black and Tan Beetles.
In the same tree a couple of Scarlet Honeyeaters were looking for a protein supplement for their breakfast.
At Platypus bend a Pied Monarch was doing the same thing while a Spangled Drongo was flitting between the Grey Gums on the other side of the track.
More Christmas Beetles were present in the flowering tree just upstream of Flood Tide Island.
Turtles were still in bed this morning so there was no activity at the Log Jam and the Green Ringtail Possums were also conspicuous by their absence.
At The Narrows I again viewed a Tree Kangaroo in the tree tops on the far bank.
While crossing the Highway Bridge I observed two Eastern Water Dragons of different sizes lying on a rock with their tails crossed which I thought was quite unusual. It didn’t appear to be any form of mating behaviour.
At the Viewing Platform I met up with a couple from Ballarat, Victoria armed with a 500 mm lens who were watching a Platypus at extreme range upstream.
When we had manged a few long range shots I offered to take them to view the Tree Kangaroos on the village side of the Creek and on the way there we saw a male Cairns Birdwing Butterfly.
The Roos proved very difficult to see which was disappointing as they had already visited Nerada Tee without success so I accompanied them back to Allumbah Pocket where I knew Tree Roos were visible.
Before returning home I visited the Bush Stone-curlews who seem to be settling down in the garden opposite out place.

Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo. Dendrolagus lumholtzi

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Christmas Beetle. Scarabaedae – Retulinae ?

Small Bi-colour Lycid Beetle. Trichalus sp.

North Queensland Day Moth. Alcides metaurus

Scarlet Honeyeater. Myzomela sanguinolenta

Pied Monarch. Arses kaupi

Spangled Drongo. Dicrurus bracteatus

Cairns Birdwing Butterfly. Ornithoptera priamus

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

Weather

Sunny with scattered clouds. Light southerly breeze. Track dry. Water level low. Moon First Quarter +1.

Wildlife Report

An early start this morning to avoid the worst of the heat.
From the corner of Bunya Street I could see a number of cars parked and I arrived at the entrance to Allumbah Pocket to be greeted by a follower of Platypus Patrol who had brought her family in the hope of spotting a Tree Kangaroo.
I could see nothing in the trees on either side of the entrance but as we turned the corner on the approach to the Picnic Shelter I was relieved to see a blob in the tree straight ahead.
There was initially some doubt as to it’s identity but it appeared too big to be a Possum and when it moved it’s head it was confirmed as a Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo. I remained there for some time trying to get a better view and in the process meeting a couple from Townsville and several others who passed through.
After getting a few passable images I moved on but saw nothing more of interest until I reached Snodgrass’s Pool.
Here I found “Whitespot” the Green Ringtail Possum in the group of trees next to the Sign Board while another GRP which I suspect was her joey was in the trees across the track.
Several honeyeaters including Macleay’s, Scarlet and Dusky were feeding in the blossoms but moving too quickly to be photographed.
I moved on from there alone and a few metres further along the track took a shot of my first Christmas Beetle of the season also feeding on nectar.
Surprisingly there was nothing to see at The Log Jam today and I went on to Platys Pool before spotting the nest of some Black Weaver Ants built in a tree. I have been unable to specifically identify these so any advice would be appreciated.
At the Overhanging Bushes the Golden Orb-weaver Spider previously photographed had disappeared but I found another smaller one close by.
The male Green Ringtail Possum seen several times of late had today moved to a more open perch on another branch of the River Oak Tree.
At The Narrows I again spotted a female Tree Kangaroo with her joey on the opposite bank with their tails hanging down in classic fashion. It was impossible to obtain a good view of their faces, even when I crossed to the village side of the Creek.
While photographing them a Platypus appeared close under the bank and swam upstream and I achieved only an indifferent shot before it vanished.
In the bushes near the mid point of Highway Bridge I found a Coppery Brushtail Possum with a joey again in residence and as usual very hard to photograph.
On the rocks below the bridge the regular juvenile Easter Water Dragon was seen again.
At the Car Park I saw two male Australasian Figbirds fly into one of the Bamboo Clumps while advertising their presence with gusto.
From there I was able to see a pair of Bush Stone-curlews at Nick’s Camping Area but they are still quite timid.
At the vacant lot I photographed a male Cairns Birdwing Butterfly which seemed to be covered with orange pollen, possibly from he overhanging Poinciana Tree.
The Tree Kangaroos proved almost impossible to see from this bank and had I not seen them previously from the other side I doubt that I would have spotted them.
Along Bunya Street the resident Bush Stone-curlews had crossed the road and looked rather disconsolate after the recent loss of their chicks.

Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo. Dendrolagus lumholtzi

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Christmas Beetle. Scarabaedae – Retulinae

Black Weaver Ants.

Golden Orb-weaver Spider. Nephila pilipes

Spectacled Monarch. Symposiachrus trivirgatus

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Coppery Brushtail Possum. Trichosurus vulpecula

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Australasian Figbird. Sphecotheres flaviventris

Cairns Birdwing Butterfly. Ornithoptera priamus

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

Tree Kangaroo Special

I was in the process of editing photos of yesterday’s Patrol when I received a message from Matt C. advising that two Tree Kangaroos were in the tree next to Lloyd’s Suspension Bridge.
I hopped in the car and went straight down there and what a treat it was.
Hope that you enjoy viewing the images as much as I did taking them.

Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo. Dendrolagus lumholtzi

The remainder reveal their foraging behaviour in some detail but I am nor invariable sure which is which.

I believe the remainder are of Mum

Weather

Sunny with scattered cumulus clouds. High humidity. Variable breeze. Track Dry. Water level low. Moon – First Quarter 11 Dec.

Wildlife Report

Nothing to report along Bunya Street but in the trees to the left of Allumbah Pocket entrance “Mrs Green” the Green Ringtail Possum had reclaimed her pitch and was sitting in the tree fork with her joey.
“Patient Popeye” was keeping his beady eye on her from a creek bank tree to the right of the Picnic Shelter.
A small Saw-shelled Turtle was occupying one of The Stepping Stones and I saw a disturbance downstream which I though probably indicated a Platypus but failed to sight it.
A Macleay’s Honeyeater was sampling the nectar from a sparse selection of flowers along the bank at The Other Side
An Eastern Water dragon was on the skyline at Horseshoe Rocks but back lit and surrounded by obstructions so photos were poor.
A bank side tree opposite Middle Rocks is in full bloom and in the canopy there were dozens of North Queensland Day Moths feeding on the nectar.
A row of Turtles were occupying the sloping log at Snodgrass’s Pool but all took to the water as I approached.
The favourite perch of “Whitespot” on the bank of the Pool was again occupied by a male Green Ringtail Possum.
A few metres on towards Platypus Bend I noticed some ripples and sure enough a Platypus appeared in the muddy water along the near bank. I took a few reflex shots before she spotted me and headed off.
The Log Jam today was a cornucopia of Saw-shelled Turtles adopting attractive poses so some editing was necessary before publication.
The Golden Orb-weaver Spider was seen again at The Overhanging Bushes and the Green Ringtail Possum was still present in the River Oak near Bush No 3.
I pointed him out to a passing couple who had just seen a Platypus along Picnic Peninsula and then photographed a friendly Willy Wagtail who came to check me out.
On rounding the corner I soon spotted the typical bubble pattern of a foraging Platypus.
Unfortunately she seemed determined to keep her distance but some perseverance yielded a couple of good images.
While checking out the Yungaburra bank for Tree Roos, unfortunately absent, a Pale- yellow Robin displayed the usual human friendly behavior and provided a nice portrait.
In a neighbours garden along Bunya Street I again photographed the Bush Stone-curlews with their two offspring who had grown apace.
I have unfortunately to report that the chicks have gone missing overnight which is very sad as they were doing so well in what would have thought was a very safe location.

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Macleay’s Honeyeater. Xanthotis macleayana

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

North Queensland Day Moth. Alcides metaurus

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Golden Orb-weaver Spider. Nephila pilipes

Willie Wagtail. Rhipidura leucophrys

Pale-yellow Robin. Tregellasia capito

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

Weather

No rain in the gauge. Sunny with scattered cumulus clouds. Light southerly breeze. Track dry. Water level falling and Stepping Stones now passable. New Moon + 2 days

Wildlife Report

Making the best of a relatively cool morning.
Nothing was seen along Bunya Street but in the trees to the left of the entrance to Allumbah Pocket a male Green Ringtail Possum was quickly spotted. He immediately climbed higher into the tree and was hard to photograph but after a few minutes he returned to his original pitch and a better image was obtained.
At the other side of the entrance two Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroos were identified although very well concealed in dense foliage. An image is included to show how hard it can be to see them but after considerable patience and trying a lot of different positions I eventually achieved one reasonable portrait.
From Lloyd’s suspension Bridge an Eastern Water Skink was seen on one of the Stepping Stones although at more than optimal range.
On the Middle Rocks pics were taken of a handsome Eastern Water Dragon from two different directions and the better one is below.
In the tree where “Whitespot” has been recently roosting her perch was today occupied by a small male Green Ringtail Possum who was not particularly cooperative.
I was then joined by a Laughing Kookaburra who was more amenable except that the sun was almost directly behind him.
Nothing was then seen until the Overhanging Bushes where a large Golden Orb-weaver spider was in her web surrounded by hopeful males.
Further along near Bush No 3 the regular male Green Ringtail was on his River Oak branch and almost impossible to see without scrambling down the bank.
At The Narrows I noted that the Queensland Umbrella Tree had been well and truly stripped of fresh leaves so I turned towards the far bank where a large adult Tree Kangaroo was fully exposed to view. Her joey could just be seen near her feet. I made a date to check her out from the Yungaburra side.
While crossing Highway Bridge I again saw the juvenile Water Dragon on the rocks below.
More photos were then taken of the Tree Kangaroos in the trees at the Creek end of the vacant block.
While returning home along Bunya Street a pair of Crested Pigeons were displaying on a fence.
In the next garden the local pair of Bush Stone-curlews were standing near the boundary with their 3 chicks.

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo. Dendrolagus lumholtzi

Eastern Water Skink. Eulamprus quoyii

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Laughing Kookaburra. Dacelo novaeguineae

Golden Orb-weaver Spider. Nephila pilipes

Crested Pigeon. Ocyphaps lophotes

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

Weather

No rain. Scattered cloud early increasing later. Light southerly breeze. Track dry. Water level falling but Stepping Stones still partly submerged. New Moon 4th Dec.

Wildlife Report

I am getting used to reporting nothing from Bunya Street and Allumbah Pocket.
Crossing the Bridge however was a different story with a selection of Saw-shelled Turtles available to be photographed.
Nothing again at the Other Side but Eastern Water Dragons were spotted on Horseshoe and the Middle Rocks.
More Turtles were photographed on the sloping log at Snodgrass’s Pool.
At Platypus Bend a Laughing Kookaburra was perched on a branch above the Creek and was very happy to have his portrait taken.
The log Jam today was resplendent with Turtles some of which were added to the collection of images.
At No 3 of the Overhanging Bushes a small male Green Ringtail Possum was hiding in the canopy but I managed to find a couple of angles from which he could just be photographed.
Another group of Turtles were seen on a log along The Narrows and on the rocks below the Highway Bridge a Turtle with a fiddle-shaped carapace was observed!
There are numerous Masked Lapwings around at present and another was snapped in the Paddock next to the Car Park.
The final sighting for the day was another Green Ringtail sitting on a high branch of the trees on the bank of the vacant block.

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Laughing Kookaburra. Dacelo novaeguineae

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Masked Lapwing. Vanellus mile miles

Weather

50 mm in the gauge. Sunny early but with increasing cloud later. Very humid. Cool breeze from SE. Track slightly damp. Stepping Stones under water again. New Moon on 4th Dec.

Wildlife Report

Nothing was seen today at Allumbah Pocket but as I crossed the Suspension Bridge I could hear Turtles falling onto the water. I still managed to photograph 5 Saw-shelled Turtles ranging from large to minute on the Stepping Stones.
I found a good looking Easter Water Dragon on the Middle Stones and near the path to the Upper Level Ex”Scarface” scuttled away as I approached.
Another Turtle on the sloping log in Snodgrass’s Pool also avoided me!
On to the Log Jam where only one Turtle was admiring his reflection.
At Platys Pool I spotted a shadow in large River Cherry tree at the corner and managed to photograph a well concealed Green Ringtail Possum high in the foliage. I wondered if there were in fact two of them but was unable to convince myself of this.
At the fallen tree near the base of Picnic Peninsula more turtles were enjoying the sun as was another tiny Turtle on the sloping log on the far bank opposite the tip of the peninsula.
A noisy Laughing Kookaburra arrived on the far bank celebrating his catch of a very tiny Water Dragon which he was about to enjoy for lunch
While crossing the Highway Bridge I saw a juvenile Eastern Water Dragon dodge out of sight but found another spot from which I was able to get a clear shot of him.
In the Platypus Viewing Pool “Tensing” Turtle was perched at the top of a sloping branch which he still climbs to when the water level is much lower.
From the Car Park I saw a pair of Bush Stone-curlews near one of the Bamboo Clumps but they were quite anxious and quickly made their was across to Nick’s Camping Area.
In the trees on the village side of the Creek Bank another Green Ringtail Possum was watching me from a lofty branch.
Along Bunya Street I photographed one of a pair of Masked Lapwings and almost immediately saw another pair of Curlews making themselves at home in my next door neighbours garden.

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Laughing Kookaburra. Dacelo novaeguineae

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

Masked Lapwing. Vanellus miles miles

Weather

5 mm of rain overnight. Overcast with occasional sunny periods. Showers later. Breeze accompanying showers. Water level falling again but Stepping Stones still impassable. Track damp in parts. Moon – Last Quarter + 2

Wildlife Report.

Set off from home with no obvious threat of rain but on arrival at Allumbah Pocket a heavy shower caused me to seek cover at the Picnic Shelter for 10 minutes.
Once it eased off I continued on my way but saw nothing until Snodgrass’s Pool where a solitary Saw-shelled Turtle was on the sloping tree trunk.
I then checked out the upper level and on this occasion it was healed ” Scarface” the Eastern Water Dragon who took off leaving his smaller mate to be photographed.
On returning to the track I checked the nearby trees with some care and located “Whitespot” the Green Ringtail Possum sheltering in dense foliage. I wasn’t able to distinguish her joey but am sure he was somewhere in the mix.
Unusually there was nothing to be seen at the Log Jam but at Platys Pool a Turtle was taking a breath and so got photographed.
In the River Oak near No 3 of the Overhanging Bushes a well concealed “blob” was revealed from another angle as a male Green Ringtail Possum.
Along Dowling’s Corridor I spotted another “blob” in an Alexander Palm on the far bank which I could see through my lens was another Green Ringtail. When I reached the village side of the Creek I confirmed this by a photo from below.
Just downstream of the Highway Bridge a Platypus was feeding in a small area and provided some good images from just above the water level.
While crossing the bridge I again observed a juvenile Water Dragon, and while checking out the Viewing Platform I photographed some attractive patterns on the water when a squall shook water droplets from the trees.
Another smaller Water Dragon shinned up the Bottle Brush and appeared in front of me at my level!
I then spotted a pair of Bush Stone-curlews at Nick’s Camping Area and photographed a Masked Curlew while walking across to them.

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Scene from Viewing Platform.

Masked Lapwing. Vanellus miles miles

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius

Weather

39 mm of rain in the gauge this morning. Overcast with a few bright patches. Minimal breeze. Water level risen to cover the Stepping Stones. Track barely damp. Moon phase Last Quarter.

Wildlife Report

I decided to make a relatively early start today as the forecast is for increasing rain and thunderstorms later.
Nothing was observed along Bunya Street or at Allumbah Pocket.
The first sign of wildlife was a Saw-shelled Turtle on the sloping Tree Trunk in Snodgrass’s Pool.
I went up the path to the Upper Level where a moderately sized Eastern Water Dragon immediately darted away leaving a larger Dragon posing on one of his regular rocks. I wondered, not for the first time, if this animal is the same one formerly known as “Scarface” but with facial ulcer now healed. While editing the photos later I opened a previous image of “Scarface” and compared the two. I seems to me that the skin marking are sufficiently similar to suggest that they are one and the same! What do you think?
Nothing was seen then until the base of Log Jam Peninsula where I was surprised to find a Green Ringneck Possum in one of the trees close to the water where the bank curves. He was very obliging and provided some nice images.
Only a solitary Turtle was present at the Log Jam and he leapt into the water before I got close enough to take is picture.
At the Overhanging Bushes the Green Ringtail Possum seen on my last Patrol was on a different branch of the same River Oak but was again difficult to photograph without some gymnastics.
The Highway Bridge had been packed, firstly by the Christmas Motorbike Charity Run and then by the cars following them, but fortunately they had cleared shortly before my arrival.
I was able to photograph a juvenile Eastern Water Dragon on the rocks below.
While looking for the Bush Stone-curlews along Bunya Street I looked over the fence where the street drains flow down to the Creek and found an Orange-footed Scrubfowl kicking through the leaf litter and quite unaware that he was being observed.

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Orange-footed Scrubfowl. Megapodius reinwardt

Weather

No rain in the gauge. Overcast but no rain. Track dry. Cool mainly northerly breeze. Water level remains low. Full Moon + 4 days

Wildlife Report

I actually started taking photos before breakfast this morning as when I went out to feed the chooks I spotted a pair of Channel-billed Cuckoos in the Gum Tree at he bottom of our back garden. They remained with us for a couple of hours and tried several different perches in the tree.
I set out on Patrol after lunch and saw very little along Bunya Street but at the entrance to Allumbah Pocket “Mrs Green” the Green Ringtail Possum and her joey were in their regular tree fork peeking out at me.
While crossing the Suspension Bridge I photographed a small Saw-shelled turtle on one of the stepping stones while a larger Turtle and another juvenile were just under the surface between the Stones.
A moderate sized Eastern Water Dragon was on the skyline at Horseshoe Rocks and two more were seen on the Middle Rocks. One of these fled on sight of me but remained looking out from under a boulder. Usually they are not seen again once they decide to hide. A larger Dragon was found at the Upper Level.
The resident male Pacific Emerald Dove sat on a a tree branch in this area and watched as I walked past.
A selection of not very photogenic Saw-shelled Turtles were seen at the Log Jam while others were photographed on the sloping tree trunk near the base of Picnic Peninsula and at The Narrows.
At the Overhanging Bushes, a male Green Ringtail was perched on a River Oak Branch near Bush No 3 and very well concealed by the foliage.
I thought that I had completed sightings for the day when I found ” Quinie” the Green Ringtail Possum, somewhat encumbered by the joey on her back in a tree along the lane from Quincan Close to Bunya Street. ( Collins English Dictionary – “Quini” a boisterous , impudent , or disreputable woman). I managed to get one shot where junior deigned to show her face!
My final, final sighting was on the freshly mown lawn of the house opposite us where a pair of Bush Stone-curlews with 2 chicks were taking their ease.

Channel-billed Cuckoo. Scythrops novaehollandiae

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Pacific Emerald Dove. Chalcophaps longirostris

Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius