Saturday 27th November 2021. 0855 – 1005

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.