Saturday 8th January 2022. 0835 – 1020

Weather

No rain in the gauge. Clear and sunny early with clouds increasing. Variable breeze, early Northerly but later from South, gusty, 15-20 knots. Track slightly damp. No standing water and mud almost dry. Water level down about 150 mm. Moon First Quarter – 2 days

Wildlife Report

I took my first photos before leaving home as Green “Christmas Beetles” were foraging in the small Bottle Brush flowers in our front garden. This was just as well as on the Patrol the only beetles seen were in the tree tops and inaccessible.
At the bottom of Penda Street the Red Roarer Cicadas were extremely noisy so I detoured to some of the gum trees just up the hill and snapped a couple.
My first sighting at Allumbah Pocket was a Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo, well concealed in the foliage of the tree just downstream of the Picnic Shelter. By climbing part of the way down the bank I was able to get quite a good view of her face. I was also also able to introduce her to a couple of local Dachshund owners.
While walking across the Suspension Bridge I took photos of three very small Saw-shelled Turtles.
In the tree to the right of the Bridge at the far bank a Possum was again roosting high in the foliage making photography impossible.
In a large tree at the South end of Horseshoe Rocks another female Tree Kangaroo was reclining on a branch only about 7 metres above the ground and providing an unobstructed view. A group of escorted tourists then arrived on the scene so I left their guide to do his thing!
At the Upper Level I took a couple of shots of a colourful male Eastern Water Dragon.
The Cicadas were beginning to thin out but I came upon a fine Red Roarer on the trunk of one of the Gums along the fence line and took some close up shots.
Nothing then until The Log Jam where a couple were watching a Platypus. I joined them and also told them where to find the Tree Roos.
Not a single Green Ringtail Possum along the Overhanging Bushes today but I got another shot of the Fairy Gerygone in her nest.
Near the tip of Picnic Peninsula I photographed a swimming Turtle in the absence of anything else.
While crossing the Highway Bridge I took a shot of a very small Eastern Water Dragon.
The Bush Stone-curlews seem to be settling in to Nick’s Camping Area so I wandered across and took a few snaps in spite of rather testing back lighting.
At the entrance to the walkway through to Bunya Street there is a River Oak with a very large clump of Mistletoe which I have checked out many times without seeing much. Today I was rewarded by the sighting of a Green Ringtail Possum which made my day.
Along Bunya Street a Laughing Kookaburra was photographed although he failed to give me a chorus to video.