Thursday 27th January 2022. 1050 – 1230

28 mm of rain in the gauge. Cloudy with brief sunny periods and occasional light showers. NW breeze at 10 knots. Track wet with numerous shallow puddles and sections of black mud. Boots not necessary but don’t wear your best white Rebocks. Water level high and almost all of the Stepping Stones are submerged. Moon waning. 3rd Quarter + 2 days. New Moon 1st. Feb.

Wildlife Report

At late start today after the weekly shop.
I walked across Bunya Street and almost immediately saw a Hornbill Friarbird which looked worth a photo. We often see them in our garden but much less often when I am on Patrol.
At the entrance to Allumbah Pocket “Popeye” the Green Ringtail Possum had moved to the trees to the left but “Mrs Green” was absent today.
Another male Possum had occupied the favoured perch in the tree next to the Suspension Bridge.
At the Other Side there was again no sign of activity at the nest of the Spotted Catbird.
An Eastern Water Dragon was on the skyline of Horseshoe Rocks. Several very small juvenile dragons were darting around in the vicinity, one of which ran across the track in front of me and another was photographed in front of the Memorial Bench.
The Cicadas were very active again this morning as shown by the photo of one of the Grey Gum trees. A Red Roarer and a Green Barron were photographed.
Flood Tide Island was today living up to it’s name with the Creek flowing fast all around it.
Only one Saw-shelled Turtle was seen at The Log Jam, possibly because almost all of the logs were submerged and I think that the one occupied was in fact floating.
A large Turtle was attempting to climb a tree on the far bank of Platy’s Pool.
The large Spiders all seemed to have been washed away by the rain.
Along the Overhanging Bushes my only sighting was of another Green Ringtail Possum in one of the River Oaks near the base of Picnic Peninsula. I showed him to an Asian couple who had already visited the Possum near Lloyd’s Bridge following my directions.
At the Narrows another Turtle was on a sloping log against the far bank.
White Headed Pigeons are returning to the area over the past few days and one happened to be perching in a convenient spot where the walking track returns to the Highway.
At the Platypus Viewing Pool I thought that I was in luck when something black broke the surface but it turned out to be the hind leg of a large Turtle.
I could spot no sign of Curlews at Nick’s Camping area. As I approached I saw the smoke of a fire and a fellow pushing a lawn mower so I was about to turn around when I looked closer in front of me and found the pair of Bush Stone-curlews lying in the lee of a log pile.
Along Bunya Street I spotted from some distance away a pair of Curlews in front of our neighbours garden. I took a long range shot in case they got up which indeed they did and revealed a pair of chicks which had been concealed by Mum. They were quite content to seek only mild concealment nearby and I obtained a series of photos.