Tuesday 18th February 2020. 0750 – 0805

3 mm rain. Mist early clearing to cloudy with sunny periods. Light variable breeze. Track damp.

Not a good start this morning!
While walking across the Suspension Bridge I noticed a rope leading into the water from a tree just downstream of the Stepping Stones. Returned to investigate and found a new Opera House Trap containing an opened can of cat food, 2 yabbys and a small fish. The trap was unmarked, making it illegal, so I had no hesitation in removing it. Should the owner wish to collect it should be available from the Volunteers at The Other Side at 1030 on Friday.
It is not unfortunately illegal to use traps clearly marked with the owner’s name and address but is it really necessary to deploy them in an internationally acclaimed Platypus habitat?
While I was carrying it I bumped into a local lady who told me that she had recently at Lake Tinaroo pulled up a trap which contained a dead Platypus!
So back to the wildlife which were not particularly abundant today.
An Eastern Water Dragon was up early on the Upper Level opposite Snodgrass’s Pool and posed nicely for me.
On the way to Platypus Bend I took another Photograph of the Orb-weaver Spider which we saw yesterday and another of a Floury Baker Cicada.
A Pacific Black Duck was eating grass at Platypus Bend and was also quite photogenic.
At the Log Jam, I was about to leave with no photos when a Platypus emerged at high speed from the upstream side, swam diagonally across to the far bank and shot out of the water under the Tree Ferns. I did not see it again but some months ago a saw a Platypus climb to a burrow high on that bank and suspect that this animal was either bound for the same or an alternate entrance.
On to Picnic Peninsula where the same Green Ringtail Possum was in the Kauri Pine above the Picnic Table and this time revealing it’s face.
Saw another Platypus at the Narrows but Thomas was surprised by a walker and barked. That put paid to any serious photography.
An Orange-footed Scrubfowl on the other bank was not however so timid and after keeping still for a couple of minutes resumed excavation of the leaf litter!
One of the Bush Stone-curlews was standing in full view on the East side of the Car Park but as I walked in it’s direction it hopped down the bank and flew off across the Paddock. I have rarely observed them in flight and it landed again after about 100 mtrs.
At the back of Quincan Cafe a juvenile male Australasian Figbird was posing on a high branch and calling for his Mummy which made the last image for the day.