Tuesday 18th January. 0800 – 0920

Weather

No rain. Sunny with some scattered cloud. Light SE breeze. Track dry. Water level down about 150 mm. Full Moon.

Wildlife Report

Birds seemed to be well and truly out and about this morning and a Crested Pigeon and a Kookaburra were showing off on the highest spot they could find.
At the informal entrance to Allumbah Pocket, “Mrs Green” the Green Ringtail Possum was in her regular tree fork but seems to have parted company with her joey.
“Popeye” the male Green Ringtail was occupying the same spot as usual in the tree next to the Suspension Bridge. I waited for the imminent arrival of Nic with her 3 children and Puppy who were thrilled to see him.
We also saw a Platypus downstream of the Bridge although it was too distant for a good photo.
I checked out the nest of the Spotted Catbird and the birds tail was again visible sticking up in the air.
The family went on ahead while I looked without success for Dragons and Turtles until one of the boys ran back to tell me that they had found a Tree Kangaroo on the ground!
I was wildly jealous as by the time I arrived the young animal had climbed into the small Camphor Laurel tree just upstream of Platypus Bend but I still got some nice shots. I am also publishing two of Nic’s images as they are so unusual.
Continuing on I photographed another Red Roarer Cicada of which there were quite a number on the Gum Trees.
We found nothing at the Log Jam but the Mistletoe Clump near Platy’s Pool was again in use. The view was not good but I was able to confirm the occupant to be a Coppery Brushtail Possum in antisocial mode.
Along the Overhanging Bushes I found the large Golden Orb-weaver spiders seen last time and another which had constructed it’s web across the track.
The Fairy Gerygone was again sitting on her nest and I think that the pic was the best yet.
From the Highway Bridge I saw a very small Eastern Water Dragon on the rocks below.
I could see the Bush Stone-curlews at Nick’s Camping area from the Car Park but they fled on sight of me. I eventually managed to get a shot of one.
No Tree Roos to be seen on the Yungaburra bank today but the Spotted Catbird was still sitting on the nest
In the Camphor Laurel tree at the bottom of next door’s garden a pair of Magpie Larks were very actively involved in what I presume was a pre-nup dispute and I got a shot of one of the birds looking very haughty and claiming ownership of the nest!