Weather

No rain. fine and sunny with some scattered clouds. Variable southerly breeze. Track dry Water level low, steady. Moon Last Quarter – 1

Wildlife Report

Today escorted Maree, one of my regular followers along the Petersons Creek Walk.
With a few minutes to wait I noted a group of Scarlet Honey Eaters in a flowering Bottle Brush near the entrance to the informal entrance to Allumbah Pocket. Fired off a few shots and captured this image of what I believe to be a juvenile female who lacks her mates gorgeous colours.
We found nothing until we were abut to cross the bridge when I observed a Green Ringtail Possum roosting in the tree immediately to the right of the bridge and very close to the support cable. A splendid view of his rear end was available from the bridge but a glimpse of his face could be obtained from the opposite side of the tree.
While crossing the bridge I detected a slight movement on the vegetation at the water’s edge and this proved to be a rather nice juvenile Eastern Water Dragon.
Another larger Dragon was seen at Horseshoe Rocks and yet another on the rocks closer to Snodgrass’s Pool.
This let us to observe a collection of Saw-shelled Turtles on the sloping tree trunk in the pool.
While photographing these a Platypus appeared almost at our feet and stayed long enough for some good shots.
As we neared the Log Jam a small female Platypus was seen heading downstream at speed.
At the Jam itself three Turtles were displayed on the logs although one had managed to hide itself under the overhanging vegetation.
On the upstream side of the Log Jam Peninsula a third Platypus was seen also headed downstream and we were joined by a couple from Brisbane.
At the Overhanging Bushes another Green Ringtail Possum was found in Bush Number 3 although at an unusual spot in the foliage.
On our way to the tip of Picnic Peninsula a loud splashing alerted us to a small Water Dragon as it ran across the water surface making use of the floating leaves until safely reaching the far bank.
A final Ringtail Possum was photographed where I had last seen him in the bush immediately before the Foot Bridge.
Along Dowling’s Corridor I photographed a large Golden Orb-weaver Spider. followed by another and the black and red morph in the Lomandra Clump just below the Highway Bridge.
While doing this we noted a Platypus making a lot of splashing under the Bridge and I wondered if there was mating behaviour going on but a family standing a lot closer assured me that they only saw one animal.
I did see a single Platypus in the Viewing Pond but suspect that it was the one previously seen under the Bridge.
No Tree Kangaroos were around today but we were well pleased with three Green Ringtail Possums and four Platypus.

Scarlet Honeyeater. Myzomela sanguinolenta – female / juvenile

Green Ringtail Possum. Pseudochirops archeri

Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii

Saw-shelled Turtle. Elseya latisternum

Platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Golden Orb-weaver Spider. Ssp Nephila