Tuesday February 11th 2020. 0815 – 0920

59 mm of rain in a storm during the early hours. Scattered cloud. Mostly sunny. No breeze. Creek swollen and running bank to bank with strong current. Chocolate milkshake colour. Track wet with numerous shallow puddles and small streams running across. Not too muddy. Perfectly passable.

The word for today is PLATYPUS, PLATYPUS, PLATYPUS as no less than seven were seen this morning between Platypus Bend and The Narrows.
Checked out Allumbah Pocket and The Other Side without finding anything of interest.
A small Eastern Water Dragon was on a rock in the paddock opposite the Horseshoe Rocks.
No sign of White spot or any other Possums today so probably sheltering in denser vegetation.
Cicadas extremely noisy and numerous specimens of different species were on the Grey Gum trees between Snodgrass’s Pool and Wood Jam Peninsula. Not sure if I have sorted them out yet.
Sighted a Platypus burrowing in the floating grass at Platypus Bend but not interested in photography today.
The Log Jam was invisible apart from a new large log which had managed to snag itself in midstream and hence no Turtles.
A Platypus was exploring the far bank and as it headed upstream away from the Jam I observed a new phenomenon for the first of three occasions today. It surfaced in the narrow section of the Creek where the current was strongest and stayed perfectly still in relation to the bank while paddling to balance the speed of the flowing water. Easy to take photos!
At the same time a Pacific Black Duck passed going at high speed with the flow.
A third Platypus was seen at Platy’s Pool feeding in a mat of weed and debris in an area out of the current and seem to be enjoying itself.
Yet another Platypus near the Overhanging Bushes, a fifth along Stringers Stretch passing another going in the opposite direction and a final animal at The Narrows!
Under the Highway Bridge the Creek was almost twice it’s normal width with a swirling current.
At the Viewing Platform, one of the parent Rufous Shrike-thrushes was standing guard on the nest and as I maneuvered to optimise the view, two little heads popped up and opened their beaks for food! Great success at what seemed a crazy place to build a nest!
The Bush Stone-curlews had adjourned to the Bamboo Clump this morning or perhaps they were just drying out in the sun.