Weather
No rain in the gauge. Sunny with increasing cumulus cloud. Minimal southerly breeze. Track dry. Water level low. Full Moon – 4 days
Wildlife Report
Pleasantly cool this morning as I made an early start.
Nothing seen at the entrance of Allumbah Pocket but in the tree low on the bank just to the right of the Picnic Shelter a female Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo and her well grown joey were spotted quite easily although in dense foliage. It was moderately difficult to get a good image of Mum but her offspring could be readily viewed from near the centre of the Suspension Bridge.
At Horseshoe Rocks two Eastern Water Dragons were gracing the skyline and another Dragon was seen at the Upper Level.
In a flowering tree a few metres on I obtained photos of a North Queensland Day Moth, a Christmas Beetle and some Small Black and Tan Beetles.
In the same tree a couple of Scarlet Honeyeaters were looking for a protein supplement for their breakfast.
At Platypus bend a Pied Monarch was doing the same thing while a Spangled Drongo was flitting between the Grey Gums on the other side of the track.
More Christmas Beetles were present in the flowering tree just upstream of Flood Tide Island.
Turtles were still in bed this morning so there was no activity at the Log Jam and the Green Ringtail Possums were also conspicuous by their absence.
At The Narrows I again viewed a Tree Kangaroo in the tree tops on the far bank.
While crossing the Highway Bridge I observed two Eastern Water Dragons of different sizes lying on a rock with their tails crossed which I thought was quite unusual. It didn’t appear to be any form of mating behaviour.
At the Viewing Platform I met up with a couple from Ballarat, Victoria armed with a 500 mm lens who were watching a Platypus at extreme range upstream.
When we had manged a few long range shots I offered to take them to view the Tree Kangaroos on the village side of the Creek and on the way there we saw a male Cairns Birdwing Butterfly.
The Roos proved very difficult to see which was disappointing as they had already visited Nerada Tee without success so I accompanied them back to Allumbah Pocket where I knew Tree Roos were visible.
Before returning home I visited the Bush Stone-curlews who seem to be settling down in the garden opposite out place.
Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo. Dendrolagus lumholtzi
Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus lesueurii
Christmas Beetle. Scarabaedae – Retulinae ?
Small Bi-colour Lycid Beetle. Trichalus sp.
North Queensland Day Moth. Alcides metaurus
Scarlet Honeyeater. Myzomela sanguinolenta
Pied Monarch. Arses kaupi
Spangled Drongo. Dicrurus bracteatus
Cairns Birdwing Butterfly. Ornithoptera priamus
Bush Stone-curlew. Burhinus grallarius
Hi Gobbo
Absolutely brilliant to meet you yesterday and to see the tree kangaroos with you. It really was a highlight of our trip so far and something I’ve always wanted to see in the wild. We went down there again early this morning and didn’t see the tree kangaroos but we saw an adult and juvenile possum sleeping up in the tree just before you get to the the creek. If you are there you might want to check the species. Anyway thanks so much. Really glad to meet you. Ambika and Bernd
Hi Ambika
Glad to hear that you enjoyed our meeting and seeing the Tree Roos.
I have not looked bu I am sure that the Possums will be Green Ringtail Possums (Pseudochirops archeri) and in particular a female which I call “Mrs Green” with her Joey. They are one of our indigenous Possums which are found between Paluma Range just north of Townsville and the Carbine Tablelands inland from Port Douglas at altitudes above 300 metres. She has had a joey for the last 3 years to my knowledge and always withing the same vicinity. Let me know if you are up here again the future. Regards Gobbo