Wednesday 25th December 2019. 0732 – 0745

No rain but slight mist early. Sun shining brightly from cloudless sky. No wind. Track damp.

Happy Christmas Everyone!

Set out early this morning and a Platypus was waiting beneath Lloyd’s Supsension Bridge to exchange the compliments of the season! He was very friendly, posed beautifully between dives, and appeared to be looking straight at us.
Several trees were flowering just upstream of the Memorial Bench and a group of Rainbow Lorikeets were enjoying the nectar. On the Rocks opposite Snodgrass’s Pool an elegant Eastern Water Dragon was taking the early morning sun, and a little further on we could hear the bees humming and Honey Bees, possibly some of mine, were collecting nectar and pollen.
Birds were also very busy and near the Flood Tide Island a Rufous Whistler was singing his heart out. I also recorded the web of a tunnel dwelling spider, glowing with dewdrops and the owner appears to be in residence!
At the Log Jam a single Saw-shelled Turtle was up and about but was too quick for me to take a photo. On the upstream side of the peninsula another Platypus was very busy feeding and enable me to capture a series of images.
Along the low level path around Platy’s Pond the Rats Tail Grass was in flower and playing host to a lot of insects including a Field Cricket and a Native Bee.
At the Overhanging Bushes (No 4) a Green Ringtail Possum was in residence but obviously having a Christmas lie in.
Along the narrows we were lucky to again see the juvenile Orange-footed Scrubfowl although the photo opportunities were nowhere near as good as yesterday. A solitary Bush Stone-curlew was in the Paddock behind the Car Park and another along Bunya Street.