NB Aqualife: Trail Camera February to March 2020

Due to the severity of the drought, toward the end of last year our garden was invaded by a variety of macropods and other wildlife in search of food and water, most of whom took up residence.

Two Pythons

Mostly it was Eastern Grey kangas and Redneck Wallaby nursing mothers that took up permanent residence

Some of the babies were very young

There were two exceptions - this skinny Eastern Grey male and an old Swampie - more of him later

Red Necked Wallaby nibbling on Robina (Moptop) twigs

And then on some leaves I had picked for her.

The lower branches of the Moptop have been decimated by both types of Wallabies. Some would go to extraordinary lengths to get a feed - I watched one Swampi inspect the trailer when it was still attached to the back of the landrover. After careful consideration he hopped up onto the rails near the tow ball and stretched up as far as he could go, still unable to reach, he pondered a bit more and then launched himself at the lowest hanging leaves. He managed to grasp a bunch as he flew through the air, breaking off a small branch as he plunged to the ground, spoils clutched to his chest.

More food please

Eastern Grey kanga and young one

After having our bird baths drained several times a day, by growing numbers of non residents looking for water, especially by a couple of lyrebirds who after a drink would empty the shallow bowls by bathing in them, early in December we purchased a plastic kids wading pool and dug it into the ground on the edge of the forest just outside our back fence.

Becoming increasingly interested to know what creatures were using it I purchased a trail camera. But before I, let's be truthful here, George could install it the bushfires hit so activating it was put on hold until late February. By that time we'd had some rain and the wildlife were no longer so dependent on the wading pool. However, some of the local wildlife are still making use of it and here is a range of the species caught on the trail cam. .

Red Necked Wallaby (male)

Swamp Wallaby

Eastern Grey Kangaroo

Crimson Rosella

Satin Bowerbird, Female

This video is here for sentimental reasons.

During the latter part of the drought the skinny, old swamp wallaby in the video above took up permanent residence in the garden and not wanting him to cark it in the garden I took to feeding him and we got to know him quite well.