Trail Camera 5 March - 18 April 2024

 Disturbingly, feral animals triggered the camera during this period. However making its debut on camera is a sugar glider - very exciting.

This time I've left out all the usual pics and footage of Kangas and Wallabies.

First off we have a Brush Tailed Possum

A female Satin Bowerbird comes for a drink and is disturbed by a White Naped Honeyeater quickly followed by a water bombing Sacred Kingfisher.

Is this a Grey Shrike Thrush?

A frog in the pond!

Definitely a Grey Shrike Thrush this time - one of our favourite garden visitors

The Bandicoot

Oh no, a rabbit, hopefully just passing through, They are in the region, but so far none have taken up residence on the property. I suppose its too much too hope it is a hare!

Grey Fantail and unidentified bobbing bird, so dubbed because it looks at reflection in the window and with tail up and head lowered it bobs up and down singing madly (song a bit like the Grey Shrike Thrush). Can anyone identify?

Not one but two Bandicoots

Red Wattlebird

And making its debut, the Sugar Glider

But then, also making its debut on camera, a long dreaded fox,

checking things out

At least one of the Bandicoots survived the fox visit

And the other feral - Rattus Rattus. You may remember when we found a Diamond Python in the engine bay of our car in December last year.  Well, I am happy to report that the rats, as of a couple of weeks ago, have not yet returned to resume residence in said engine bay. However we continue the running battle with them in the LC's engine bay. How I hope some pythons return one day.

On another night, there goes the little bugger up the tree

Couldn't help myself, love the Swampies

And lastly, a flock of Red Browed finches come for a drink. Note the regeneration following the fires - a lot of it weeds. The pic below is taken 6 weeks after the fire.

The Red Browed Finches

Sunday 31 March 2024 Cuttagee Creek

The water level in the lake has risen some more since our last paddle and today was our first opportunity to see how much further we could get up the creek.

Having met up with our fellow paddlers in Little Cuttagee we set of on glassy waters. The fish were jumping and the birdlife abundant.  In addition to the usual suspects we saw one of the resident Sea Eagles that didn't budge as we paddled quietly passed. In the entrance of the creek we spotted a lone Spoon Bill and a little further on two immature Sea Eagles, presumably last years offspring. It was a delight to see them. We had feared they may not have fledged when the bushfire of October 3 2023 completely destroyed their nesting tree. 

We saw a couple of kangaroos bounding along the silt jetty and had to wait while a Swamp Wallaby swam across the creek. We had 3 or 4 Azure Kingfisher sightings and that annoyingly elusive bird that never lets us get quite close enough for identification - I think it's either a Striated Heron or Black Bittern.

On the way back we spotted a Great Egret and, to top off a wonderful paddle, the resident Sea Eagles.

We made it nearly a kilometre further up the creek.  It was sobering to see the bushfire damage in this formerly beautiful stretch, and sad to know that we will never again see it as it once was.  Only a few of the Pencil Cedars remain. At the end of the blog I've included a few pre fire pics showing this stretch as it once was.

11.3kms