Various Rendezvous
On 28 April we toddled off for an ANPS walk at Rendezvous Creek, in Namadgi NP. As usual I went along mainly to spot birds, but without a great deal of hope as this is primarily a frost hollow and thus mainly boring grassland.
The first rendezvous was between a resident of the area and a kangaroo. We didn't see what condition the side of the car was in but the poor 'roo had broken its leg. As we didn't (then: we do now) have the number of Wildcare in my mobile phone we stopped when picking up our friend Ros to call for assistance for the 'roo. (This was likely to involve a "bang".)
Once at the Creek the next rendezvous was with a Copperhead, basking on a peat-spring mound outside its burrow. I would have guessed its length at very close to 1m. It posed nicely for a photo by one of the group and then bolted back into its hole.
The grassland seemed to be almost completely devoid of birds. A small amount of excitement was generated by a Stubble Quail, and shortly afterwards someone spotted a 'small brown bird' sitting on a granite boulder. I thought this was sufficiently exciting to go and check it out. A bunch of Fairy-wrens were flitting around but I suddenly heard the call of a Brown Treecreeper. This came and perched on the rock, presumably munching insects lurking in the lichen. This is the second time (both in this general area) that I have come across this behaviour: all my reference material talks about the birds living in woodland and feeding on the ground or on trees so a note will have to be compiled.
Returning to the group for lunch I was intrigued by the eroded rocks. Frances went to take a photo of the most Henry Mooreish of them and emitted a loud shriek. She had had a rendezvous with another snake, of unknown species. It was only visual but apparently within a foot (OK, 30cm) of being physical. The more enquiring minds in the group immediately set out to look for the snake but it had vanished.
That was enough excitement for the day so we returned home.
A little later we had a further meeting with a full moon, which posed nicely with the trees. By 6am this morning it was still visible but (of course now amongst the more westerly trees.
The first rendezvous was between a resident of the area and a kangaroo. We didn't see what condition the side of the car was in but the poor 'roo had broken its leg. As we didn't (then: we do now) have the number of Wildcare in my mobile phone we stopped when picking up our friend Ros to call for assistance for the 'roo. (This was likely to involve a "bang".)
Once at the Creek the next rendezvous was with a Copperhead, basking on a peat-spring mound outside its burrow. I would have guessed its length at very close to 1m. It posed nicely for a photo by one of the group and then bolted back into its hole.
The grassland seemed to be almost completely devoid of birds. A small amount of excitement was generated by a Stubble Quail, and shortly afterwards someone spotted a 'small brown bird' sitting on a granite boulder. I thought this was sufficiently exciting to go and check it out. A bunch of Fairy-wrens were flitting around but I suddenly heard the call of a Brown Treecreeper. This came and perched on the rock, presumably munching insects lurking in the lichen. This is the second time (both in this general area) that I have come across this behaviour: all my reference material talks about the birds living in woodland and feeding on the ground or on trees so a note will have to be compiled.
That was enough excitement for the day so we returned home.
A little later we had a further meeting with a full moon, which posed nicely with the trees. By 6am this morning it was still visible but (of course now amongst the more westerly trees.
Comments
I love your moon through trees views.
Denis