An avatar comes to visit

Look down and to the right intrigued reader!  There is a Common Wombat as my selected image.

They generally stay down by the Creek during the hours we are active, only coming around the house to make deposits in the fertiliser bank overnight.  In Spring however they come up earlier, presumably to get the green pick off the lawn.  One arrived tonight but moved off before I could get a close image.

Here it is by the garden gateway, pushing the limits of photography after sunset..
I followed it to try to get a closer snap, but only heard the twang as it went under a wire fence in the distance.

Comments

Mary Chamie said…
Hi Martin, Sometimes when I have pointed my camera even from quite a distance at a bird such as a parrot or a hawk, It nervously takes off. Do you think it is possible that the animal senses that an object is pointed at him? Or is my imagination just going wild, and they really don't sense danger from a camera. Anyhow, nice catch. How big is he? Is he providing a lot of compost for your garden?
15 September 2015 at 00:58:00 GMT+10
Flabmeister said…
G'day Mary
In my birding group we sometimes say birds are negatively phototropic (strictly, grow away from light) because they so often fly away when a camera is pointed at them. That is just a joke and I suspect that the real reasons are more likely to be one or more of:
1 the bird was ready to move on anyway and it took a while to line the shot up;
2 the process of pointing the camera made movements that the bird found threatening (remember that they tend to have very good eyesight);
3 the position of the photographer and/or their kit resembles a threat display;
4 something else!


Martin

Regards

Martin
15 September 2015 at 05:54:00 GMT+10
Flabmeister said…
I just realised I didn't answer your question about the beast's size. I'd rate it as full-grown but not unduly large, probably about 1 metre from snout to butt. That fits the measurements given in my mammal book, which also gives a range of weights from 24-39kg, averaging out to 26 Kg.

I don't know its sex as it didn't hang around long enough for that investigation (and unlike kangaroos the necessary information isn't immediately obvious).

Martin
15 September 2015 at 06:04:00 GMT+10
Flabmeister said…
I wish I could edit comments but I can't so here is anothery. Frances wondered if light reflecting off the lens might signify cameras as a risk factor?

Martin
15 September 2015 at 09:33:00 GMT+10
Mary Chamie said…
One additional remark. I have experimented and stood looking at a bird for many minutes, holding my camera down by my side, and it is happy to have me around. But if I lift up the camera, it swiftly flies away. It has made me wonder whether birds have become "gun" shy, as well.
17 September 2015 at 13:29:00 GMT+10
Flabmeister said…
Good one Mary.

That is interesting. I shall start an enquiry amongst my birdie mates and see what happens. Watch this space (which you do anyway).

Martin
17 September 2015 at 17:11:00 GMT+10
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