Mayllacoota

So we had a busy Friday in Queanbeyan and headed off down the road.  As we passed Michelago the Tinderry range looked excellent: to my mind they have still not fully recovered from the fires that hit them in 2009 (7 years ago).

 The drive down was uneventful.  I don't recall a single example of pelicanish driving!  After a rumble along Imlay Rd and a touch of the Princes Highway we crossed into Victoria and were immediately greeted by a Superb Lyrebird scurrying up a roadside bank.  Getting close to our destination and another Lyrebird was scratching in the dirt at the side of Karbeethong Rd!

Keeping in touch with Australian icons a Koala was in residence in the gum tree next door.

On our last visit a large frog was in the bog.   As a complete change this time a former Feathertail Glider was dead on the carpet in the study.  Poor little blighter.

 This is why they are called feathertails.

The next morning, as is so often the case at Mallacoota, the sun rose!

 As we were about to head off for our first walk (as usual the 8km in to the town centre) Frances noticed that the Koala was very active.  It shinned up a smaller tree and started eating the leaves.  It seemed to be lying almost upside down to do this.

At an early stage in the walk a small white moth landed on my leg.  I don't have my moth book with me so can't identify it with certainty but Tipanaea patulella looks promising.  On Facebook Ranger Meg has suggested Omnivorous Tussock-moth (Acyphas semiochrea).  I googled that and on getting to a page of the Lepidoptera House reckon that she's right on the money.

 I have no idea what the little brush is - not even if it is part of the moth.  From the page linked above I find that it is likely a tuft on the tail, indicating its a female moth.

 A Great Egret posed for an artistic scratch .

There is not a great deal of floriferousness around so this gum blossom above the drive is particularly welcome.

 After being absent for the early part of Summer the Grey-headed Fruit Bats are hanging on down by the creek.  I have no idea what they are finding to feed on.  They did seem much more nervous than usual.

 Mr K had changed position and stopped eating.  The branch forming his backrest looked quite thin to bear his weight: I suspect that right hand is in something resembling the Vulcan Death Grip.  As we didn't hear a large thud I guess it worked.

Our second walk was the Heathland element of the Mallacoota Coastal Walk.  This spider web shows how dewy it was in the morning.

 Much acacia (not sure of the species) was evident in the heath area (very little was blooming in the woodland area.

I will be bold and call this a white flower. As it was polite enough to flower it should be recognised for its efforts.

 At Betka beach I couldn't find any Hooded Plovers but there were a few Red-capped Plovers and this little chap, which I have decided is an immature Double-banded Plover: I think the only Winter arrival in this area (from New Zealand).

This was a very helpful Bird of the Day.