Reptiles (and bats) are us

As anyone that has ever visited Mallacoota will know one of the highlights is the spectacular sunrises.  There always seems to be a bit of cloud around to give some colour.  While waiting for this to happen this morning I noticed the avian equivalent of a B52 incoming and managed to get a half reasonable image of a soaring Pelican.

 Then Mr Sun did his thing.

 While on the Northern side of the Inlet the mist was still rising.

 Then it was off on a dog walk.  We had wondered what happened to the jellyfish we'd seen at Stingray Point on Friday.  At least one of them was still alive and pulsing along at the Lagoon Boardwalk.

 When we got to our turn point in town I realised I'd never taken a photo looking down Coulls Inlet and remidied that situation.

 Getting back to the halfway mark I liked this Bluey sitting with its fisherperson owners.

 Our second walk was to the Casuarina Walk.  There were a few flowers and quite a few birds.  First the flowers. beginning with one of the few examples of Epacris impressa still in flower.

Then a Glycine sp.  Around home they are usually one of the first legumes to come into flower, so I suspect this is a different species.

Finally an orchid.  Dipodium punctatum the Spotted Hyacinth Orchid.  I'd also regard this as very late, and it was surprisingly low to the ground.

Someone from the Council or the Forests had been along the path cutting down all the dangerous trees.

Their rating system hadn't identified this one as a threat but it had just taken a dive on its own.

 It had obviously been down for some time as there was a well beaten track off to the LHS.  Hopefully someone - official or more likely just public-spirited  - will come and minister to it with a chainsaw in the near future.

Crossing one of the creeks Frances drew my attention to a small bird.  I was unsure what it was (other than very young, judging by the lack of tail and obvious gape)  when an adult Rufous Fantail came and fed it.  Which resolved that problem and also gave Bird of the Day.

 I noticed this quite large skink beside the track.  It stayed still so Tammy didn't see it.

 As we headed back something rushed off though the vegetation heading for a tree.  I guessed from the jizz it was a goanna and on circling the tree so it was.  They are really beautiful beasts.

 This one was medium sized with body about 1m long.  Some of them get up to 2m plus tail.

Looking at these claws it is easy to see how they get a purchase on tree bark.  And to hope one of them never feels a need to climb a person (such as me or Frances)

At dusk I went down to see the bat fly-out again.  Here are some images.  (I took 55, kept 13 on my computer and these are the ones I like the best.)

For reasons known to them, the bats flew out to the North this evening rather than the North East so didn't come by the house.