Bushwalk Australia

Spotted this Koala a couple of days ago. Most likely a male but I was not able to confirm this as I couldn't see it's chest. It did have ear tags but I also couldn't see them clearly which makes an ID difficult.

Nearly ate this fat grub as he hung suspended at head height across the track. Unbelievable camouflage! No idea who or what he is?

^ Possibly a Double-headed Hawk Moth (Coequosa triangularis).

Scroll down this page: https://southernforestlife.net/happenin ... th-musings

Definitely the one, Michael. And I only watched silence of the lambs last night….creepy.

Seen in Upper Blue Mtns.
Black Rock Skink ?

keithj wrote:Seen in Upper Blue Mtns.
Black Rock Skink ?

I reckon so Keith. I've seen those in the Blueys.
Remember a very curious one on the Ruined Castle years ago.
https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/1337554

Yep had lunch with one up ruined castle about 2018! Thought it was a little more brown in colour, will see if I still have a photo...

Trawled through my photos and found him, back in 2004:

OK, cheating a little bit. This is on our farm.

Many many long years ago we planted a few tiny Blue Gum seedlings near our house. In hindsight it might have been better to have planted them further away, but no matter.
Anyhow, those little tube seedlings are now over 1 metre in diameter at the base. All very fine.

It is normal for Blue Gums to grow very tall, and to shed the lower branches when they get shaded out by the upper branches. Sometimes the branches are shed naturally, and sometimes they get broken off by storms and rain. In the latter case a scar can be left on the trunk. But the tree manages.


So, this week we reached a sort of milestone. A scar attracted a couple of Pink Galahs.
My version of this is that the macho male is busy inside the trunk, digging out a hollow, while the female sits and waits nearby. Wood chips at the base of the tree.

Magpie babies: tick. Butcher Bird babies: tick. Barn Swallows (2 pairs): tick. Noisy Miner babies: tick. Now for Pink Galah babies.

Cheers
Roger

This is a female koala I spotted a couple of days ago in Smiths Ck, Campbelltown. I think this one is called Millie. Hard to believe that there are over 20 Koalas in Smiths Ck.

Insect spotted on the Mt Stapylton walking track several days ago. ID anyone?
It appeared to be clutching a bee.

First guess: a wasp of some sort.
Cheers
Roger

Maybe a Herculean Robber Fly (Neoaratus hercules): https://collections.museumsvictoria.com ... cies/15152 and https://canberra.naturemapr.org/species/8918

Good choice Michael, definitely a fly type insect.

Thank you Michael! It seems introduced bees are their preferred food.

The local foxes have been breeding and their numbers are up around the area. I've had scats in my backyard twice recently. Competition must be increasing as I have observed increased territory marking (lots of scats on trails).

An animated political discussion about blood-transference at Wirrawilla Carpark.

Morning training walks...
A little unusual for suburban Brissy, grey day, steady rainfall, disturbed an osprey hunting in a abandoned quarry lake.
This morning I nearly step on a very lively, skinny, olive green tree snake.

Wombat intimacy, near Waldheim

Aww
And speaking of wombats and wildlife 'not quite seen'...

I was up on Cathedral Plateau on the weekend and my better half decided to pre-dig a hole for use the following morning.
Off she tramped into the bush [a suitable distance from camp and water] and returned with a PSA to our party 'if you find a lovely hole, it's mine! Use it and pay the consequences!'.

She returned from the next morning's ablutions to announce the hole had indeed been used, by a wombat!

Ouroboros training fail.
Lake Cobbler Track - Alpine NP.

Ettrema wilderness. First one I've seen in the wild. I've only ever seen one mention of a koala in this area by Rachel Grindlay on her blog about an Ettrema trip.

I'm curious, has anyone else spotted one in the Ettrema/Budawang areas?

There was known colony west of Tolwong. Where did you see this one?

Myall creek area. I'll have to keep an eye out next time I'm out near the station.
Have you seen them? Or how long ago did you hear about it?

I am not 100% sure, but I think these are native stingless bees just coming out of their cells. A few days later they were just about all gone: flown away.

Cheers
Roger

Cunningham's Skink encountered half way up Turtle Rock - Girraween.

rcaffin wrote:I am not 100% sure, but I think these are native stingless bees just coming out of their cells. A few days later they were just about all gone: flown away.

9711.jpg

Cheers
Roger

Hi Roger. Looks too big to be a stingless bee, it looks more like a paper wasp to me. Possibly this one? https://ausemade.com.au/destinations/qu ... utionalis/

Hi Moh

I thought they might be Tetragolula sp, but the nests shown in the last photo on the page you cited are far far more likely. Thank you.

Ain't the web wonderful?

Cheers
Roger