Cicada are back

One of the rights of passage through childhood for many boys ( and quite a few girls) in Australia is the catching of Cicada during the summertime.
These amazing creatures, after spending seven years or more underground, emerge to rejoice in the heatwave and produce a sound I have always associated with this time of year.

These coastal grasslands are home to one of the smallest of these insects I have seen to date.


Some cicada are easy to catch, some are harder.
These guys have eyes in the back of their heads ( it seems), as they are very small and very quick.
I was, after stalking on hands and knees like someone possessed, able to catch this insect pictured below - though only on film.
It took younger eyes, and quicker reflexes than mine, to help achieve this task.
Good to see that the youth of today still find excitement in the hunt of these elusive creatures.




The lads, who were down from Bateman's Bay for a cricket match in Bermagui, even managed to score a chrysalis from the creatures nymph stage.


I have a previous post, with a couple of pictures of cicada that show the difference in size.
One of my first posts was of a similar cicada, though those pictured above are marginally smaller.

Old man Goanna

Last weekend I took a drive to see the upper reaches of the Bermagui river.

Not a bad stretch of river at all.

On my return I climbed up into higher ground and a forest of spotted gum.
Crossing the road was this guy.

I approached him quickly enough to get him to climb.
At just under 2 meters, this gargantuan lizard is a fearsome piece of work indeed.

As scavenger hunter it will raid nests for eggs and make short work
of your rubbish bin given half a chance to do so.

These claws are great at climbing the smooth trunks of the Spotted Gum.
They are also make for great defense.
The Goanna is a fairly timid animal and will climb to escape predators.
If one comes running at you, you are best to lay down.
It wont think you are a tree then.
A friend of mine was thought of as a tree, by an animal half the size
of the one pictured here, and sports some great scars on his legs.
Luckily the animal didn't make it to perch on the top of his head.

One wonders how these, and many other creatures, are going during the
spotted gum selective felling going on down Bermagui way at the moment.
The areas where this is happening are entry prohibited, though that does not restrict a careful eye seeing ( from outside the zones) the apparent rip and tear
"selective" harvesting going on in one of the east coasts last great stands of these trees.

Whales playing in Bermagui

With many of the whales having made their journey down the NSW coastline on their way to Antarctic waters, I thought a little vid of some this years action was worth a post.

This whale, with her calf, are playing in Horseshoe bay, Bermagui.
Two weeks ago we saw a peak in numbers here and the occasional whale can still be seen, though it seems the bulk are south us now.

South Coast Echidna

With warming weather, many animals have been making an appearance.

One of these is the Echidna.

This egg laying marsupial mammal is classed as a monotreme, the other is the Platypus.

Both are only found in Australia.

The offspring, usually one, is called a "Puggle" and it is carried in its mothers pouch until too spikey. When this happens the mother will dig a shallow hole, place the youngster in it, and return every few days to supply milk.

They can live up to 45 years eating termites and ants.

I saw many of these creatures while in Victoria recently, ranging all the way to Bermagui where I live.

Take care if you are driving through wild habitats at the moment, as Echidna seem to be out in great numbers, along with a variety of reptiles and kangaroos.

Your local area will have wildlife protection organisations that rescue injured animals and it makes sense to program this number into your mobile.

A few baby Pics

Spring is always a good time to show a few baby pics.

Young Sea Eagles have been cruising the skies, testing their aerobatic skills in dogfights with each other for prey.


This very active Koala posed for the camera in a rare period of daytime wakefulness .



Even the humble Seagull had a shot or two to offer.



This chick allowing a most comical shot.



And, last though by no means least, whales are well into their southern migration down the east coast of Australia.
This calf having playtime with its mum in Horseshoe Bay, Bermagui.



Yes, spring is a time of wonder and interesting photographic possibilities.
I am currently searching for sparring Red Bellied Black Snakes and hope to have some shots soon.