Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Emerald Spotted Tree Frog catching a moth





After previous posts regarding the Emerald Spotted Tree Frog, I was able to video this creature successfully hunting moths on my veranda.
The capture has been repeated in slow motion to give a clearer idea how this creature stuffs its mouth with an object so large in comparison to itself.

Monday, March 30, 2009

"The Earth goddess turned it on"

What can I say about a great statement such as "The Earth Goddess turned it on" coming from naturalist Denis Wilson other than it was good enough to be the title of this post.
I hope you found your visit good fun. We all did here ...even though Petra has to make another batch of rocky road :)
Denis and I, just like old times, hit the road again to look for some of natures wonders.
His post on our travels can be found here.
The variety we saw was amazing, such is the diversity of life on the far south east coast.



Denis out amongst the tall grasses at the verge of a tidal lake while a Swamp Wallaby watches from a safe distance.


Farmers are to be found everywhere, with this ant checking on its Scale Insects.

Another farmer is the Bell minor, pictured below, with the Lerps they farm.


We were at a spot where the Bell birds were thick, and Denis imitated another bird.
To our surprise we were instantly surrounded by about six Bell birds eager to chase us out of their Lerp farm. Seems that they like to eat the casings of the Lerp and move the creatures up to sap producing leaves - protecting them from intruders.


That didn't stop us giving the casings a go, finding them mildly sweet to the taste.
You would need quite a few in your cuppa though :)

Tidal environments can be found way inland sometimes and it was in a little creek that these two crabs were found.



The one with the orange claws I believe to be male and, as the other approached his hole he began to show a defensive posture, though relaxed with her crabby charms.
Seems that some things are universal :)

This Toad fish is evidence proper of the tidal nature of the creek.
An interesting creature that is the bane of any fisherman.



While at the creek this Golden Whistler was lucky to catch a moth for lunch.


This White Throated Tree Creeper also found an insect while using its large clawed feet to navigate the vertical surface of this tree.


This Restless Flycatcher was living up to its name also within this limited, though diverse, area.


Just as tidal creatures can be found way inland, so can inland creatures be found rather close to the sea.
Within splashing distance of high tide I found these mosquito larvae.


Pelicans and Seagulls alike did well from the scraps of the bountiful catch that the sea provided for two fishermen.




The day ended well with a trip to Mimosa Rocks for a little scenery.



Later that night, with all larger predators safely tucked up in their nests and such, another show began.

This large Huntsman presented itself sporting an infestation of Mites.
It allowed Denis and I to photograph it repeatedly without a flinch, giving the impression that it was not in the best of health with its hitchhikers.

Even a Preying Mantis was out and about keeping an eye on the mass of moths that were circling the veranda lights.



All in all a great show for the day, and great to have Denis come down to share the wonders of this varied environment with me.

This last shot was taken some 3 days earlier around some small watercourses near Tathra.

Reptiles are the flavour next time Denis.
I look forward to seeing you then.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

More of nature's antics

Magpies are very interesting creatures to watch.
You never know what they will get up to next.
This inquisitive bird has found a piece of tennis ball.
I imagine that it would make a good nest liner, though nesting is over and it looks like this bird was hatched from this breeding season.
More evidence of play with a purpose perhaps.



Then there was this little frog I found today.
Looking almost black in colour, I thought I had found another species, though it turned out to be a juvenile Emerald spotted tree frog.
This individual had colour coordinated himself to his dark surrounds and can be seen somewhat lighter in the second shot.
It eventually ended up tan in colour over a 5 min period.



Nature is full of surprises with nothing quite what it seems.
Sometimes it takes a second look to make sure.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

NSW far south coast panoramas



With busy weeks recently I have found little time to take photos, let alone upload new material to this site.
I thought a couple of pano's of the area in which I live would be well received by those of you who regularly visit my humble nature blog.


All shots are taken within 30 Km of me.
The area consists of coastal bushland, farms ( mainly dairy) and scattered small towns and villages.
Coastal plains are bounded by small mountain ranges inland, with an abundance of tidal lakes and estuary's.
Soil types vary greatly from eroded metamorphic clays to black soils and basalt.
These differing soils and landscapes produce a variety of ecosystems ranging from temperate rain forest to iron bark stands, spotted gums and marshlands.

As Autumn sets in I am interested to view the changes in these environs for the first time, posting what I find.






these photos are best clicked on to be viewed full size.
They were made via photoshop and have 4-5 photos knitted together to produce the pano.