Is there a doctor in the house?

I have been fishing with my father since I was 5.

Occasionally we would find what he called "Doctors".

These strange creatures often lived with the gill space of a fish.

I was always led to believe that they were parasitic, though helpful, to their host.

Below is pictured the creature in question.

This specimen was the largest I had ever seen, measuring over 25mm head to tail.

The multitude of appendages makes it most unusual indeed.

It was found within the innards of its host, a Leather-jacket, whilst I was cleaning my catch from a fishing trip.

I would welcome any input on this strange creature.

Goannas of Cuttagee

In relation to my previous post on Goannas , Here is a short vid of one.

This reptile measured over 2 Metres in length.

Many are to be found in the surrounds of lakes and rivers in the NSW South Coast.

This one would like to eat a dog that belongs to friends of mine, though keeps itself busy around the area foraging for scraps and is welcome for the interest and diversity it affords to the bushland surroundings it shares with its human neighbours.

It was not worried at all by my videoing it and it was obvious that any further encroachment on its space would be challenged.

A good example of one of Australias largest reptiles.

Big storms on the far south coast

A Picture says a thousand words.

This shot, down the south coast of NSW, gives an idea of the ferocity of the storms of the last few days.

A little further south we had the power off for 2 days, due to fallen trees like this one.

While there was less rain than the storm experienced in February, the wind was much stronger.

A dense low pressure system was responsible for the havoc that saw disruption over more than 200Km of coastal towns.

A Dangerous Dance

Although the weather has cooled somewhat, there is a mass of insect life around - in sizes ranging from mosquitoes to dragonflies.

This could be partially due to the massive rains recieved earlier.

Welcome Swallows buzz the nearby dam in flocks approaching fifty in mumber, showing that lavae of all sorts are there for the taking.

Our resident spider species have been taking advantage of this fact also, catching masses of small annoying insects before they gain entry to our home.

There has even been a little time for them to do one of the most dangerous dances of all for a spider - the act of mating.

These two are engaged in that dance.

"Palps" of the male spider, the smaller of the two in the foreground, place sperm into openings in the female while, at least with this species, they face to face as though locked in some mortal combat.

The female spider often eats the male after mating, and sometimes during the act, dependant on the species and how quick the male can make a run for it afterwards.

A danerous dance indeed.

Port Jackson Sharks

This strange form is the egg case from the Port Jackson Shark.

It forms this twisted spiraling shape once dried.

The juvenile shark escapes from the far end, leaving an opening in the top

I found a number of them on Blenheim Beach (Marine Bay), located near Jarvis Bay area within the marine park.

Pictured with the fine white sand as a backdrop below

The area is located just south of Nowra on the south coast of NSW, Australia.

A map of the surrounds, and the area visited shown here.

The beach has a small creek running to it, with temperate coastal rainforest at its fringes.

The Marine Park was established some time ago, as the area was recognized as a significant bio-diverse region warranting protection.

Along with the casings found, a number of sea slugs were found nearby amongst sea weed and a dragonfly nymph located in the fresh water of the creek within 25 meters of the surf.

While we enjoyed the surf, a pod of dolphins cruised close by.

A very pleasant and diverse place indeed.

Adaptation of Design

Arachnids never cease to amaze me.

I photographed this orb spiders web the other day with a strange adaptation.

The center of the web is inline with the wire, thus giving the spider some cover from the prying eyes of predators.

In case you might feel this has a degree of chance involved, the web is fixed to the wire only at the center point, with the rest of the intersection floating freely so as to catch prey.

This design would offer both protection and stability of the web.

An example of evolution at work through design adaptation.

Kookaburra on the hunt

It was with some degree of relief that I heard a number of Kookaburra calling last week. Since then they have been making their world famous call each morning and evening.

A bird that I remember well from my youth ( I cared for one once while its wing healed), it has been sadly lacking in numbers over the years following.

Many bird species are on the decline due to a number of factors and I recall a recent report stating that the beloved Kookaburra was on that list.

A few posts ago I photographed a young Red Bellied Black snake in my backyard. This is not the only one I have seen. It seems that this years breeding season was a good one for snakes. Hot and dry.

It also seems that the Kookaburra, who are fond of snake for dinner, are aware of the fact.

.

A shot of a Black Snake being swallowed whole is on my wish list.

Next time you see an inoffensive snake on its way, remember that a bird song we associate with all things Australian depends largely on snake populations.

Fun time for Fungi

All the rain we have had over the last month has seen an explosion in the number of fungi of late.

Fields that were inundated have seen a number of forms sprout forth.

While the variation is nothing like the profusion I have seen at places like the Robertson Reserve, with many species per metre squared, I feel it worth documenting nonetheless.

The local bushland may have further groups to photograph as cooler, damper and darker conditions lead us into Autumn.

Visits after the rain

Massive rain of late has been a boon for amphibians.

Local swampland has been alive with the calls of many species, though one species is visiting in mass. The Emerald Spotted Tree-frog.

Attracted to insects drawn by the light from windows we have had as many as five at a time on one window, curiously studying me I photographed them.

I thought I would include this shot, as the way the legs are positioned make the creature look more alien than it already does, when I noticed something strange.

The frog has two mosquitoes on it and they seem to be feeding.

The shots are a little rough, though show the little mozzies seemingly feeding on an amphibian. Perhaps someone may say it happens all the time, though it was news to me.

Mozzies are an unwelcome visitor to many, it seems.

Here is another.

Looking cute and alert, this years baby Red Bellied Black Snake was checking if the rains had finished.

Driven from the spot where it lived in our yard by rising water, it found shelter in the shed.

It proceeded to the garden where I watched it catch some small skinks for lunch.

Many animals have had to relocate with the rains.

Meetings, both welcome and unwelcome, with we humans are at a high.

In Australia, as in any other place we are graced by the natural world, its a matter of learning how to coexist and share our space.

No, the Red Belly cant come inside.

The shed will have to do.

Cloud Formation in an Inversion

I was able to capture, in time lapse, this interesting atmospheric condition.
It seems that a layer of cooler air had trapped moist, warm, air beneath it.
This is called an "inversion".
This was all happening at the base of a small mountain range with the cooler breeze racing overhead.
As the warm air gained enough momentum upwards, shown by the clouds boiling beneath, it eventually broke through the layer above to disperse clouds in the breeze.
A most interesting phenomenon, and one I hope you enjoy viewing.

Drought breaking rains for NSW

The storms across NSW last week were spectacular to say the least.
With Bermagui getting around 200mm in 24 hours, it wasn't the heaviest of the falls.
It was enough though to free blocked estuary systems to the ocean and flush them out.

The following video is of the storm on Fri morning 05.02.10 around 5am, with footage of a few kangaroos playing in the rain and the Cuttagee system breaking to the ocean later that day.




The baragoot system broke on its own that night, with Wallaga lake needing a large excavator to help it along the next day as water levels rose nearly 2 meters.
Local council took the initiative to see all lake and river systems in need got a digging out at the entry point to the ocean as massive rainfall fueled the flows in areas stagnant from drought.
This is how things looked across NSW at around 7am Friday 05.02.10 thanks to the BOM sat image.



Following the rain, with a little help, Wallaga Lake was on the run.



This was Baragoot,


..and Cuttagee.



All areas did well from the rain, allowing clearing of the stagnant waters and facilitating movement of marine creatures to and from the ocean and these estuary systems.
Hopefully the prawning will be better next year. :)