A feast of forms

After traveling over 7000Km up to Cape Tribulation on the Queensland North Coast and back over the last month, I was able to collect a variety of creatures some of which are shown below.

This Star Fish was shot at Arlie beach, surfacing from the sand with the influx of the tide.

These birds inhabit the far north in profusion and nest overnight in the branches overnight.

Unafraid of people, they scour the campsites for morsels without fear.

Salt Water Crocs prowl the waters, this specimen over 3 metres in length and over 70 years old.

This Rino Beetle was quite big and aggressive, having bit my finger whilst I attempted to photograph it.

Preying Mantis were in abundance, and as curious as ever.

This Manta Ray was off the beach at Fraser Island, crusing the shallows for crabs.

Kookaburras provided a loud waking call in the early morning chorus.

A Kadadid hunts at night.

This Jeweled Spider was a long way north of those I photographed years back in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

Honey eaters were many and varied.

The Goanna seen in Queensland were smaller than their southern relatives

This Gecko was out for the hunt one night for moths at Wonga Beach near Daintree Rainforest.

Fraser Island had many species of fish, these captured in shallow waters of the Champagne Pools on Fraser Island.

Dingos also prowl the Island, and are to be walked warily amongst.

This unusual bird was photographed Near Emerald Qld.

A Fascinating Holiday with many shots taken of scenery and wildlife in abundance.

I hope to post more as they are processed.

Recycling the insect way

In what has been described to me as a quite rare moment to capture, this Katydid was caught in the act of eating its shed exoskeleton.

This insect emerged from its final moult, having gone through a number of them previously, and proceeded to eat the shed skin as it inflated and dried its new form.

Each shed brings about a new stage called 'instars' until the adult form is reached.

Thank you to Denis for the research and enthusiasm.

This guy is, of course, not an insect.

Spiders are great recyclers though.

They will often eat waste silk.

This one caught in the act of building a early morning web, with the hind leg just about to pick up the web from the spinnerets and fix it to one of the strands radiating from the centre.