Rarity

On a beautifully sunny day in Port Phillip an inviting turquoise sea lurred us out across the bay.

With only 150 Burrunan Dolphins known to exist, in two populations, it has to be one of the world’s rarest mammals. I was elated to see them almost immediately we left the quay. Around eight animals came and played around the boat and bow rode the passing ferry. Excellent stuff.

Education is a key to protecting habitats and the creatures that occupy our planet. Disappointingly the boat operator we used never mentioned once to their assembled clients what species of dolphin they were, how they differed from other Bottlenose Dolphin species and any how rare they were. Getting people in the water with the dolphins seemed to be a priority. I’ve never been keen to swim with dolphins myself; it’s their habitat … not ours, however, I can see how it appeals and if it’s done in the right way (which it was in this case) I don’t feel it does much harm. I had a good day on the water in Port Phillip. Good sightings and excellent company. Every day you see a cetacean is a good day. Even the enforced visit to a cold, windy and wet botanical gardens in the dark later looking for Possums was enjoyable!

Inconspicuous

One of the most widespread but inconspicuous birds in Victoria is the Yellow-faced Honeyeater. It’s not until you get it close you realise how subtly beautiful it is. This one was picking off insects pushed to the ends of twigs by marauding ants.

Leprechaun

It may have been the contact lens curling 42 degrees of heat but the quest for a Koala was not going well. Any mammal was hard to find. It was said that I might as well look for a leprechaun! Sure, I could go to a zoo and see these bloody things hanging from every branch but who wants to see them in an enclosure. I wanted to see one of these enigmatic symbols of the Australian continent out in the wild; in the bush. I did everything I was told; I looked for the ‘favourite’ trees with fluorescent ribbons tied on them, I visited high density areas and searched every fork in every eucalypt in Victoria. Nil. Nada. Nothing. I was searching canopies in my sleep. Surely something as large as a labrador sat in a tree couldn’t be that hard to find. I even considered hiring a guide but decided persistence would pay off. It did.

Over the other side of the gorge was a Koala. It was difficult to find but easy to see; if that makes sense.  It stood out like a shilling up a sweep’s arse. (I’m allowed to use words like arse ‘cos I’m in Oz) Not the tree hugging full frame I wanted but hey, who’s complaining? I’m not. Time to crack open a tinny.

 

Batty

They breed ’em big in Victoria. Several thousand Grey headed Flying Foxes were extremely entertaining especially the mothers with young squabbling for ‘tree room’

Stampede!

When you approach Eastern Grey Kangaroos I found out you need to exercise a little field craft. If you don’t you can cause a stampede! Eventually I managed to get close without causing everything to disappear back into the bush.

It’s a first for me.

The first bird to greet me as I arrived in Australia this month was the Superb Fairy-Wren. Never has a bird been so aptly named.

 

Deep dark chambers

Something endearing about those deep dark eyes. So young, so beautiful. A new beginning.

Photo taken from behind barriers from a sensible distance with a very long lens.

Over the border

A trip into Suffolk at the end of last month gave some astounding views of a Great Northern Diver near Lowestoft. Look at that incredible red eye. I wonder why the eye is such a red colour? It shares this feature with other divers and some of the grebes. Perhaps it aids sight in the dull light of murky water. Its eye was pointed skyward a few times. I feel sure the beast had seen something high in the air; a raptor perhaps? Try as I might I couldn’t see anything, but I’d be willing to bet my right arm there was something up there. I’m constantly amazed sometimes how the eyesight on birds has developed to an extent beyond our understanding.