The Run-up to Christmas

There has been a frustrating lack of WiFi since my last post, so this will be a big one.

Echidna (Spiny Ant-eater) - Tachyglossus aculeatus

This echidna we found at the side of the road on the way out of Corryong towards Wodonga. Echidnas are, like the platypus, monotremes which are egg-laying mammals.  They are extremely shy and this one curled up into a ball like a hedgehog when I approached.  Apparently, they can also dig straight down from that position if necessary to escape from persistent photographers.

White-plumed Honeyeater - Lichenostomus penicillatus

This honeyeater thought he'd found a good perch right in front of the bird hide, until he heard the shutter clicking, that is.  Found at Wonga Wetlands near Albury.

Unidentfied Beetle

 These big yellow beetles were found all along the path when we walked up to Mount Kosciuscko.  Most were on the steel grating that formed most of the walkways, but a few were on the vegetation like this one, though it wasn't clear if they were feeding on it or not.  This one is on Mountain Celery - Aciphylla glacialis, which smells and tastes like celery and was part of the aboriginal diet.  Despite extensive Googling I still can't yet identify the beetles.

Eastern Grey Kangaroos - Macropus giganteus

Grey kangaroos in a natural setting.  These were actually on a campground which seems to be the place to find kangaroos, but nobody was camping here and the grass had been left to grow long, so they were doing what comes naturally - munching grass and scratching.

Emu - Dromaius novaehollandiae

This emu was the second wild one we saw.  The first one we saw was on the road driving away from the campground where the kangaroos were (on the way back from the Snowy River Power Station).  Despite driving slowly past, by the time we got to the spot where it had been, it had melted into the bush completely.  This one was in a field (on its own so probably wild) and was brave enough to let us stop the car and wander back and take pictures.

Huntsman Spider

This huntsman spider was found on our tent.  As you can tell by the legs and the large forward facing eyes, this is a jumping spider which catches its prey by pouncing on it rather than spinning a web.  There are around 94 different species of several genera, so proper identification would need an expert and a much closer look.  They are, however, believed to be harmless to humans, even if they bite them.

Bearded Dragon - Pogona barbata

We found this fierce looking specimen in the Japanese Gardens at Cowra.  Apparently their defense strategy is to freeze, and if that doesn't work, to puff themselves up like this one to look more threatening.  It would have probably been an even better strategy to find somewhere other than a neatly clipped lawn to do his freeze on.  It made for easy photography though and he allowed us to get very close.

Bush-tailed Possum - Trichosurus vulpecula

This critter was in a tree right outside our tent, having been chased up there as we passed on our way to the toilet block.  Interestingly, they are a protected species in Australia, but are considered an invasive pest in New Zealand where they eat tons of vegetation every night.

Lace Goanna - Varanus varius

Lace Goanna - Varanus varius

We found this goanna near Elliot's Lookout near the Lake Wyangala campsite.  He got so far up the tree and then decided to pose for the cameras.  Including the tail, it was probably about four feet long.

Trapdoor Spider - Misgolas gracilis

This trapdoor spider had built his lair just outside the men's toilet block.  He may have no sense of smell, but you can't fault his hole digging skills.

















And when he's caught enough, he closes the trapdoor, which is then pretty near invisible.

Shield Bug

 Another visitor to our tent, this time inside, a very large shield bug, as yet unidentified.

Galahs - Eolophus roseicapilla

These galahs posing wonderfully in a pine tree at Parkes Radio Telescope were, as usual part of a noisy bunch.  In Australia, galah is used as a derogatory term meaning loud-mouthed idiot.  But they are a striking bird and one of the cockatoos, and if you don't mind pink, quite beautiful.















And another beauty - star of the wonderful film 'The Dish' - the Parkes Radio Telescope from where TV pictures of the lunar landings were relayed.

 And in another tree by the radio telescope, the carefully crafted mud nest of the white-winged Chough.

Noisy Miner - Manorina melanocephala

Though it doesn't really deserve the term 'noisy', this common bird can be quite boisterous and tends to chase off other less aggressive species.

Crested Pigeon - Ocyphaps lophotes

It's a crested pigeon - not much more to be said, really.

Some sort of fire bug, definitely Hemipteran but without a field guide not much chance of identifying it.

 I think this is Button Everlasting, but it doesn't look identical to photos on the internet.  It may be a closely related species.

Unidentified Spider

Large 'horned' spider found on the Balancing Rock trail at Wyangala.

Grasshoppers - doing it

 A large group of (possibly carnivorous) hemipteran bugs.

 A large stunning butterfly, well aware of the photographer, so not a very close view.

Red-back Spider - Latrodectus hasseltii

(It is a Dainty Swallowtail - Papilio anactus)















This is the infamous Red-back Spider, of which many Australians have a great fear.  It does not seem to deserve that reputation, though it can give a very painful bite, there are very few confirmed cases of fatality.  An anti-venom is available but is rarely used as the only symptom is pain which is treated with painkillers and goes away in a few days in most cases.  Not what you'd want to find on your tent though - even outside as this one was.