After my amazing experience at the water hole in the forest, I returned several times and on visits 3 and 4, I didn't even need to get my camera out. There were no birds. I couldn't quite beleive the difference. Even more disappointing was that on visit 4, Graeme and I sat for hours hoping to see the Turquoise Parrots. It was quite painful.
I tried to figure out what the difference was. Rain? Temperature? Or just bad luck.
I returned on visit 5 and it was set to be a fairly warm day - high 20s. It felt different. There was more small bird noise and more immediate activity. I even spotted a female parrot coming down briefly to drink. No photos but I was more hopeful.
I returned the next day and the forecast was for mid 30s. Again, it was busy immediately and I knew it would be productive. So, I settled down in the back of the van and waited. There were lots of honeyeater with 4 species drinking right behind the van.
Adult and young White-throated Treecreeper kept trying to come down to drink but the honeyeater would see them off. A couple of times, they made it and one even had a bath. It was lovely to watch these interesting little birds away from their usual position, climbing trees.
A pair of kingfisher sat on the dead branches just across the water from me and I watched a pair of them and they seemed to be communicating by flicking their tails. I wish I knew what it meant.
Yet again, as I sat quietly, something caught my eye moving past the end of the van. A snake. A quick intake of breath as I recognized it immediately as a venomous Red-bellied Black Snake. It was beautiful and was within a metre of the van. The snake swam across the water and moved underneath to a dead log.
Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus)
On my way out of the forest, I finally saw an echidna. I have been keeping an eye out for one of these for the whole year I have been in Australia. I stopped the van and jumped out, just as the echidna curled up into a ball. I moved away from it and just sat on the track and waited. Another good time to have a long lens. Slowly, it uncurled and then continued its journey. I did consider following it into the bush but the snake had me spooked and I didn't want to scare the echidna. Still, it was incredible. So wonderful to see such an unusual and rare creature.
Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)
I now have somewhere to revisit on those very hot days!
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