A small video showing a mob of Forester Kangaroos (Macropus giganteus tasmaniensis) at Narawntapu National Park in Tasmania. I counted over 80 kangaroos in the Springlawn area on Monday.
The Forester is the Tasmanian subspecies of the Eastern Grey Kangaroo. (Skippy the bush kangaroo was a female Eastern Grey) Males can weigh over 60kg and when standing upright can be 2m tall. (over 6 feet) This makes them the worlds second largest marsupial after the Red Kangaroo.
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... Perameles gunnii
On Monday night we were honored by a visit from an Eastern barred bandicoot. In the nine years at my current domicile we have had some good views of
the more common Southern brown bandicoot but this was our first encounter
with this small nocturnal marsupial (a bit smaller than a rabbit).
Eastern barred bandicoot, Perameles gunnii, in the backyard
It was first spotted, from the lounge room window, hopping about in the the front garden. It then made it's way up the driveway to the backyard. I grabbed the camera and we went out to have a closer look. We soon found it foraging away under the Nectarine tree. That's when I discovered I had no memory card in the camera. I watched it for 2 or 3 minutes while someone ran back to the house for the memory card. It just stayed there going about it's business only a couple of metres away. Of course, once the camera was set up and ready, the bandicoot's sixth sense (camera detection and aversion) kicked in and it started getting nervous. The end result was one useable but blurry photo and one wonderfully clear recollection of the encounter.
The Eastern barred bandicoot is extinct in South Australia. In Victoria it is 'critically endangered'. Here in Tasmania it has already disappeared from some areas and overall numbers have declined since the early 1990's. Fortunately it is still common in some localities. What a privilege it is to find it in my own backyard.
Below is a photo of the more common Southern brown bandicoot, also taken in the backyard.
Yesterday I went down to Fern Glade (in Burnie, Tasmania) for a bit of birding but I soon found myself sidetracked. Icouldn't believe my luck when a Platypus hauled itself out onto a log to have a good old scratch. I didn't have the tripod so I leaned against a tree to try to steady the camera. After ten minutes my arm was aching trying to hold it still but at the same time I was smiling from ear to ear. It was one of those singular experiences where you get to share the moment with an otherwise secretive animal.
For anyone not familiar with this semi-aquatic mammal, the Platypus is a bit of a zoological enigma. When the first specimens were sent to Europe, many thought it was some sort of clever taxidermic hoax. An egg laying mammal with webbed feet, a duck-like bill, and a beaver's tail. The male even has venomous spurs on the hind limbs. (You can see these spurs in the video.)
(If you are not interested in the next section on the naming of the Platypus then you may want to scroll down for a poem by Banjo Paterson.)
The Naming of the Platypus
A quick search on the web came up with several aboriginal names for the Platypus. They include, Oonah, Boondaburra, Biladurang, Mallingong and Tambreet.
Other European names are, Duckbill, Duck-billed platypus, Duckmole, and Watermole,
Interestingly, the current common name, Platypus, is actually from the original scientific name. Dr George Shaw named it Platypus anatinus back in 1799.
Platy - from the Greek platýs meaning flat Pus - from the Greek poús meaning foot Anatinus - Anatis is latin for duck. Anatinus means, "concerning a duck"
So we have a flat footed duck like animal.
Unfortunately, the name Platypus had already been used six years earlier by Johann Herbst for a group of, fungus farming, weevils (quite a few of which are found here in Australia). The name was therefore changed to Ornithorhynchus anatinus.
The original Platypus, a Weevil - Platypus cylindrus
Picture from British Entomology Vol 2 Plate51 Author John Curtis (1791–1862)
Ornithorhynchus was the name given by Professor Johann Blumenbach of Germany in 1800. Both Shaw and Blumenbach gave this animal descriptive names based on the animals duck-like bill. The full name given by Blumenbach was Ornithorhynchus paradoxus.
Ornitho - from Greek ornis or ornith meaning bird. rhynchus - from the Greek rhýnchos meaning bill or snout. paradoxus - as in the English word paradox.
So we have a bird billed (Duck-billed) animal with the name paradoxus reflecting the contradictory nature of the animals appearance.
Mark Twain quotes a New Zealand Naturalist who seems to have his own name for the Platypus ( as well as his own system of trinomial nomencalature). He calls it Ornithorhynchus
Platypus Extraordinariensis.
This naturalist (who is known simply as Christian) was apparently a bit of a poet and Twain quotes the following verses about the platypus:
"Come forth from thy oozy couch,
O Ornithorhynchus dear!
And greet with a cordial claw
The stranger that longs to hear
"From thy own lips the tale
Of thy origin all unknown:
Thy misplaced bone where flesh should be
And flesh where should be bone;
"And fishy fin where should be paw,
And beaver-trowel tail,
And snout of beast equip'd with teeth
Where gills ought to prevail.
Of course our own Banjo Paterson also wrote poetry about the Platypus:
Old Man Platypus
(Banjo Paterson - 1933)
Far from the trouble and toil of town,
Where the reed beds sweep and shiver,
Look at a fragment of velvet brown,
Old Man Platypus drifting down,
Drifting along the river.
And he plays and dives in the river bends
In a style that is most elusive;
With few relations and fewer friends,
For Old Man Platypus descends
From a family most exclusive.
He shares his burrow beneath the bank
With his wife and his son and daughter
At the roots of the reeds and the grasses rank;
And the bubbles show where our hero sank
To its entrance under water.
Safe in their burrow below the falls
They live in a world of wonder,
Where no one visits and no one calls,
They sleep like little brown billiard balls
With their beaks tucked neatly under.
And he talks in a deep unfriendly growl
As he goes on his journey lonely;
For he's no relation to fish nor fowl,
Nor to bird nor beast, nor to horned owl;
In fact, he's the one and only!
Earlier this month we went with friends to Narawntapu National Park having virtually guaranteed they would get a good view of a wombat. Upon arrival it was dull, overcast and the place seemed to be devoid of life bar a couple of ravens flying overhead.
We took a walk to the lagoon bird hide and along the way we did spot a few Pademelons. We also found some nice fungi. The shot below is a little over exposed as I had not yet figured out how to reduce the flash intensity on the new camera and did not have the manual with me.
Fungus along the track to the hide (ID Suggestions welcome)
Half way to the hide, the heavens opened up and we got a good drenching. From the hide itself there was not a lot to be seen. Even the ducks were taking shelter. However, we did get good views of some Hoary-headed grebes which were feeding just in front of us. According to the Birddata site they are fairly common around here but I rarely see them. A lull in the rain allowed for a couple of photographhs. Indeed, these are the first photos I've managed to get of them.
Hoary-headed Grebe - Poliocephalus poliocephalus Non breeding plumage
On the far side of the lagoon there was a mob of Forester Kangaroos but too distant to get a photo. We returned to the main picnic area and enjoyed a good BBQ lunch and some shelter from the continuing showers. Finally I spotted a couple of wombats through the binoculars. We started walking up the Springlawn track in the hope of a better view but after only 100 metres or so we were called back. A wombat had made an appearance. It was a little wet like the rest of us but at least it allowed me to shoot a few photographs.
A rather wet Wombat - Vombatus ursinus
Wombat close up - Vombatus ursinus
A Bennet's Walaby also made a brief appearance before returning to the shelter of the scrub.
Bennet's Wallaby - Macropus rufogriseus The little streaks in the photo are rain drops.
So despite the rain it wasn't a bad day out. We only seen 12 species of bird. The best sighting was the Dusky Woodswallows. There were only about 5 within the park but along the roadside outside the park there were 100's of them busily feeding. No doubt they were preparing to migrate to a sunnier climate.
Birds seen during visit:
Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)
Australasian Shoveler [sp] (Anas rhynchotis)
Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea)
Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus)
White-faced Heron [sp] (Egretta novaehollandiae)
Little Pied Cormorant [sp] (Microcarbo melanoleucos)
I'm going batty not having my SLR, but at least I managed a couple of shots with my old Canon G3 of this little fellow.
It's the first bat I've seen since coming back to Tasmania. At this stage I have no idea of what species it is but I'll make a guess that it is of the genus Vespadelus. If anyone can enlighten me, please do.
Most references say that the eight species of Tasmanian bats roost in trees and not in caves and buildings. This one however, has been roosting for at least 4 days in the Burnie CBD. Almost everyone is oblivious to it's presence. It has set up camp in a part of a building that might be termed a man made cave. It's quite amazing how it can cling onto the pebblecrete. In the photos below it is clinging on to the corner of wall and ceiling but last night it was on the open wall. I imagine the CBD would be a good location for catching moths etc around street lights. When I lived in Scotland the Pipistrells would regularly hunt that way.
Yesterday we took an overseas visitor to Narawntapu National Park. She was quite impressed with the local wildlife, particularly the close encounters with the wombats.
(Click to enlarge photos)
Wombat Vombatus ursinus tasmaniensis
This is a Tasmanian subspecies of the Common Wombat. There is also another subspecies, Vombatus ursinus ursinus, which is found on Flinders Island.
This is the Tasmanian subspecies of the mainland Red-necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus banksianus). Bennetts wallabies are a little smaller and have longer fur.
The Forester kangaroos were keeping their distance as usual. These are the Tasmanian subspecies of the mainland "Eastern Grey" kangaroo and are listed as a threatened Species. There was a mob of 10 at the western end of the Springlawn area.
As I walked up the backyard to check the moth trap last night there were at least 8 Tasmanian pademelons (Thylogale billardierii) and one Waskily wabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) busily mowing my lawn. Then I spotted this Brush-tailed Possum with it's joey on her back. The possums here are not tame as they are in some places so she wasn't going to allow me to have a clear view. The mum took to hiding in the dense foliage but I don't think she realised that the poor old joey was left out in the open.
This one would be from 4 to 6 months old (roughly). I'm basing this on the fact that they spend about four month's in the pouch and a further month or two on the mother's back.
Yesterday my wife spotted what she described as a large and unusual dog shaped animal (though definitely not a dog) slowly walking up our backyard hill into the trees. I walked up to investigate. I certainly flushed a lot of wallabies and rabbits but nothing unusual. While I did not discover the mystery beast, I did get a great view of a Southern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus). I mentioned getting a fleeting glimpse of a bandicoot back on August 30th. This time I accidentally cornered one between myself, a tree stump and a fence. It was trying to jump the fence reaching about 50 to 60 cm up. I shouted down the hill for someone to grab the camera but in the mean time it squeezed between the fence and the stump never to be seen again (I think it somehow went under the fence). While I did not intend to scare the wee thing it was the best view I've had of them to date as I watched it for close to a minute from just a few metres away.
The characeristic conical holes dug with the bandicoots front feet.
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos
The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos have been back in recent weeks after an absence of couple of months. Every now and then they will fly over the yard so I've had the camera set up ready to go. Unfortunately I've only managed one reasonable shot so far but I'll keep trying. They are a little bit silhouetted against the bright sky so I'll have to remember to adjust the exposure next time.
(Click Photos to Enlarge)
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo - Calyptorhynchus funereus
Thylacine Footprint
This part of the post has no relation to the mystery beast mentioned above- although who really knows? :-) The photo below is of an imprint of the Tasmanian Tiger's front foot. It was sent to me by someone in appreciation for some moth eggs I gave them. Apparently the impression was taken from a stuffed museum specimen.
Front Footprint of the Thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger - Thylacinus cynocephalus
The Narawntapu National park (Formerly Asbestos Range National Park) is located on the north coast between Port Sorrel and the Tamar. The park was declared in 1976. Some have referred to it as the "Serengeti of Tasmania". A bit of an exaggeration? Well maybe, but the area is certainly host to a great variety of wildlife, much of which can be seen at close quarters. There are 20 species of mammal in the park. Of these there are four marsupials which are very easy to find. They are:
The Forester Kangaroo (Tasmanian subspecies of the Eastern Grey) was reintroduced to the area in 1975. While I often see these around the Springlawn area, they are more timid than the other macropods as can be seen from my photo.
(Click on Photo to Enlarge)
Macropus giganteus tasmaniensis - Forester Kangaroos - keeping their distance
Bennets Wallaby (also known as the Red-Necked Wallaby) is the most approachable. The ones around the picnic area will often come begging for food. Please don't oblige them as processed foods can cause health problems for them such as "Lumpy Jaw".
The Tasmanian Pademelon, (now extinct on the mainland) is also easy to see. Take the short walk from the picnic area to the bird hide and you will see many of them in the undergrowth. They are not always easy to photograph as they are often in the shadows. In fact I've taken better shots of them in my own backyard at night than I have done in the park in broad daylight.
Thylogale billardierii - Tasmanian Pademelon (Second Photo from last August)
The other easily found marsupial is the Common Wombat. These are also found grazing during the day and if you move slowly, some will allow you to get incredibly close. I was impressed last year when I counted 19 wombats across the Springlawn area. However, the author of "Where to Watch Wildlife in Tasmania" talks of seeing 93 wombats from a good vantage point overlooking the area.
Vombatus ursinus tasmaniensis - Wombats (third photo is from last August)
The Springlawn area was once agricultural land. You can see this from the aerial view below. In some of the photos above the grass looks like it has been mown but the area is in fact a giant marsupial lawn, grazed on day and night. There is a lot of competition for food here which is why many of these normally nocturnal animals are found feeding during the day. The wallabies also feed on the leaves of plants such as the Coast Wattle. On one occasion I saw a Pademelon about 1.5 m up a tree feeding. The trunk of the tree was inclined at about 45 degrees which would have made it a little easier to climb. Apparently this is not unusual at this site.
While at Fern Glade in Burnie, we had good views of a platypus in one of the quieter pools along the Emu River. I have never taken a shot of a platypus that I'm happy with, The air trapped within the wet fur makes them very reflective, In any case the first two shots are reasonable. The third is pretty poor but I include it to show the way it was holding it's rear legs up, with the tail down. I'm not sure why it was doing this - steering perhaps? Also, is that a spur I see under the leg or a bit of wet fur?
The first Ornithorhynchus Confused early thinkers. They said, 'Oh good lord, It's an obvious fraud! Someone has stuck The front end of a duck With the skill of a weaver To part of a beaver.
Yes it's true. Here in Tasmania I have little foxes in the backyard but not the feral peril you might be thinking of. These are actually possums - Trichosurus vulpecula. The latin name vulpecula literally means 'little fox'. No doubt the name was given to them due to the bushy tail, hence their common name of Brushtail possum.
Scientific studies have shown that these possums spend 16% of there time feeding. Non-scientific studies suggest that most of that feeding is done on my fruit trees. I lost half my apples last autumn which meant I couldn't make the home brewed cider I had planned. They also ate the pears. At the moment they are even having a go at my lemons taking a bite out of each one. Despite this, I actually love having them around. I see it as my responsibility to find new and interesting ways to protect the fruit.
So why was I out photographing possums? Well a couple of weeks ago I took down the wallaby fence as it was unsightly and didn't work anyway. I figured I may as well let the smaller animals come in for a feed as well. I was hoping the bandicoots would come closer to the house. It seems to have worked as twice already I have accidentally flushed what I believe was a bandicoot in broad daylight but I only got a fleeting glimpse. The other night I walked up the hill with the torch hoping to see one but all I found was some of our regular visitors, half dozen Pademelons and a couple of Brushtail Possums. At least one of the possums was kind enough to hang about for a photo or two.
The Tasmanian Echidna was once considered a separate species but is now placed as a subspecies, T. aculeatussetosus. This subspecies is larger than it's mainland cousins and also has fewer and shorter spines . Often the spines do not protrude above the fur. Colour can range from honey brown through to an almost black form which is found in some areas of the west coast. While in warmer parts of Australia it is considered to be nocturnal, here in Tasmania, particularly on cooler days, it can often be seen foraging during the day.
Class: Mammalia
Order: Monotremata
Family: Tachyglossidae
Genus/species: Tachyglossus aculeatus
Subspecies:setosus
Echidna in the dunes at Preminghana
Echidna at Welcome River showing only a few spines.
An Echidna in my backyard digging in.
The same echidna later in the day
Digging in again - It's getting dark here so picture quality of low but I liked the way it looked up to see if I was still there.
