MONOTREME MONDAY

Recently, some of my platypus video was used in an episode of Worlds Most Scenic Railway Journeys on SBS which featured the Spirit of Queensland. In the episode Neil Andison of Platypus Whispers Guided Tours was interviewed.  I was asked if they could use some of my footage as I was around at the time so, of course, I agreed. It was an interesting episode and Neil did an outstanding job. To celebrate, I thought I'd put some more footage up here...

The cormorant and platypus had quite a bit of interaction, hard to keep them both in frame.

Divebombed by an azure kingfisher, not sure who got the food...

The creek water was quite shallow when this was filmed.

This one was giving itself a good scratching...

Lurking in the weeds...

EVEN MORE PLATYPUS...

It was very entertaining watching these two platypus navigate the small cascade. The first and larger animal is a female (bald spot on the tail). When the two come together in the last 3 videos (sorry about that, file was too large to put up as one video here for some reason), they disappeared for about 20 minutes before coming back down.  Probably a tunnel under there where they were exploring or probably mating. The water was so clear that week we could watch them swimming underwater quite easily.

So fast I almost lost sight of her then I thought she'd disappeared under that rock...

This time I was ready for her to swim back out...

Sorry about the audible gasp and loud commentary... pretty exciting.

And they continue...

They came out around 20 mins later...

Such clear water...

 

MORE PLATYPUS!

 

NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH PLATYPUS!

I'm lucky to live in an area renowned for its platypus and never tire of trying to spot them when I'm out and about. This morning I was lucky enough to see two, separately in the same pond, then both swimming and feeding with a pied cormorant.

 

On its lonesome...

I must have hundreds of 2 or 3 second videos where I just get them diving.

I was concentrating on filming the platypus when the cormorant dived in at the end.

Two chums together...

A bit of synchronized diving...

...and then there were three!

In this footage, the platypus appeared to snag a yabby mid-swim and stopped to chow down. Sorry about that bush, made it hard to keep the camera steady trying to see what was going on.

PLATYPUS FROLICKING IN MALENY...

There has been mention in the media recently about dwindling numbers of platypus. Not sure that's true up here in Maleny as it seems there are more than ever. On Sunday, I saw five different animals on my walk. It's unusual not to see at least one and it's lovely when visitors finally get to see one in the wild. Platypus are sometimes hard to spot because of their colour and the fact that they're smaller than you might expect. Enjoy some of my recent videos and photographs...

This guy this morning was floating for quite some time which astounded me. So often they dive immediately. I believe it was actually eating. They save food in their cheek pockets and then consume it at once until they start again. You can see just before it dives there is a lot of unwanted food coming out of the bill.

One of my favourite photos, looks like it's wearing a headress as it powered through the weed.

That's an eel swimming below this animal and it was estimated to be at least 1.8m long. The platypus wasn't bothered by it.

They often swim with cormorants, as one stirs up the mud the other takes advantage and gets more food. They don't seem to annoy each other so it would appear to be more reciprocal.

This guy was just hanging around in the creek. Unbothered by people hanging over the railings talking and looking at it.  

I believe this one is a juvenile. It was very active and swam quite close to where we were watching.

Just love the patterns in the water when they swim through reflections. I like to think of it as Platypus Art.

One of the few photos I've managed with two animals in the one shot. They don't swim too closely together unless they're mating. That is, probably, also the only time really you'll know if you're looking at a male or female. The male will swim closely behind the female and then grab her tail in his bill for a while before they mate. The female will often have a little bald spot on her tail for that reason.

You can see a bald spot on this animal's tail so, probably, a female.

I was surprised to learn that they get ticks when I saw this one scratching away. I never thought ticks would survive under water but I guess the platypus do spend a lot of time in burrows or even on land.  I've seen photos of them climbing dam walls and lounging on rocks grooming.

I wondered what this one was doing and it wasn't till I got home I could see it was eating, chowing down hard on something like a yabby.

If you look closely at the back of this animal, there is a scar. That's believed to have been caused by some rubbish it swam into when young and whatever it was (maybe a hair tie or band) finally deteriorated and left that scar. We've recently seen evidence of another with a band around its neck. People are so thoughtless when it comes to littering. Death to litterers I say! Hopefully, when there is another survey it will be caught and the thing removed.

I have many hundreds of photos of them diving.  I'll have just focussed and they dive! Aaaargh. Luckily, they're around often enough for me to get the shot next time. It's also one reason I've started taking little videos.

IT IS MY NATURE...

Got to love the unexpected on a walk...

Not sure who got the biggest shock... I was watching for this platypus along the creek bank where I'd already snapped it, when it popped up right under me. Didn't quite get the whole bill in frame but gee whizz happy with what I got.

It had been peeking out from the creek side undergrowth...

This photo made me think of the fable about the scorpion getting carried across the river by a frog.  Just some pond weed though...

"It is my nature."

APPROVED EXERCISE BRINGS RESULTS...

 Because our activities are being curtailed due to Covid-19 I'm grateful we are able to exercise, which for me means long walks around town, camera at the ready. Although I must say it's like Pitt Street out there sometimes with so many people exercising. I just wish the ones with unleashed dogs would stay at home. Too many people think the rules don't apply to them.

My first azure kingfisher for the year. I disturbed it unfortunately so it flew off after I got this shot while moving in for a better snap. They are beautiful birds but always look a bit lopsided to me with that very short tail and very long beak.

Another blue tiger butterfly settled in front of me so, of course, I had to take its photograph. It looked more black and white in the sun. 

 I see a lot of brown thornbills in my backyard but took this because, to be honest, I didn't know what it was when I snapped it but love the shot. Peek-a-boo!

These two red-backed fairy wrens (female above, male below) where taking food back to a nest I suspect, as they disappeared into long grass with their catches. 

 "Look what I caught!" The willy wagtail's catch was almost as big as it is. 

 Not the best shot of a male golden whistler but the best I could get because he flitted around quickly hiding behind foliage. 

 Again, not my best shot of a platypus because he's swimming away but I hadn't seen one for a few weeks so was pleased to get this.

This colourful little bird is a striated pardalote.

 They are nesting in burrows in a nearby bank (another reason I don't like unleashed dogs on the trail) and will fly down to check on everything. 

My first Yellow Admiral butterfly!

What it looks like with wings open.

WALKING WITH WET FEET STILL SATISFYING...

 This pretty dove was one of six brown cuckoo-doves feeding on shrubs near the platypus viewing platform on my walk this morning.

 And I wasn't disappointed by the platypus with one coming along just before I left. Only showed itself for a moment before disappearing under shrubs that line the creek. This area was where I saw one thrashing around in the reeds for some time with a waterhen pecking at it which worried me enough to call Wilvos. It had gone before they arrived though. They'd been called out previously about one with what looks like it's caught up in a hairband or similar. Attempts to find and treat that one have so far been unsuccessful.

Galahs are so cheeky. This one saw me taking photos and almost seemed to demand being captured for posterity.

Cattle egrets galore at the Maleny Precinct because of the cattle around, orange breeding plumage has faded. These three look like the Larry, Curly & Mo of their world...

By this time my shoes were sodden with the dew. "Oh, yes, Madam... these very expensive Adidas joggers are virtually waterproof but we'll hit them with some Scotchguard as well."  Grrrrr.  Two outings in them with heavy dew and both times might as well have been just wearing socks. 

Looking a bit tattered but I was quite taken with this mushie, gives it a lacey look.

 Spotted what I think is either a Wallum sedgefrog or dwarf green tree frog in the Wetlands. Jolly difficult to get this  because the frog and the reeds are so small, without wading into the water. "Why not if your feet are already wet?" I hear you ask... Well, I know red bellied black snakes like the wetlands too and last time I photographed frogs up in Cooroy (here), I barely missed standing on one of said snakes. Ugh. I'm content with this not-too-bad shot.

Thought this large web was pretty in the morning sun but didn't notice till I got the photo up on the computer that it's not round! Wonder why the owner didn't continue weaving up top? I can see it in the middle. Resting???

 This was a kind of accidental shot if I'm honest. Towards the end of the walk I was hot and steamy and my glasses fogged up. I couldn't see properly in the viewfinder, just my face reflected which got me even grumpier. Then the camera refused to cooperate by zooming in as it should. Anyway, I'd spotted a black shouldered kite in a particular tree and I was quite a distance from it so when I saw this in the viewfinder I took it although I knew it wouldn't be clear enough.  I could see it was feeding on something but was sad to see it was probably one of the little waterhen chicks I've been photographing of late. Then when the camera finally decided to play the game I couldn't find it again. Ah well. Mother Nature knows best. I've certainly seen way more waterhens than kites around the place.

Hope you enjoyed your walk as much as I did mine, despite the wet feet and frustration...

ANOTHER SUNDAY WALK...

I'm continuing my Sunday walks for the paper in an effort to keep fit for an upcoming trip to Borneo and am extending the route as well.  Always lots to see, not that I'm always successful in capturing everything I see, but was very happy with this shot of a silvereye enjoying callistemon (@ bottle brush) for breakfast. 

This brown honeyeater was also having a "brush" for breakkie...

These  spangled drongos seemed to be in the middle of a singing contest...

Just recently I seem to be constantly walking into spider webs so couldn't believe I didn't stumble into this one, phew! Looks like the owner wasn't in residence at the time though.

The weir is usually alive with all sorts of critters but this morning, to my eyes and ears, it was deserted...  Across the road, the amazing nest tree from last post, was also deserted. Not one of the nests I documented was occupied. 

I wandered further into town and was treated to sighting of juvenile platypuses. I wouldn't know the difference but met up with a friend who is a bit of an expert on them and if he says it's a juvenile, I believe him. In fact, we saw 3 different ones in the creek below the infamous Woolworths store. 

 This turtle was also hanging around in the same area.  I've not spotted them there before...

These long walks in summer really are draining so I was happy to finally get the paper and start the climb up the hill home. This crested pigeon cheered me on...

 I'm surprised my heavy breathing and gasping didn't scare off the bees fighting over the magnolia at the gate but they allowed me to take a snap..