Wildlife

[willedoo]

I went out onto the verandah a few minutes ago and saw a small brush tailed wallaby joey only about six metres away. The only time I've seen the little ones around here is when they are still in the pouch. This one looked like it was not long independent. He spotted me and hopped away into the bush with no sign of a mother anywhere. There's some nice wildlife here. I just wish I could get rid of the foxes. They kill the neighbours chooks and last night one killed a swamp pheasant half way up my driveway, judging by the pile of feathers there.

[Litespeed]

Our local matte Zoro, the greater egret.

 

He always hangs  around even sticks his head inside to say hello.

[willedoo]

I miss the cattle egrets around my place since the cow died. She had her own personal egret that I used to call Ernie. Ernie and the cow were inseparable up until the old cow passed on at almost 20 years of age. I don't know what happened to Ernie but he probably flew away and found another cow somewhere.

[willedoo]

1 hour ago, Litespeed said:

Our local matte Zoro, the greater egret.

 

He always hangs  around even sticks his head inside to say hello.

It's amazing how trusting some birds can get. I think there's three parts to it. One is food, another is the humans not presenting a threat, and lastly some species are naturally more confident and trusting around humans than others. An example is the difference between Kookaburras and crows.

[Litespeed]

Zoro has been around for two years and comes every night at sundown.

 

You can't pat him but anything up to 4 feet away is ok.

 

I even catch fish and squid live and place them for him to eat.

 

He will only eat live fish.

 

Favs are prawns, squid, garfish and then small Tailor in that order.

 

Last week he went to grab a big prawn and a Jew fish went for it as well. I swear they both hit the same time and Zoro had his head in the big Jews mouth. Quick as a flash and they separated, scared the Jew and Zoro.

 

Funny to watch but Zoro was a bit nervous after that.

[Marty_d]

I thought it was better to have no egrets in life.

[pmccarthy]

Je ne egret rien.

[willedoo]

6 hours ago, Litespeed said:

Our local matte Zoro, the greater egret.

Just curious, how did he get the name Zoro?

[Litespeed]

Zoro because he uses his long beak and super extending neck like a stabbing epee.

 

It's amazing how he can bend his neck into a compressed S shape, then dart it out straight like a hidden sheathed sword.

 

The speed is mind-blowing as is the length it can stretch out.  

 

Graceful but deadly at high speed like a fencing champion. More surgical strike than a bludgeon. 

 

Unlike the gobble guts Cormorant that eats fish way bigger than you think possible, they aren't picky.

 

Zoro is a precision blade, in a flash it's all over. If a fish  sees it happen, its already dinner.

 

The only thing he can't do is eat stuff bigger than his neck will allow past his voice box.  You see the voice box clearly half down the neck when it's curled to a S shape. All fish are grabbed then orientated head first to swallow so fins don't get stuck on the way down. A stuck fin means death by chocking.

 

Given his grace, beauty of his always exquisite white feathers( never anything but pure clean white)

He reminds me of the pure athletic deadleness of a swash buckler with swagger. Errol flynn just didn't do him justice.

 

Hence Zoro, but don't call him the gay blade as he is sensitive.

 

I am amazingly lucky to live on the water in a Ramsar bird sanctuary that is world renowned, some migrate all the way from western Russia. I might be poor but for wildlife I am rich.

 

It's also the most important breeding ground for great White Sharks and bull sharks in the east coast. But we never worry about attacks, I have even kayaked next to a big bull shark "Boris" twice and he never bothers people. We taste like shit, hence the surfer up the coast two days ago had his leg bitten off, but the shark just spat it back out.

 

Just too much fish to worry about tasting yucky humans. We are a far bigger threat to them. Almost  everyday the dolphins cruise the passage as well and most nights I hear them cruising past.

 

A pair of white sea Eagles nest on bull island only 100 metres away, always beautiful to watch. 

 

When I get really bored I can always watch the human attempts at flight in the F-35s,  but that's mainly just loud. As a military training area it's a novel experience to see man and nature fly all the time.

 

If I don't see at least 20 different species just motoring 500 metres to the marina- I have had my eyes shut.

 

Shush- don't tell anyone, the place is horrible, the mosquitoes are big enough to carry prey, also we are full.

 

 

To be honest the most deadly predator here is humans and the bloody midges.

 

Suffering in paradise🤐, so you buggers can commiserate.

 

Always happy to take one for the team.

 

[old man emu]

9 hours ago, pmccarthy said:

Je ne egret rien.

So sang the Little Sparrow, Edith Piaf, "Non, je ne regrette rien" (1960)

[facthunter]

Living on the water. "In SALT WE RUST"  Nev

[old man emu]

I wonder if it's echidna breeding season. My daughter drove up from Canberra yesterday and said that she saw a lot of them along the way. 

[pmccarthy]

Yes in spring but it starts earlier depending on location.

[facthunter]

I suppose it will SPIKE at some stage.   Nev

[facthunter]

You have to be good Mates to mate with  another echidna.  They are actually very likeable critters..   I'm not anti them at all. Nev