Here we go again!

No crocodile story but an emu story for a change. Where else in the world do you have a newspaper relating such stories? 'Woman fends off horny emu', what a title really!? When you read the article it does not have much substance it leaves you with a feeling of being a non-story in fact. But the point is that the title seems to attract readers since this rag continues to increase its publication when the rest of the world newspapers are struggling.

Brissie

After the wallaby spotted in the wild last week-end here comes his urban brother spotted on the streets of Brisbane this morning. I did not really have time for sightseeing but the nice temperature of around 20 degrees that provides a chilly change compared to the temperatures I am experiencing in Darwin allowed for a nice walk from the hotel to the meeting room.

In the park

The sight of a wallaby in the wild is something that always amazes me. Actually, the sight of any animal in the wild brings its own share of pleasure. But on top of the list come the wallabies, as well as the wombats and the koalas (only seen once in the wild). In this part of Australia I strangely do not get to see many of the three above mentioned creatures. But I had my good share of frogs, spiders, crocodiles, spiders and on a kinder note, birds....

Good Frog

If I have an ugly beast at my front door I have a lovely one in my backyard. You may remember the colourful green frog I posted some time back. Lately, the nature has been quite present (it actually always is in this part of the world) since I had to evacuate my office a couple of weeks ago because of a bat, I recently had to deal with a Carpet Python (which appears to be a friendly snake) and I had the surprise to witness this lovely guest in the office toilets. Not the best place for her.

Bad Toad

One of Australia's biggest ecological catastrophy was the introduction of the cane toad as a measure to try and combat the cane beetles. As this animal was introduced from South America, it went on to spread (and continues to do so) and is a real pest in itself since it has poison glands and its tadpoles are highly toxic to most animals if ingested. It kills fish, lizards and any kind of wildlife really because of its poison and is spreading at an alarming rate. On the road to Katherine I always try to kill my good share while driving on these ugly pests. Unfortunately, I occasionally have one on my front entrance and I would be glad if the neighbour's cat could help me to get rid of it since he seems highly interested!

Petits Canards

A fish story could have been appropriate for April Fools Day but it is actually a sad story. All my little fish that have always been so happy to see me when I was approaching to feed them and that looked so healthy and lively in their pond died on Sunday due to water poisoning (probably too much chlorine in Darwin's water). Fortunately, I still have thousands of natural fish in the marina at the back of my house and most importantly the little duck family that had disappeared for a while has just started to reappear. It is amazing to see of the ducklings have grown since the last time they paid me a visit. I had feared they might have been eaten by a crocodile or something but they are obviously too smart for that!

A dragon fly can tell a lie on early Dry

The above was a title of the local newspaper (NT Newspaper) at the beginning of the month. It is true that the Dry season is not supposed to have officially arrived before mid-April. But it has been quite beautiful and dry since the beginning of March (to the exception of a couple of flash storms). I have also noticed that the reed beds in the mangroves are starting to lose their bright green wet colours in favour of dry browns. for the locals, one thing is for sure, the en masse arrival of the dragonflies clearly marks the end of the Wet (even if they can tell a lie). The one above was flirting with some others above my fish pond.

Saltie

Not a day in the Northern Territory without its croc story. And crocodile catching is a full time job for a wildlife ranger team in the area. Your typical newspaper front-page always carries one their sighting experiences. It was amazing to read that 58 crocodiles have been trapped in the area since the beginning of the year including three on this very day. If I have my statistic correct and if we continue with that trend it will make an average 250 crocs caught in the year. If I remember correctly it is more or less the figure that was also reported for the whole year in 2008. What happen to these crocs? They are sent to the crocodile farm with the nicest specimen kept in captivity and the rest probably end up in handbags, shoes or barbecue skewers.

Bugs

The first time I read the name on the menu in a restaurant I was really curious about this. What is this? Australians actually eat bugs? What kind of bugs? Then I saw that it had nothing to do with the terrestrial bugs I knew. Actually the name is short for Moreton Bay Bug. They are very strange creatures, a bit like lobsters but with no head or rather a flat head. They look rather prehistorical to me. Once cooked on the barbecue their flesh and taste are heavenly. Better than lobsters in my opinion. Here you can see them in my sink before I cook them...

Handsome Devil

As mentioned a few days back when I posted the picture of the Green Tree frog that came to visit me, Australia has a good array of unique species. One of them is the Thorny Devil. It is a kind of lizard that lives in the Red Centre I am currently visiting. Sandplains are its natural habitat. It feeds on insects and despite its appearance is a rather friendly animal. Actually, I just noticed today that the cover of my Lonely Planet was also displaying its picture. Otherwise, I visited Alice this morning which was a bit dead. The Papunya Gallery I wanted to go to is only reopening on Monday after some long Christmas holidays. I hit the (dirt) road south to see some ancient petroglyphs at Ewaninga after having visited the fascinating Desert Park.

Masked Lapwing

Australia is famous for some of its endemic species like the Wombat, the Emu, the Tasmanian Devil or the Kangaroo of course. But there are so many other unique species. Some even being very regional and only existing in a very particular and restricted area. Here, in the Northern Territory, there are millions of birds in the sky. The most common probably is the Masked Lapwing that can be spotted as frequently as we can spot pigeons on the Piazza San Marco in Venice! They are a bit more shy but they are known for their bold nesting habits, being quite prepared to make a nest on almost any stretch of open ground, including suburban parks and gardens, school ovals, and even supermarket carparks.

Frog on the wall!

That is exactly one of the reasons I like darwin. the presence of the nature is amazing here. Especially at this time of the year. from the flocks of bird that come to rest on the treetop of the mangrove next to my house to the hundreds of fish you can spot in any pond, river or sea. We were having a barbecue at home with friends and this amazing Green Tree Frog climbed on the wall to socialise with us. I have just done some research and I understand it only exists in this part of Australia and in New Guinea. I also read it was actually very docile and was even traded as pets. Its lifespan can reach 16 years. According to wikipedia it also secretes some peptides with antibacterial and antiviral properties, some of them have even been found to destroy HIV. I hope it will come back to visit me (It is actually still on my wall as I write this).

Mum and her joey

I have now been in Australia for quite some time (even longer than this all in all!) but I realise that I have actually never posted any picture of that Australian icon that is the Kangaroo. It is true that you do not really see them jumping in the streets of the major cities but they remain a common sight (unfortunately their dead corpses on the roads are even most common). Today, I was in a fantastic place called the 'Wildlife Park' 50 kilometers out of Darwin. It is not at all a zoo but more like a reserve or a sanctuary. I came across this tiny wallaby mother with her even tinier joey. It was quite extraordinary the way this little fella was getting hold of his mother's pouch that came hanging out of her belly.

Green Tree Ants

From my office window I can see all those plants whose leaves have been weaved together to form pods. Getting a closer look you can see they are thriving with activity. These unusual natural constructions are actually the work of what is called the Green Tree Ants (or the weaver ants). I was already used to them in Western Papua but I never had such a close look at them before. The nests are in fact bound with silk produced by their larvae. Most of the nest construction and weaving is conducted at night with major workers weaving towards the exterior of the nests and minor workers weaving within the interior. It really makes for a fascinating viewing and their work can keep you busy for hours!

Monkey Say Monkey Do!

I still have quite a lot to discover in Singapore. We just went for a stroll in MacRitchie Reservoir park and were amazed by how extensive the primary forest remains. We made a 10 kilometres walk in the middle of the virgin forest. If not the heat and the thunderous threatening weather, I am sure we could have walked much more than this. Wildlife is extensive considering we are in the middle of a highly developed urban environment. Squirrels, goanas, birds and of course monkeys. Most surprisingly, contrary to many other places we have visited in Asia, monkeys in Singapore are quite frightened of humans. It is probably due to the fact that it is strictly forbidden to feed them and fines are hefty if you are caught doing so. In Bali, for exemple, monkeys are quite aggressive and do not hesitate to come and steal from your pockets.

East Coast Park Wildlife

Wildlife is a big word since I do not think those turtles are actually native to this pond and surely have been introduced but it was a lovely day today cycling around East Coast Park under beautiful skies and stopping by that pond where only the bravest turtle decided to stay for a photoshoot. All the others plunged back into the water afraid I might eat them.

Sweetheart

Here are the facts: 780 Kgs, 5 meters 10, Male, 50 years old.

What you see above is the real 'stuffed' croc that was finally captured and accidentally died in 1979. For approximately five years a large male crocodile, locally known as “Sweetheart”, was responsible for damage to aluminium dinghies and their outboard motors on a large billabong on the Finnis River in the Northern Territory.
Early in 1979 the pattern of attacks changed and became more frequent, and this was cause for concern for the safety of participants in a proposed fishing competition on the “Sweets Lookout Billabong” even though no one had been hurt.

In the park

I don't think the above picture really needs any explanations. The nature is very... generous at this longitude. So while walking in any park you'd better watch up and down. It reminds me that I even read recently about that 3 meters long snake they found while constructing the new Circle Line subway tunnel here a couple of weeks ago. Right in the middle of the city!

Galahs

Kangaroos, koalas, wombats and so many bird species. Especially cockatoos. Yesterday I was raving about the wombats. Today I would like to introduce you to the galahs. They are as common here as pigeons are in Europe. They actually are one of the rare breeds who seem to have adapted well to the developments brought by the European settlers in Australia. They are commonly found everywhere in the country but nowhere else in the world. Their two favourite cities seem to be Perth and Melbourne.

Wombats in the Snow

Anyone who has come to Australia has seen kangaroos and may be koalas. Depending on where you are going you might even see wombats. They are the marsupials that amaze me the most. Stocky, furry, up to 1 meter long, around 30 kilos with powerful claws, I have seen quite a generous number in Tasmania, South Australia or New South Wales but I had never seen any in the snow. It really added to those wonderful two days skiing across the Lake Mountain forests and flats. They come to the melting streams in search of grasses, sedges, herbs, bark and roots. I could have spent hours observing them.