Hi all,
The clouds dropped down onto the rainforest this week and released their wet load.
The rain fell relentlessly for four days.
The rainforest swelled and new seedlings broke through the damp compost on the forest floor while new fern fronds pushed out from brown baskets. The rainforest woke from its dry sleep.
The clouds dropped down onto the rainforest this week and released their wet load.
The rain fell relentlessly for four days.
The rainforest swelled and new seedlings broke through the damp compost on the forest floor while new fern fronds pushed out from brown baskets. The rainforest woke from its dry sleep.
Ninds Creek filled with muddy brown water and the little holy-leaf mangrove opened its flowers to the cool rain. A taste of the wet season has come in October.
Grevillea baileyana is in flower in the rainforest and frogs are doing what frogs do in the rain.
Eastern dwarf treefrogs mating while another female looks on.
On Thursday morning two visitors from the west turned up blown in on a storm. They stayed all day enjoying the puddles then disappeared late in the afternoon. I found their footprints leading down the beach and have not seen them since.
I have never seen Burdekin ducks here before and it was a delight to see them make themselves at home for the day wandering around the nursery finding puddles
The big wet has prompted the skinks to lay eggs. The little skink I photographed last week, Lampropholis coggeri, laid five eggs in a tray of seedlings on Wednesday. By chance we were potting up the tray at the time and I saw her bent in half and standing up with her little foot clenched as she pushed out the eggs. Unfortunately I had a camera malfunction so I cannot share it with you. Photograph of eggs (right)
The female Indian koel turned up this week and has sent the male into an ecstasy of calling. She must enjoy his serenade as she replies with rolls of chuckling enthusiasm.
Both birds are feasting on the fruits of the macaranga.
The female fig-birds have also turned up and the males will fly onto a branch near a female and chatter away for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
The cattle egrets have their mating colours and the greater egrets are pairing up and appeared to be dancing on the beach.
The Grey heron has been sitting on the old derrick on the beach and is keeping an eye on Charlene who has been on the beach the last two days.
Charlene is about three metres. Sorry about the photos but my good camera has gone to the camera hospital.
After I signed off last week I heard a funny noise in the kitchen and a small amethystine python was trying to remove its skin on the fly screen. At some stage during the night she was successful as there was a skin on the ground in the morning.
Cheers from the wet rainforest of Coquette Point.
Yvonne C.
Cheers from the wet rainforest of Coquette Point.
Yvonne C.
