Wallabies, wombats and possums near Junction Ridge
Our cameras were recently kept busy at a bush property to the north of Flowerdale, which includes a steep gully known as Devil’s Glen. Above the gully the property consists of Red Box forest and a cleared native grass slope. The cameras recorded hundreds of shots of inquisitive Black Wallabies, Common Wombats and both Common Brushtail and Common Ringtail Possums, as well as a Red Fox.
Bobuck up close at Pheasant Creek
A remote camera trained on a fallen log across a small tributary of Pheasant Creek recorded these shots of a Mountain Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus cunninghami), also known as a Bobuck.
The Bobuck has shorter, more rounded ears than the Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), and inhabits wetter forest areas. It prefers gullies and, although arboreal, spends much of its time feeding on the ground. Fungi form a significant part of its diet.
Little critters had us guessing!
A remote camera set up on this fallen, but still growing, remnant paddock tree at Allandale Road, Strath Creek, revealed a group of very active small animals that had us guessing as to whether they were the small native marsupial Agile Antechinus (Antechinus agilis) or just the common House Mouse (Mus musculus). Several DSE experts reviewed the pictures and came to the (disappointing) conclusion that the critters were indeed house mice.
View the video clip below, which may take a few moments to load.
Birds get in on the act !
Our recent remote camera deployments in the Falls Road/Allandale Road area of Strath Creek have revealed a range of birds – all common farmland species. These shots from an Allandale Road property show that many birds use fallen logs as perches.
Which Brown Tree Frog ?
This little frog (about 40mm long) has been seen, and is currently calling, in the Strath Creek area. But is it the Southern Brown Tree Frog (Litoria ewingi) or the Plains Brown Tree Frog (Litoria paraewingi) ? The Flowerdale/Strath Creek area seems to be roughly on the junction of the distributions of the two species, which do not overlap. Can anyone help us identify exactly which species it is ?
The pads on the ends of its digits, which identify it as a Tree Frog, are clearly visible in this photograph.
The recording below (assumed to be of the photographed species) was made on a very frosty early morning, so it may well have been feeling a bit sluggish!
Another recent arrival
Just a few days after photographing a young wombat in its mother’s pouch (see previous post: New arrival at Strath Creek), our remote camera detected another wombat with young in tow on the other side of the same 40 ha property. The home range of a Common Wombat has been reported as varying between 5 and 23 ha, but there can be considerable overlap between adjacent territories.
Seen here, after sniffing our scent lure, the mother leads her youngster away to greener pastures. The video may take a few moments to load.
New arrival at Strath Creek
This female Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus) has been a regular visitor to a Strath Creek property for several years. She seems to be quite healthy, and has produced a number of young over the years.
Her most recent offspring can be seen in this photo, with its nose and one foot protruding from the rear-opening pouch. The young stay in the pouch for at least 6 months and then at heel with the mother until about 18-20 months old.
Lyrebirds at Kinglake West
This amazing photo of a Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) singing, was taken on a property at Kinglake West using a remote camera set up beside a display mound by Chris Cobern, Fire Recovery Landcare Coordinator.
The male called for about 8 minutes before being distracted (and attracted ?!) by a female, which can just be seen here in the lower right-hand side of the photo.
Time to come in !
This video clip shows an Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) indicating, with a gentle tap on the shoulder, that it is time for the joey to retire to her pouch. The video was taken on a partially burnt property on Old Spring Valley Road, Flowerdale. It may take a few moments to load.
Feral cat at Flowerdale
Some unwelcome animals were caught on camera on a steep ridgeline along Spring Valley Road, Flowerdale, where the vegetation is gradually regenerating after the Black Saturday fires.
This sleek and clearly well-fed feral House Cat (Felis catus) poses a significant threat to our recovering native wildlife.
Focus On Fauna 
