Newline

[Denis Wilson <>]

I was going to suggest a Goanna (think of it as a fat snake with legs). 
Easier to explain than Mark's amusing but hard to fathom anecdote.

Cheers

Denis

On Sun, Mar 17, 2013 at 8:30 AM, Mark Clayton <> wrote:

Sue,

 

The most obvious choice would be a Brush-tailed Possum; I don’t think Newline is all that good for Ring-tailed Possums and Sugar Gliders. The other possibility could be a snake of some sort. Many years ago working in a swamp in the Booligal region I had the job of climbing trees growing in water checking holes for nesting duck species, mostly Pacific Black Ducks and Grey Teal. I had a torch that was just about to die and had been feeling around inside a hole to check for eggs. I didn’t feel anything and had one last look with what was left in the torch. All I could see was a curious flicking movement. A somewhat closer inspection revealed an Eastern Brown Snake curled up in the hole!!!! Why it didn’t bite me I will never know but I was certainly a lot more cautious putting my hand into dark places after that. The hole was about 30 feet (in the old language) up in a River Red Gum and how it got that high up I have no idea.

 

Cheers,

Mark

 

From: Sue Lashko [
Sent: Saturday, 16 March 2013 11:53 PM
To: canberrabirds chatline
Subject: [canberrabirds] Newline

 

I had a rather interesting time doing my woodland survey at Newline today.  A large Angus bull which was rather protective of his ladies made for a bit of excitement when I was surveying one of my sites but most of the fun was in the front paddock when I was doing a final sweep looking for Brown Treecreepers (without success).  I heard a great ruckus as Noisy Miners all headed in one direction, so I followed thinking perhaps it was a Collared Sparrowhawk that had been active earlier.  However, it was not.  The miners (about 10) were mobbing at the entrance to a tree hollow and they were joined in the tree by 2 Peewees, 3 Crimson and 2 Eastern Rosellas, 2 SC Cockatoos, 2 Magpies, a BFCS and an Indian Myna.  There was no sign of anything in the hollow, although I presume an owl was deep within.  The miners and myna returned again and again to the entrance to the hollow without perching and then after about 10 minutes of this a Grey Butcherbird arrived and went and sat on the rim of the hole and peered in for about 2 minutes before moving about a metre away where he remained.  I watched the hole from a distance for another 10 minutes or so but nothing appeared and the GBB stayed put, but the others got bored and moved on.  Any other suggestions apart from an owl?

 

Sue

-- 
Denis Wilson
If you're not pissed off with the World, you're just not paying
        attention.
(Kasey Chambers)

"The Nature of Robertson"
www.peonyden.blogspot.com.au