Category Skinks

Penguin Island Day Trip

wildlifewatchingaustralia Leave a comment

I took some time off during my son’s first lot of school holidays as he has just started kindy this year.  He has been saying for ages that one of his favourite animals was the penguin – so we planned to take him down to Penguin Is.  Only 45 mins south of Perth is Penguin Is – just south of Rockingham.

Accessible by a quick 5 min ferry from Rockingham Wild Encounters the island is part of Shoalwater Marine Park and home to 1200 Little penguins (Eudyptula minor).  DBCA have a discovery centre on the island where you can see captive rescue penguins.  They really reinforce to use the boat – as there have been deaths with people using the sandbar to access the island.

Liam and I made the quick ferry ride across and were pleased to see a sea-lion frolicking in the bay not far from the boat.  There is a colony of sea-lions on another island in the marine park.

Liam on boat with Penguin Is in background.

We headed into the discovery centre to get some really good looks at penguins – Liam really enjoyed it and was attentive for the ranger talk as well.

One of the penguins is named Kevin and he is quite a show pony penguin.

We then headed to walk around the island to look for wild penguins in amongst the boardwalks.  Penguins are out at sea feeding for most of the daylight hours – so you don’t actually see many penguins on the island!  We heard there were a couple of male sea-lions that were nursing shark wounds and had been seen on the beach – so we went looking!  None there that day.

We went to the western side of the island which was much rougher and Liam had a great time in the waves – despite me telling him I forgot to pack in a towel 🙂

We then walked up to one of the lookouts finding this fat King skink (Egernia kingii) – we wondered if it might be pregnant?  They are live bearers.

King skink @ Penguin Is

Lots of steps!

At the lookout we were harassed by seagulls who had nested right next to the boardwalk – Liam marvelled at the colours of the eggs.

Silver gull eggs @ Penguin Is

Silver gull eggs @ Penguin Is
Silver gull eggs @ Penguin Is

We then headed back to the beach looking for penguins but none were found.  I was glad we had spent the time in the discovery centre.

We then headed back into the discovery centre just to see the penguins once more before heading back to the mainland for lunch.

A great day – well worth a family trip.  Bring towels though – kids are highly likely to get wet!

Busselton holiday – tales of herps, underwater & possums..

wildlifewatchingaustralia 5 Comments

Last weekend we enjoyed an extra long weekend at a holiday house in Busselton with my wife, 2 kids and my mom-in-law.

It started well from a wildlife point of view, as I parked outside our house to collect the keys I saw a new species of skink – southwest cool skink.

Southwest cool skink @ Busselton
Southwest cool skink @ Busselton

Later that afternoon we discovered we had a resident King skink pair that slept behind a plant pot just on our front porch and spent the late afternoon sunning itself there – not sure where they spent the rest of the day but we did see one in the back garden.  They were very camera shy and the kids also wanting to see didn’t help me!

King’s skink @ Busselton
Sienna trying to see it!

We also had quite a few bobtails out and about – we had a pair being friendly in the garden just next to the carport.

2017-11-05 12.46.05

I see you and I need some privacy!

That night we took advantage of my mom-in-law babysitting our baby and my wife, Liam and I went to the possum trail I have blogged about before – see blog for directions.  We kitted up with headtorches, cameras and mozzie repellent.

2017-11-04 19.03.24

Ready to go!

We didn’t see possums straight away – our first sighting was this spider and pair of tawny frogmouth.

Tawny frogmouth pair

Liam was having a great time looking for critters in all places like this hollow log.  He did say he saw bears!

We then saw our first Western ringtail possums – all up about 15 that night.

Western ringtail possum @ Busselton
Western ringtail possum @ Busselton
Western ringtail possum @ Busselton

…..then followed by some roos.

And some brushtail possums – they look quite different from the ringtails – especially the ears.

Common brushtail possum @ Busselton
Common brushtail possum @ Busselton

The last possum sighting of the night was this cute mum & bub which completed our night out very nicely.

Western ringtail possum @ Busselton

On one of the days we took the train out to the end of the Busselton Jetty – one of the longest wooden jetties in the southern hemisphere – over a mile!  At the end of the jetty they have built an observatory in approx 8m of water.  I have dived the jetty before in the past but was keen to show the family.

Liam enjoying the marine life
Mel & Sienna having a great time.

We had a lovely time seeing heaps of marine life – Liam proudly pointing out a dead crab which he said was asleep on its back!  We all really enjoyed the observatory – while not a cheap thing to do – it was good to experience while on holiday and you are supporting the upkeep of the jetty.

2017-11-06 10.01.13

We had a lovely relaxing holiday – I got to see plenty of wildlife and better yet show my kids!

Trapping at Kensington Bushland

wildlifewatchingaustralia 4 Comments

One of my local areas of bush is Kensington Bushland – a remnant area of Banksia woodland.  I have blogged about it before when I put a camera trap out to watch a Rainbow bee-eater nest.  I had shown an interest in doing some more trapping and the council & friends group had arranged for a terrestrial fauna survey to be completed.

A research associate from the WA Museum had laid out a series of trap lines – with pit traps (buckets dug into the ground) with a shade mesh fence and a few funnel traps for larger animals.

This trapping went for about 2 weeks – with the traps being checked each morning.

I went the first day and we setup the funnel traps, draped them with hessian to provide some cover and also removed the lids from the trapping run about a month before.

Mesh fence
Pit trap
Funnel trap

 

The previous trapping didn’t catch much as it was quite cold and rainy which prevents many of the reptiles moving about too much.

Our first catch was a Bobtail in one of the funnel traps – as it was still early and quite cold it was pretty sluggish.

Bobtail @ Kensington Bushland
Bobtail @ Kensington Bushland
Bobtail @ Kensington Bushland

We also caught a few of the introduced pest Portuguese millipedes and this cool looking centipede.

20171004-102a77522.jpg

Centipede in a pit trap @ Kensington Bushland

That was all we caught on my second day helping.

The third day I came down I heard the day before they had caught a dugite in one of the funnel traps.  On the second trap line in one of the pit traps, we caught a Buchanan’s Snake-eyed Skink – this is the common one you often find on the fence in your garden.

Buchanan’s snake-eyed skink @ Kensington Bushland

In the next trap line in a pit trap we caught a new species for me – Common dwarf skink (Menetia greyii).

Common dwarf skink @ Kensington Bushland
Common dwarf skink @ Kensington Bushland

Throughout the bushland there were lots of lovely wildflowers.

Tinsel lily @ Kensington Bushland
Drosera @ Kensington Bushland
Orchid @ Kensington Bushland
Close up Orchid @ Kensington Bushland
Kangaroo Paw @ Kensington Bushland
Kangaroo Paw @ Kensington Bushland

I really enjoyed the trapping and it should run again in December when it will be much warmer and catch more critters!

Looking for numbats at Boyagin Nature Reserve

wildlifewatchingaustralia 9 Comments

Its on my wildlife bucket list to see a wild numbat.  I get out wildlife watching fairly often in the Perth region but numbats live that little bit further away, they are diurnal (out during the day) when I am normally working or with the family and also they are listed as endangered as there are probably less than 1000 left.  There are only 2 natural populations left – Dryandra and Perup, with Boyagin a site where they have been reintroduced.  They used to cover most of the southern region of Australia before the introduction and spread of foxes.

My wildlife buddy Jimmy and I planned a Saturday night away at Boyagin Nature Reserve – out in the wheatbelt not too far from Brookton – about an hour 45 mins from Perth.

I had seen quite a lot of facebook activity with people spotting numbats on The Dryandra (Incl Boyagin/Tutanning) – A South West Australian Safari group – so that made me really want to get down and see my first one.  Jimmy had warned me it can be a slog sometimes but that just makes it all the more rewarding when you see one.  I studied these tips from Sean van Numbat (van Alphen)!

I met Jimmy at Boyagin as he had already been at Tutanning Nature Reserve looking for Thorny Devils – an amazing lizard that can be pretty hard to find.  On my way off Brookton Hwy I saw a beautiful Wedge-tailed eagle being harassed by a mob of ravens.

We dropped a car off and started the numbat hunt – driving slowly scanning the woodland in likely habitat.  One of their prime habitats is Wandoo woodland with its hollow fallen logs for cover and plenty of wood on the ground for their food – the termite.

Wandoo with plenty of fallen wood – see the Gastrolobium flowering.

The countryside was spectacular with lots of wildflowers – especially the orangey Gastrolobium shrubs.

Possible numbat burrow
Probable numbat digging
Probable numbat digging

We found some probable evidence of numbats in terms of a burrow and diggings but none of the elusive critters.  They dig following the underground termite galleries.  We did see 3 awesome echidna and I was able to get very close to two of them.

Echidna @ Boyagin
Echidna @ Boyagin
Echidna @ Boyagin
Echidna @ Boyagin
Echidna @ Boyagin
Echidna @ Boyagin

We searched for about 3 hours and then headed to Pingelly for a pub meal.  We then came back after dark for some spotlighting – hoping to see some nocturnal marsupials and perhaps a Western spotted frog.  Jimmy had seen Tammar wallaby and the frogs at Tutanning the night before so we were hopeful.  We spent 3-4 hours spotlighting but the only marsupials were common brushtail possums and Western grey kangaroos.  We did find some Western spotted frogs – this is a burrowing frog and it was a dry night, not sure why they were around?  I did also hear a White-striped freetail bat flying above us and caught a glimpse of a bat fluttering in the headtorch beam.

Western spotted frog @ Boyagin
Western spotted frog @ Boyagin
Western spotted frog @ Boyagin
Western spotted frog @ Boyagin

The possums posed for shots but the roos were pretty skittish.

Brushtail possum @ Boyagin
Brushtail possum @ Boyagin
Brushtail possum @ Boyagin

We also saw this awesome Tawny frogmouth.

Tawny frogmouth @ Boyagin

The next morning we headed out numbat spotting again – we put in another 3 hours or so but no luck – not even echidna today but saw a few lovely birds and heard many calling.

Red capped robin @ Boyagin
Red capped robin (female) @ Boyagin
Western gerygone @ Boyagin

It was a great time but I will have to put more time in before I get my first numbat.  I need to start making plans to be back during the day!

I headed for home and saw this little guy on the road and helped him to safety..

Bobtail @ Boyagin

More backyard herps!

wildlifewatchingaustralia Leave a comment

I have been doing a little gardening in the backyard and yesterday found another species of reptile in our garden!  I am really sure it is a Sand-plain Worm Lizard – not a snake but a legless lizard.  I just saw the tail and end of the body as it disappeared into the sand – it was grey colour with quite a thick body and blunt tail – it wasnt a worm.  I didn’t get a photo but here is one that Brian Bush took – source is from his website – Snakes Harmful and Harmless.

Southwest Yellow-throuted Worm Lizard @ Mundaring

Sand-plain worm lizard by Brian Bush

I also found 2 two-toed mulch skinks – so now I know there was at least one in the garden before I translocated one – see my other blog!

On another note I met Brian Bush a week or so ago – I had been trying to get a copy of one of his out of print field guides and found he had a copy for sale and I went to his house to pick it up.  He is a real character with such a wealth of knowledge – he had a specimen of blind snake caught at Lake Cronin that he was taking to the museum as he thought it was new to science!

So anyway thats 4 species of reptile for my suburban garden that is mostly grass!  I am quite pleased – I still don’t have a photo of the fence lizard or Buchanan’s snake-eyed skink but here is a couple I have taken from other places.

Buchanan’s snake-eyed skink @ Busselton
Buchanan’s snake-eyed skink @ Tomato Lake

And for the final herps for today – I saw 5 oblong turtles in the lake next to my friends house.  They get fed so visit from time to time – my son thought they were awesome.

Oblong turtle @ Ballajura
Oblong turtle @ Ballajura

Reptiles at home – Two-toed earless skink & Marbled gecko

wildlifewatchingaustralia 3 Comments

I was transplanting some agapanthus & dietes from another house and in the bag I had stored the plants found this little guy.

2016-12-03-15-27-26

Different from the Buchanan’s snake-eyed skink you often see on fences and walls this is a two-toed earless skink (Hemiergis quadrilineata).  One of the interesting things about Australian skinks is many of them have reduced numbers of legs and toes.  This fella lives in leaf litter or under the sand so is quite snake-like but the head is characteristic lizard.  They are pretty common in Perth backyards but not that often seen except if you disturb where they hang out.  My son Liam had a good look but declined a hold and we let him go in his new home in my garden.  So I have now conducted an inadvertent reptile translocation into my garden.

2016-12-03-15-27-30

That’s now 3 species I have found in my garden – last week when setting up the night before for my 40th party  I found this guy in my sons sandpit – a Marbled gecko (Christinus marmoratus).  Common in many of the older suburbs around Perth.  I see around lights in the evenings catching the insects that are attracted.

2016-11-25-20-34-35

I will now have to get a picture of the Buchanan’s snake-eyed skink (Cryptoblepharus buchananii) which is the final species I have in my garden.  Maybe I have more but its pretty stark landscape for wildlife..

Quenda, quenda, quenda – Piney Lakes

wildlifewatchingaustralia 6 Comments

I had been on parental leave and this was my last weekday before heading back to work – there was a play date on at home so I was going to head out for some exploring.

In some of my research I had seen Piney Lakes had lots of Oblong Turtles and it was a place I had driven past many times wondering what it was like in there.  In my reading up they also spoke about Quenda that can be found there.

I drove in from Leach Hwy – noting you can’t park inside on weekends.

As soon as I got out of the car I heard the unmistakable call of a rainbow bee-eater – they are a summer visitor and fly down from the North & PNG to breed in sandy tunnels – so lots of places in Perth play host to them.

resize-5925

Rainbow Bee-eater

There is an education centre which I suspect is the main function of the place.   I headed past there seeing lots of honeyeaters and wattlebirds.

resize-5820

White-cheeked honeyeater

I walked through sculpture garden to the walk around the wetland.  Just as I entered the gate I saw a quenda dash away but wasn’t able to grab a photo.

As I walked on the track the vegetation is quite close and you can hear lots of birds.  I came across this awesome juvenile bobtail lizard getting some sun on this warm day.

resize-5842

Just beyond I found a bigger bobtail with one eye – must have been a violent encounter in the past perhaps with a cat, dog or maybe fox?.

resize-5846resize-5844

I hadn’t seen or heard any more quenda for a while but then saw one dash into the bushes – they are pretty timid here.  Flitting about on a nest box was this striated pardalote.

resize-5858

I also saw a skink dash away – I didn’t manage a shot – I was missing lots today.  Looking at the reptile book at home I think it was an odd-striped Ctenotus and they are pretty hard to identify without a really good shot or catching them.

I walked all the way round the vegetated lake and then went onto the boardwalk where I quickly spotted a quenda – this time I was quieter and it was feeding during the day but under vegetation most of the time.

resize-5908

I spotted a couple more – if you were patient and quiet you could really watch their feeding behaviour.

Quenda @ Piney Lakes

I then spotted a bird which was zipping up and down tree trunks and I thought it might be a varied sittela but on examination it was a rarely seen but common white-browed scrubwren.

resize-5890

I had a nice view of a family of splendid fairywrens – also known as blue wrens where the dominant male is an iridescent blue – it didn’t pose nicely for me!  I also saw a nice Western Wattlebird.

I was so pleased seeing quenda feeding in late afternoon – this has to become one of my spots to see them.

On leaving I saw another Western Wattlebird feeding on Banksia.

resize-5914

This is a really nice spot – I am sure there are more reptiles to be seen and also amphibians – but the quenda during the day was the standout.