November 2020

I never get sick of going to the same spot. So much changes at a location during the year and at the moment the Swamps on the Tablelands are drying up.

When the rain comes the mighty Swift will no longer be able to go as far as it has for the last 6 months. But for now, with a bit of caution and local knowledge it takes me most places.

Birdlife changes at the Swamps through out the year but one bird that I almost always see is the Cattle Egret. Those birds you often see next to or sitting on top of livestock waiting for a feed.

With the water level in the Swamp so low the morning sun hitting it is a very different look to that of even a few months ago.

I was at this swamp the week before and that area to the left in the first photo was dirt. The little bit of rain that we have had has encourage the grass to try and grow. In the second photo you can see how much more water there was back in July 2020.

This is cattle land but I was watching Outback Ringer and they mentioned the damage that feral cattle do to delicate water systems like swamps.

With a lack of vegetation on land to eat the cattle walk and swim in the swamp to feed on the water lilies.

I do not know what type of lizard this is but he was making his way to the swamp to have a drink. If you know what type of lizard it is please let me know.

A more common lizard visitor to the swamp are Goannas. My wife spotted this one the week before when we visited the swamp together.

If you want to learn more about Goannas and how many types there are then I think you will enjoy an episode of Australia Remastered on iView that features them along with other reptiles of Australia.

One animal that also always seems to be at the swamps is the Comb-crested Jacana. As time goes by I seem to have more luck taking photos of them. They look really cute but quite often fight amongst them selves.

When you see them take to flight it really is a sight as they drag those long feet behind them in the air.

Some more unusual visitors to the swamp are a donkey, shetland pony (?) and several horses. The donkey is extremely friendly and walks around with his nose right by my arm.

For quite a few weeks now there has been a large number of Brolgas that retreat to the Swamp at night and then fly off in the morning to feed on nearby farmlands.

These birds are extremely shy and I have a great deal of trouble getting close to them. The further away I have to take the photos the more heat waves effect the clarity.

There is so much more to see at the Swamp than in this post, it truly is a cornucopia of animals. During the day and then even at night. If you know what type of snake this is please let me know. I stay away from snakes but the beauty of long lenses makes me appear braver/dumber/closer.

This one and a few others were around the car the other night. I make sure I walk loudly at night with a head torch :)

The night in early November that I filmed that snake I intended to photograph the full Blue Moon that was going to occur that night. Did not look too blue to me!