one sick lizard

On a recent expedition, someone found a very sick bobtail lizard in bushland.  It was emaciated, with a skinny flat tail where it should have a big lumpy fatty one.  Although the weather was reasonably warm, the lizard was lethargic and slow-moving.  No hissing, no wide-mouthed threat display; no defensive response at all.  Instead, half-closed eyes, and a general disinterest in its surroundings.  (Exactly how I feel when I have the 'flu.)  Off to the vet with you!

Poor bobtail was taken to Kanyana Wildlife Hospital for some expert care and attention.  You can read about the treatment they give to bobtail flu victims on this link.  

Bobtails, also known as sleepy lizards, pinecone lizards, blue-tongues and shinglebacks, are one of the most commonly-encountered reptiles in the bush.  They have the appearance of a  slow-moving mini dinosaur. They are not venomous, but their strong jaws are designed for crushing invertebrates so they can give a hard bite.  Sometimes they can be found in gardens, where they can thrive and do a brilliant job of keeping the snails and slugs under control.  Read more about bobtails here.

If our lizard recovers, it will be brought home to be released in its local bushland home, close to where it came from.

Another adventure in our bushland

I went for a bushwalk yesterday to see what wildflowers are starting to come out. The bush was glowing with the rich yellows of Hibbertia (Hibbertia subvaginata) and Prickly Moses (Acacia pulchella), and warm orange pea flowers (Bossiaea eriocarpa and Euchilopsis linearis) as well. I wandered through groves of Pricklybark (Eucalyptus todtiana) and the many different banksias, pausing to admire the stout trunks and thick foliage of the WA Christmas Trees (Nuytsia floribunda). 

Further on, I stopped to gaze downslope at the paperbarks and wetland sedges about fifty metres to my left. A distant rustling drew my attention to a small dark animal pushing slowly through the undergrowth about twenty metres away. What could it be? It was about the size of a basketball, but not quite as round of course, and moving deliberately without any sign of fear, so it probably hadn't noticed me. I carefully slid my backpack to the ground, and stooping, took out my camera, all the while keeping my eyes on the dark fur.

The animal moved a little closer, and then I could see long caramel-coloured spines on the fat body.  I saw the small head come up momentarily and there was a long dark beak. Ahah!

(Can you see the animal in this photo?)

What a wonderful sight on a cool winter's afternoon!  I moved in a little closer and took another photo, keeping the breeze in my face and the animal in front of me so it would not be able to pick up my human scent.  (These animals reputedly have poor eyesight but good hearing and an excellent sense of smell.)  I moved as stealthily as I could, but it was difficult because there were dry leaves and branches scattered everywhere across the sand.

It was a big fat echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), foraging for food.  The photo above is a back view - see the lovely patterns of spines around the two back legs and the tail?  Usually echidnas don't come out during the day unless the weather is cool; they're nocturnal and seldom seen.  I have spotted echidnas in broad daylight before, but this was the first time I'd had a camera with me; a great opportunity for photos.  

I followed the echidna around for about fifteen minutes, watching quietly as it thrust its beak into the ground, or waddled around amongst fallen timber looking for termites and ants.

In this photo, the echidna has the front part of its head in the ground.  I watched as it dug a furrow and broke open an underground termites' nest, pushing its head along just under the surface, propelled by short stout (and very strong) legs.  Here's a photo of the furrow it left.

Lastly, the echidna climbed up on some fallen timber to investigate its potential for termites, and I managed to get the best picture of the day.

The bushland continues to amaze me; something new to experience every time.

Celebrate the arrival of spring - Wildflower Photography Safari

Spring is just around the corner and we'll soon be heading off into the bush to capture some of our stunning wildflowers on camera.  Here are the details:

Wildflower Photography Safari

When:  Sunday 12th September

Where: meet at 8:30 am at The Grapevine carpark, Brookmount Drive, Charlotte's Vineyard

What to bring: camera, macro lens if you have one, water bottle, notepad

What to wear: sturdy boots or shoes, long socks, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, hat

Please leave pets at home, as we will be going into a nature reserve.

Beginning bushwalkers are welcome!  The walk will be guided by experienced local biologists and nature photographers, who know the local bushland because they've walked in it so often.

We hope to find the elusive orchids, triggerplants and sundews, which are only visible during certain times of the year.

Ellenbrook has many species of these plants in local bushland.  There will be lots of other flowers as well, such as cottonheads, (Conostylis), Hibbertia, myrtles (Hypocalymma), acacia and maybe some native flags (Patersonia occidentalis).  

Sharing knowledge with the community

One of the big threats to local bushland is land clearing.  Often, bushland is cleared in one morning's work in a bulldozer.  It's very sad to see the carnage afterwards - broken trees, shrubs that have been ripped out of the ground, plants that could have been transplanted but were instead broken in half, dead lizards, and perhaps the most heart-rending; birds flying around trying to land in invisible trees where their nests had been.  There must be a better way to create a new subdivision than this.

Some of our local animals are very slow moving, especially the reptiles in cool weather.  They're just not fast enough to get away from a bulldozer.  This bobtail was run over by a bulldozer.

At other times, bushland dies a death of a thousand cuts - what starts as healthy trees and understorey is gradually killed off by the actions of grazing animals, off-road enthusiasts, arsonists, rubbish dumpers, weeds and feral animals.  At the end of this, the patch of bushland may be so severely degraded that it no longer looks attractive, and owners or neighbours are keen to see it bulldozed.   

One of the aims of the Ellenbrook Bushland Group is to educate people on how to look after bushland.  Firstly, it's about showing people the value of bushland.  Bushland helps to improve our local air, water and soil quality, and a walk amongst healthy trees and birds is good for one's health and wellbeing.  It's perhaps even more enjoyable if you know what you are looking at when you go for a walk - if you can put a name to the flowers and trees, and understand how the animals fit in.  How many people have seen this little animal, and know what it is?

I'm still surprised by people who look at wildflowers and think they are just weeds; it just shows how little some people know about where they live.  For example, I've heard banksia woodland (shown below) described as "just scrub" or "cr@ppy bushland".  (Have some respect!!)

Secondly, it's knowing that bushland doesn't need fertilizers, sprinklers, mulch, or other "exotic" treatments to stay healthy (and these things are actually detrimental to the health of our bushland.)  It's appreciating the ancient trees, cycads and other plants for what they are.  It's recognising the amazing adaptations in our local bushland; the intricate webs that strengthen the survival rates of the lifeforms, and produce a stunning array of patterns, shapes, colours, smells and movement...this is what biodiversity is about, and we are part of it.

We need to ensure that the small areas of bushland still remaining are retained.  And we can all help by picking up the occasional scrap of rubbish, pulling a weed out, and keeping our vehicles and pets out of nature reserves.