Bits and Bobs

In typical school holiday style having had glorious weather throughout the term we get to the holidays and the weather turns wet - not the true wet but enough rain each day to make plans a bit awkward.
We had intended to meet up with Lara (a colleague of Tish) for a swim and BBQ at the lagoon but it was absolutely hurling down in Cairns so we gave it a miss. As the weather was not as bad here the children and I went down to one of the local parks...

As is normal in this park they had a critical audience

although obviously their performance has improved as this time he was a quiet observer.
When the swings had lost their appeal we moved on to the beach, whilst there are not the shells that we were finding in the NT it is still a very pleasant way to spend the afternoon. The temperature was pleasant as well with a cooling breeze blowing inshore

In the late afternoon Hamish and I went with Alan cast netting for bait fish.
We wandered across the golf course which is a completely different place during the day!
We had a quick check for the croc but with no success but we did see these two

but they were too jumpy and slipped off into the water when I tried to get closer.
We made our way to a tidal creek at the back of the marina

where Alan gave us a master class in how you throw a cast net

It is then a waiting game to see if yu have caught anything as the net gets pulled back in

It is quite a hit and miss process during the day as the fish can see you coming, Alan as a rule has far more success going out at night.
That said we still got a reasonable haul, mostly mud herring but a few mullet and one milkfish

Hamish did try to use the net but his hands are not big enough at the moment so we will try again with a smaller net.

Bloomin Bowerbirds.....

Yesterday I went out birding with Tony - an ex pat birder who by co-incidence also works for Ramsay but in a Mental Health clinic in Cairns.
We decided to target Golden Bowerbird (with a side order of Satin Bowerbird). The Golden Bower is the last wet tropics endemic that I have not seen and the male is as the name suggests golden.
I picked Tony up at 0515 from Cairns and off we headed, amazingly it was still dark after 0600 which is a sure indication that winter is on its way. We made it to our destination Mount Hypipamee by 7 and were shocked at how cold it was, it is the highest part of the Tablelands where winter temps get below 10 degrees and frosts are not too unusual. As neither of us had bothered to take a jumper we spent a fair amount of time with our hands stuck in our armpits and so few pictures were taken.
We had a fair idea that we may not be successful as we had driven through fog to get there and sure enough as the breeding season was past we heard only a couple of squeaks from the Bowerbirds and did not see even a shape of one - we have now found some more up to date info and we will try again in July when they start to get active again - although they are a rare bird anyway and some years there are no active bowers known so it was always going to be a bit of a gamble.
The day was not a total waste as I did manage to get five lifers and found Tony a lifer - oddly a species that I have seen several times.
The highlight from a photographic point of view was this very ugly named Squatter Pigeon

Coconutty....

We took our selection of coconuts round to Alans on Tuesday morning for the master class in opening them

After which I had a go...

Then Tish...

The effort was not always worth it as the first one was rather wet inside..

and be thankful that we can not post smells!
They should look like this

I would like to say that the end result was worth the effort but it is safe to say that none of our three are fans of the milk and only Cameron tucked into the flesh

Night things...

We have had another couple of busy evenings - I put the moth trap out again a couple of nights ago and last night we went for a walk over the golf course to see what we could see...
The moth trap was not as successful as last time but the moon is now full and it was completely cloudless. That said there was still plenty of interest to see.

A selection of a fewer of the better shots

One of the reasons for the fewer moths could have been the increase in number of toadlets hanging around.
Most were baby cane toads but there were a couple of sand toads as well

Yesterday Alan and Jen came round for a BBQ after which we went lamping on the golf course to see if we could re find the croc. We managed to see its eyes briefly before it sank out of sight not to be found again!
As per normal one of the commonest beasts out and about were the Cane Toads

These introduced pests are everywhere and are having a devastating effect on native species. A couple of weeks ago they had the National Cane Toad night when volunteers went out and collect them  so they could be humanly destroyed and turned into fertiliser - one individual alone took over 250 off the golf course. This time round we did see a native frog as well

We also collected several coconuts

which we are going to open today.

There have been a couple of sarccy comments regarding the children and lack of pictures!
Well they are all fine, I did propose that we should dangle the boys in the ponds to attract Mr Croccy closer and give me a few photo opps but this idea was very selfishly declined by vurtually everyone (neither Tish, Jen, Hamish or Cameron were in favour although Xanthe was interested by the proposal)
Anyway to rectify this a few children shots....