Nightwalk Sightings Summary June/July 04 for Mason’s Tours

Despite the weather being very cool the sightings have been quite good during the last two months.

Snake sightings have of course dropped off substantially, but there have still been sightings of Brown Tree Snakes, Spotted Pythons and several sightings of large Amethyst Pythons.
The Boyd’s Forest Dragons have been quiet, but we have seen a few on rainy nights as well as the odd Eastern Water Dragon. These Dragons seem to prefer to sleep outside on rainy nights! No one is quite sure why but they are definitely easier to find when it rains.
There have been some nice Leaftailed Geckos about as well. I suspect we miss a lot of these due to their excellent camoflage. Even with the large tail it is difficult to spot these lizards. Its amazing to see one of these lick each eye in turn!!! They keep the eyes moist in this way.
Frog sightings have also declined as it gets colder, but we are still seeing Lace Lids regularly and also Stoney Creek Frogs when it rains. Most Frogs are much less active until it warms up.
There have been a few Striped Possums about, but we are not seeing as many as last year. This may well be due to the Cyclone damage healing making it easier for these little guys to hide in the vegetation. There are still lots of dead trees around after the 99 cyclone, and this means there are many larvae to be found, which Stripey Possums love.
Croc sightings have been average, the Crocs are also less active when the nights are cold. The same three crocs are still in Myall Creek, and we have seen two in a night on occasion. People have also reported seeing crocs on the bank of Myall Creek during the day.
Many native rats have been seen in these months, representing all the common species. In particular there are lots of Melomys about, and we usually find these by listening for the chewing sound as they use their sharp teeth to open seeds.
We have also been seeing Bandicoots regularly, and there seems to be a healthy population of Northern Brown Bandcoots in the valley.
The cool weather has also resulted in good sightings of sleeping birds, with up to five species seen some nights. These include Spectacled Monarchs, Honeyeaters, Noisy Pittas, Scrubhens, and Silvereyes.
Glowing Fungi has also been present most of the time with some spectacular displays.Hope to see you on a Nightwalk in August!!!