Empty holes and fish

Well there hasn't been too much going on at all in recent weeks except for the relentless drudgery of work and it's associated parade of ridiculous deadlines. At least we're heading into winter now and so if I did manage to get out into the bush, the walking would be cool and pleasant.

 The Goulburn River at 'The Drip', Mudgee

We did mange to get away from Sydney a couple of weekends back though in an attempt to twitch an Owlet-nightjar just north of Mudgee. The Owlet-nightjar is, as the name suggests, a small nocturnal bird somewhat resembling both an owlet and a nightjar. They tend to hang out by day in a favourite roosting hole and are often seen perched snoozing at the entrance. When one was reported and photographed in a picnic area only a few hours drive away it seemed like a very good idea to go and give it a shot. 

Empty hole

Amazingly I managed to find the same hole in the photo among the many trees in the area but unfortunately a cold snap had just hit the region (it was snowing down the road in Dubbo) and any sensible bird would have been snuggled deep down inside it's hole escaping the cold, wind, and rain. The Owlet-nightjar, it seems, is a sensible bird.

Eastern Yellow Robin
 

At least the evenings lying exhausted on the couch have been brightened by our new fish tank. The initial cycling of the tank as the nutrients equilibrated caused mass carnage among the small intrepid band of pioneering fish but now, after a couple of months, the toughest remain and we have a happy population of Black Phantom Tetras, Cardinal Tetras, and a smashing Cory Catfish.

Fish

Cory Cat