New Year's tick

Mustard-bellied Snake

The Kentish Plover at Kurnell was indeed the final tick of last year but only just. It didn't take me long to get things moving in 2020 with a Black-eared Cuckoo #511 added to the list on New Year's Day.

New Year's twitch - Bushell's Lagoon

Usually found in the drier interior of the country I suppose this was another evacuee from either fire or drought. I decided to give it a go on the way back down to Sydney from my holidays spent at the in-laws' place in the Blue Mountains. I reached Bushell's Lagoon near Windsor just as the sun was thinking of setting which resulted in a frantic search through a number of small trees in the fading light. Thankfully I got onto the bird before too long and so obtained some small consolation before my return to the horrors of work the next day.

Cheeky Peron's Tree Frog peering in at the window

It's been fairly warm on occasion over the past few weeks with temperatures up above 40°C now and again which of course is good for the critters. Up in the mountains the little snakes were out and about and a couple of Mustard-bellied Snakes turned up in the garden.

These little chaps are venomous but at only about 40cm long they're a bit too small to be able to get their jaws around you easily. As a result they're not really very scary and, with a little care, one can get a bit more friendly with them than one would with a big Tiger or Black Snake!

 My first sighting of a Hare in Australia after dark at Bushell's Lagoon

 

I'm off on a fishing charter out of Cronulla this weekend with a couple of the lads from work so hopefully I may be able to share some impressive fish pictures shortly. Saying that, I always think that way before a fishing charter and it's not happened yet. One of these times I'll be right though! Watch this space...