Natural History around Christmas 2021

 This is sort of a miscellany of things, mainly natural, seen at Mallacoota in lateish December 2021.

The first few images are of birds seen on a ride from home to Bucklands on 24 January,  First is a Common Bronzewing.

Then an immature White-headed Pigeon.

A Wonga Pigeon (one of two wandering around on the floor of Mullet Creek).

A Eastern Yellow Robin.

The next two images are from the Casuarina Track.  I knew this was a Golden Whistler, but being backlit the 'Golden' doesn't show up too well.

A bit of work with Photoshop Express solves that!

On the ride I went over Stingray Point and found a couple of Hyacinth Orchids.

On the Casuarina Track there was quite a lot of Bursaria spinosa (Blackthorn)  ..

.. and Dianella berries.

A beetle of some sort.

A Yellow Admiral with the head, if nothing else, in focus.

A rather large caterpillar.

A rather used footbridge.  The tree was at least 40 m high before adopting a more horizontal growth form. See 3rd image below.

House Sparrows are still nesting at home.

Our main business on Christmas Day was an expedition up the Inlet in friend's new boat.  Here it is at the South-West Arm Picnic Area jetty.

This is entering Double Creek, with Captains Creek off to the left

One of our objectives was to search the banks of Captains Creek for possible Striated Herons.  This was not successful but did prove the concept! 

A huge nest, probably Sea Eagle, on Double Creek Arm;

We walked the track at South West Arm  and found this attractive mix of old Banksia cone and moss.

Common Brown butterfly I think.  

A fungus: will ID later.

On the morning of 28th I got a couple of OK shots of a New Holland Honeyeater in our garden.

Also onthe 28th I took this snip of Marine Traffic, showing the Sydney - Hobart flweet coming down the coast.