It was many years ago, so I don't know. The possum might be on videotape however, so maybe I can look it up. I saw it on the way back to the holiday park after a evening walk in Flinders Chase to see Platypus and Koala, but these didn't show.
Those two look quite different (as far as I know; haven't seen Little myself), so if you can find that tape you shouldn't have a problem IDing it.
Had to go to Narrogin for a quick refuel. Animals seen: Common Brushtail Possum Western Grey Kangaroo Red-capped Robin Barna Mia This time it was a pretty large group with kids and everything. I got to go into Barna Mia 1 by myself to look for the Barred Bandicoot (last time they'd seen one on a tour was in February) while the group headed into Barna Mia 2. And of course one came into the feeding station for the group while I left empty-handed again Animals seen: Wurrup Quenda Dalgyte Woylie Common Brushtail Possum Animals not seen: Marl Boodie Lol Gray Trail After the tour I went to a spot with a couple of Banksias on the Lol Gray trail. No Honey Possums, but got another Western Pygmy-possum (around midnight again). Animals seen: Mundarda Western Grey Kangaroo Southern Boobook Next up: Ochre Trail
Day 7 Ochre Trail Had another go at the Ochre Trail in the morning to look for Blue-breasted Fairywren, which I did get but not in fancy plumage... Animals seen: Black-faced Woodswallow Rufous Treecreeper White-browed Babbler Blue-breasted Fairywren Buchanan's Snake-eyed Skink Afterwards I drove to Perth and checked into my Air B'n'B. Dawesville This is as far as I know the closest location to Perth (1h drive) to look for Western Ringtails. I got a tip on facebook for where to look for them and when I got to the street that was recommended to me I had my first in a matter of minutes. Final tally after half an hour was six individuals. Animals seen: Ngwayir Next up: Perth Zoo
I had planned to go on the whalewatchwesternaustralia Blue-whale tour but their ship got damaged so they had to cancel all trips for that week. And I had planned on going to Sugarloaf Rock but the Tropicbirds aren't there anymore so I scratched that.
Day 8 Perth Zoo Got lucky again to visit a zoo during the school holidays. I went to the nocturnal house first to get pictures of the species I didn't get any good ones of on my last visit and then headed to the Numbat enclosure for the same purpose. This time I actually got to see it without a fence in my way but only saw it in the morning and not during the later repeat visits. On the way I had a quick look for a couple of the carnivors to add to my list for the zoochat challenge. The Western Brush Wallabies were always eating or sleeping so only got ok-ish pictures of them and the Dampier Peninsular Monitor was hiding under his water bowl so didn't really see him at all. I accidentally happened upon the feeding in the freshwater enclosure, so got to see Merten's Water Monitors swimming and diving, which was cool. As prearranged I got to go behind the scenes to see the Short-eared Rock-wallaby in the afternoon (was told that I was the first person who asked to see it). In the evening just around closing time there was quite a couple of rats on the walkways looking for scraps. Animals checked off my list: Short-eared Rock-wallaby Barna Mia Another unsuccessful visit Animals seen: Wurrup Boodie Quenda Dalgyte Woylie Common Brushtail Possum Animals not seen: Marl Next up: Pilbara
Updated target list: Marsupials: Western Barred Bandicoot - Barna Mia Nocturnal Wildlife Experience, Arid Recovery, Heirisson Prong (?) Cape York Brown Bandicoot Long-nosed Echymipera Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Southern Common Cuscus Common Spotted Cuscus Scaly-tailed Possum Mountain Brush-tail Possum/Southern Bobuck - (?) Little Pygmy-possum Gilbert's Potoroo Long-footed Potoroo Banded Hare-wallaby - Wadderin Sanctuary Bennett's Tree-kangaroo Monjon Rothschild's Rock-wallaby Purple-necked Rock-wallaby Cape York Rock-wallaby Godman's Rock-wallaby ----------- Mulgara Kaluta Kultarr False Antechinus Ningaui Planigale (Stripe-faced Dunnart - Alice Springs Desert Park) Marsupial Mole Birds: Nightjar Painted Snipe Tropicbird Pratincole Quail-thrush (Grasswren)
Saw one in the African area, short before closing. When I spotted it in the bushes, I was hoping for something more spectacular (native rat, marsupial). When I had a better look at it, it appeared to be just a simple rat.
Oakover River area I was invited out to a camping trip. I wasn't on the lookout for wildlife most of the time but still saw a couple things. Animals seen: Red Kangaroo Spinifex Pigeon Zebra Finch White-necked Heron Bony Bream Murchison River Hardhead Spangled Perch
Karratha/Burrup Peninsula Drove to Karratha for a day (saw two Wedgies on the way) and headed up to the peninsular, because there's supposed to be Rothshild's Rock-wallaby around*. I didn't find any but Euros are abundant and the most suicidal macropod I've encountered during my travels so far. One managed to get under my car even though I was only going at 40km/h and stepped on the breaks hard and another one jumped into the passenger side door when I was doing 20km/h. At least it wasn't a total waste because I finally saw a Nightjar which flew past me very close (still wanna see one close up on the ground but it was a good view). Otherwise nothing too exciting. *They are supposed to be easy on some of the islands but of course there's no regular boats going there and a charter is ridiculously expensive Gallery Animals seen: Common Wallaroo Spotted Nightjar Eastern Reef Egret Wedge-tailed Eagle Nankeen Kestrel Galah Little Corella Crested Pigeon Peaceful Dove Red-backed Kingfisher Singing Honeyeater Magpie-lark Yellow-throated Miner Zebra Finch
Port/South Hedland This is basically just a list of birds I see around town regularly with the exception of raptors, which there's quite a few around but I usually don't get around to IDing (maybe they'll get their own post in the future). Animals seen: Straw-necked Ibis Australian Pied Oystercatcher Silver Gull Peaceful Dove Bar-shouldered Dove Crested Pigeon Galah Little Corella Blue-winged Kookaburra Rainbow Bee-eater Yellow-throated Miner White-plumed Honeyeater Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Magpie-lark Australian Magpie
A couple more birds that I saw around town this morning. It was quite foggy so all the birds were huddling on lanterns or branches, which made finding them a lot easier. Pheasant Coucal (only one, not nearly as common as in QLD) Pacific Reef Egret Gull-billed Tern Caspian Tern Rock Dove Red-backed Kingfisher White-breasted Woodswallow Willie Wagtail Zebra Finch Canary White-eye (also not common) Raptors: Black-shouldered Kite (at least six today) Black Kite (very common) Whistling Kite (common) Brahminy Kite (only one) Osprey (three today) Nankeen Kestrel (relatively common)
I'll do a quick one for my last couple of outings so I have it out of the way for the exciting stuff coming up soon. Day 1 - Broome A friend and I decided to do the 6h drive up for the weekend (back in May). We'd originally planned on staying at the Bird Observatory for the first two nights but because google maps takes you to the wrong road and the promised "you don't have to book in advance, we can just do it when you get here" tours were all of a sudden not happening anymore we got beds at a hostel close to Cable Beach instead. Day 2 - Broome 12 Mile Bird Park We went to the bird park first as the Crocodile Park only opens for a couple hours in the afternoon. I guess the species list isn't too bad for Australia but there wasn't much for me to get excited about and it was a bit heavy on parrots. Cages were the usual small privat Australian zoo type. Gallery Animals checked off my list: - Animals seen (wild): Double-barred Finch Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Crested Pigeon The Mango Place As we had some time to kill we headed here for a drink. A Pied Butcherbird (photo) decided to sit on the couch next to me. Animals seen: Pied Butcherbird Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park The place is only open from 2pm to 5pm and pretty expensive for what it is. We barely had time to look at everything before the crocodile feeding tour started. Nothing exciting species-wise here either and not surprising very Crocodile-heavy. Towards the end of the tour the mozzies started coming out in full force so we left early. Gallery Animals checked off my list: - Animals seen (wild): White-necked Heron Little Pied Cormorant White-gaped Honeyeater Stuff that didn't happen: spotlighting (that's what happens when you don't travel by yourself I guess) dolphin boat tour (weather) aquarium (not enough time) Next up: Day 3 - Broome
Day 3 - Broome This was pretty much a non-wildlife day. We went to the museum (small and a bit cluttered) and SSJG History Centre (small but well structured). After we tried to find some dinosaur footprints but were unsuccessful (though the search was pretty half-hearted, because I guess putting in some effort would have been too much to ask from backpackers more concerned with their Instagram...). I did see an Osprey and White-bellied Sea-eagle though. Animals seen: Osprey White-bellied Sea-eagle Next up: Day 4 - Kimberley Birdwatch
Day 4 - Broome Kimberley Birdwatch On our last day I went out on a private day tour ($300) with George Swann who luckily for me had just come back from Kununurra. We started in a Mangrove area, where we got every possible species except the local subspecies of Yellow-bellied Flyrobin. Then we moved on to Roebuck Plains to look for Australian Pratincoles. We found them easy and also got lucky with a couple Oriental Pratincoles that hadn’t left the area yet. While wading through the grass we also flushed a juvenile Painted Snipe, but the views weren’t great and we couldn’t locate the parents (so it stays on my list for better views). After we made a quick stop at the Bird Observatory and had a look for dolphins and waders from the beach (both not very successful as we couldn’t ID the one down login we saw and only got onto a handful of birds). Our last stop was a couple of lakes. I wouldn’t have minded to extend the day for some spotlighting but George wasn’t too keen. Animals seen: Agile Wallaby Green Sea Turtle Yellow-spotted Monitor Desert Tree Frog Giant Frog
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Greater Bowerbird Black Kite White-winged Triller Red-headed Honeyeater Yellow White-eye Dusky Gerygone Brown Honeyeater Mangrove Golden Whistler White-breasted Whistler Broadbill Flycatcher Mangrove Grey Fantail Little Bronze Cuckoo Brown Goshawk Australian Hobby Spotted Harrier Glossy Ibis Torresian Crow Whistling Kite Fairy Martin Tree Martin Gull-billed Tern Masked Lapwing Willie Wagtail Black-winged Stilt White-breasted Woodswallow Pacific Black Duck Hardhead Eurasian Coot White-faced Heron Austr. Grebe Straw-necked Ibis Brolga Little Egret Reef Egret Nankeen Kestrel Little Friarbird Brown Falcon Black-tailed Native-hen Oriental Pratincole Austr. Pratincole Wedge-tailed Eagle Grey Teal Red-kneed Dotterel Plumed Whistling Duck Wandering Whistling Duck Whiskered Tern Austr. Painted Snipe Little Eagle Silver Gull Lesser Crested Tern Great Egret Brahminy Kite Grey-crowned Babbler Bar-tailed Godwit Grey-tailed Tattler Whimbrel Striated Heron Pied Oystercatcher Great Knot Little Pied Cormorant Pink-eared Duck Rufous-throated Honeyeater Comb-crested Jacana Yellow-tinted Honeyeater Swamphen Rainbow Bee-eater Green Pygmy-goose Sacred Kingfisher Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Austr. Woodduck Black-tailed Treecreeper Galah White-necked Heron Striated Pardalote Crested Pigeon Red-winged Parrot Jacky Winter Paperbark Flycatcher Austr. Magpie Blue-winged Kookaburra