Two male Eastern Water Dragons, sorting out the pecking order. It was too hot for them to progress to the actual fight though.

We found a very cooperative tree snake in the botanical gardens this weekend. It was in a garden bed, actively hunting. The frog legged it really sharpish.

And a dragonfly, a noisy miner and a lorikeet, for those who don’t like snakes.

By way of a New Year post, here are some pictures shot during the holidays.

I have been incredibly lucky in the past couple of days to see some unusual wildlife that would normally be nocturnal in broad daylight. First, a juvenile possum, being harassed by two currawongs and a noisy miner. I’m guessing it got too close to a bird’s nest. While the birds couldn’t hurt it, it sat on the branch, looking somewhat puzzled as to how to get away.

Then, an owl just outside my window! I think it’s a Tawny Frogmouth. We’ve seen one once before on our balcony, but never in the middle of the day. It’s still sitting there. A most cooperative photographic subject.

Two close-ups of a koru, taken with a 30mm extension tube. And a very cooperative dragonfly.

Today was the first time we’ve ever seen a lace monitor in the Botanical Gardens. It was a hot day and this one had clearly decided a swim was the best option. We followed it along the lake until it disappeared in the shrubbery.

Of the multitude of coot and moorhen chicks, sadly only some seems to have managed to make it through the first month. We saw this beautiful adolescent coot. Still looking a bit fluffy around the edges, but pretty much able to fend for itself. Of its siblings and cousins, no trace.

It’s a hot day. This duck decided on a snooze.

And then, I felt a tickling on my hand. Luckily I checked first before going “swat”. A dragonfly had decided it liked me a lot.

Spotted on our walk back from the pub.

On top of yesterday’s baby coots, today we found newly-hatched moorhen chicks as well! Enjoy.