Hi,
I am having a day off due to a wind storm that is presently sweeping away anything not tied down or brought in doors. Figured it would be a good time to let the world know I am still alive and well, other than the grit now covering me from head to toe. The wind is supposed to hit cyclone speeds throughout the day, looking out side I'd say we're there. Just need a huge down poor of rain and it could be a proper little hurricane. I guess out here the dust takes the rains place in the wind, your face, and pretty much everything you own. The heat is finally starting to pick up. Most of last week when I walked out the door to head to work (on the days we weren't winded out) I was in at least three layers!!! But we are starting to head toward the lovely temperatures, which should be interesting seeing how my British counter parts are already complaining that its too hot in the middle of the day, life is about to get rough for them because the scare ball is coming for them! And in Australia the giant scare ball doesn't feel like it is located in the sky it feels like it is sitting on your shoulder, I have never felt the sun so close not even in the middle of the Mohave desert!
We have been out here for a little over 3 weeks now and I have already come across some of the coolest creatures Australia has to offer. Last Monday we headed out to take a look at a Goanna that one of the guys had found. A Goanna is a monitor lizard, this guy is about 1 ½ meters from nose to tip of tail. They had stumbled across its home which is a hallowed out tree. We got to his tree and he wasn't about, but from the other side of the dry creak bed we kept hearing a slight rustling in the dead leaves. So I crossed over to take a look and see what was causing the noise. Slowly creeping along (which is rather hard in a thick layer of very dry leaves, you don't so much creep as crunch your way along) Once I had located the source of the noise, I was so excited words escaped me (I know for some of you thats hard to believe). I ran back to the edge of the bank to tell the others what I had found and managed to articulate the worlds clearest sentence. “It's uh … it's uh … hedgehog, porcupine, thingy!!!!! My message was received and translated into its true meaning Echidna!!!
It was the first Monotreme that I had ever seen in the wild. It was a Short Nosed Echidna. One of the only three remaining monotremes in the world. The others are the long nosed echidna that lives in Papau New Guinea, and the Duck billed platypus that is also found in Australia. They are the last living link between birds and mammals. They are warm blooded, have fur like mammals (thought the echidna's fur has been modified into spines like the hedge hog and porcupine), they produce milk for there young, by secreting it out of pores on their backs. But they lay eggs like birds and reptiles. They are truly amazing little creatures and I was over the moon to find one!!!
It was one of those only in Australia moments made even more perfect by a slight slithering sound. So that we all rotated out heads and there less than 15 feet away from us and our echidna friend was the giant lizard we had come in search of. It was incredible, rotating my head back and forth between one of the worlds weirdest, coolest creatures and a giant lizard that if I laid down next to would be almost as long as me. He looks prehistoric, when he climbed his tree and was basking in the sun he could have been a small dragon. And when I got a little to close and he hissed at me, it was a very impressive sound, one that seemed to come from the depths of the past rather than the little dragon in front of me.
Yesterday was a good day for cool creatures. We went out early and came across a male Emu with his 7 young they were the youngest group of Emu chicks I have seen so far. They stood about 2 feet high and still had their striped plumage. They were so freaking cute!!!! I just wanted to cuddle one I would give it back I would give it back of course just wanted a quick cuddle! Then while I was out working with my birds I looked up and realized that their was a full grown Emu standing less than 6 feet away from where I was sitting with my gear. I figured it was intrigued by the racket my birds were making and came to talk a look at what all the fuss was about. I also found my first bearded dragon yesterday. It was sunning its self on the road, so we pulled over to take a look and also to try and move him at least onto the side because people don't slow down out here and they sure as hell don't watch what hapless animal they might be about to kill. Though we had the best of intentions for the little guy he was not super keen on moving and really not thrilled when I tried to use my foot to scoot him to the edge of the pavement. So we got a full defense display beard and all. It was truly amazing watching him try and take on two full grown humans and we didn't win the argument it only ended when he decided it wasn't worth the effort and took off.
My list of birds and lizards that i have seen out here is increasing astronomically, we are in the midst of a very weird year for Australia. The number of birds that have been seen on the research station for the first time ever is ridiculous. I can't wait for spring migration which should be starting sometime in October I have a feeling we will end up seeing some really cool migrants that don't normally come this way!!
This was my cool critter update. I will try and fallow this soon with an update about what I am actually doing out here, the project I am working on and the other projects and people that are living out here!
I will try and get some pictures posted soon, internet is very limited. We can't use up to much band width!
