Home again
It is hard to admit defeat, but there are some endeavors
better put to rest. Times to admit it's best to move on to better and brighter avenues.
After nine
days on the road chasing toads all over the NT I assumed it would be safe to
try my same ol’ field sites again. With miles behind me, my old haunts would
feel good to explore again.
The fires couldn’t possibly still be going, how could there
be anything left to burn?
Apparently there's still plenty…
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| Still up in flames |
After 30 toads, 23 water pythons, and 5 children’s pythons it
was time to say goodbye and search for a new field site to call home for the
rest of the summer.
The hunt was on and I found a few promising prospects.
Most of them already had occupants who didn’t look too
pleased to share the wealth though,,.
 |
| Grumpy water buffalo |
With the sun going down and the moon coming up, it was easy
to lose faith.
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| Moon-rise over NT |
But with a lot of determination and even more luck we found
a patch of road near a pond with 5 water pythons in a few hours.
Not a bad night.
I’ve been in toad-mode for so long that I almost forgot how
great it is to cruise the roads at night and marvel at all the amazing
Australian wildlife.
Instead of being a big baby (like last time), my
snake-o-vision is getting better and I was able to quickly spot a slatey grey (Stegonotus cucullatus) and pick it up
for a few unabashed-selfies.
 |
Look! I’m a big boy now |
That’s not to say he wasn’t a little bitey and I was a
little jumpy.
Making for some pretty embarrassing/priceless candid shots.
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The face of pure elation |
This new site seems pretty legit and has some of the classic
characters.
Cool geckos? Yep
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| House gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) |
Terrifying spiders? Sure
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| Wolf spider |
But does it have cool birds too? You betcha
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| Large-tailed nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus) |
It’s sad to say goodbye to Harrison & Fogg Dam. But
something tells me I’ll feel right at home in this new spot.
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