animals – A Home by the Sea

Frogs and Reptile Biodiversity in My Local Area

March 7, 2021 Forestwood

Meet Fred the Frog. He is a Green Tree Frog.

Fred and a few of his friends and family have been renting out space in our backyard.

They are very welcome although the dogs are not happy they are our tenants at the Home by the Sea.

The frogs try to get the favourite spot on the edge of the potplant as this helps them catch the moths that frequent our lawn at night, as modelled here by Esmeralda.

Australian Green Tree Frogs

These frogs have an ability to change the colour of their skin according to the surface they are sitting on. Sometimes bright green, othertimes brown.

Their skin also emits secretions should they be eaten by a predator. The secretions in the skin taste awful and make a predator, such as a dog vomit, and suffer depression for up to 60 minutes.

Schnauzer Dogs sitting at door — Credit: Facebook

Of course, the dogs had to test the theory. The new puppy couldn’t resist picking the frog up in its mouth. As well as the protective secretions, frogs have another defence. They scream, they wail. It is a sound that brings us running to rescue them. But we don’t touch them!

Safety with Frogs

Human TOUCH can burn a frog’s skin if we pick it up with dry hands.

WET YOUR HANDS WHEN HANDLING A FROG.

[And do not touch toads without gloves. They are toxic!]

The vomit has been cleaned up and the depression lasted for a hour. A textbook example of the frog’s skin secretions at work, protecting it from being eaten by predators.

Here is a list of the frogs found in our area. At present we have around 8 -10 in our yard. The recent rains have delighted them.

1.	Limnodynastes peronii : Brown-striped Frog	6
2.	Limnodynastes terraereginae : Northern Banjo Frog	1
3.	Litoria caerulea : Green Tree Frog	4
4.	Litoria fallax : Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog	3
5.	Litoria gracilenta : Dainty Green Tree Frog	4
6.	Platyplectrum ornatum : Ornate Burrowing Frog	2
7.	Pseudophryne major : Large Toadlet	4
8.	Rhinella marina : Cane Toad	5

animals, environment

Opening a Bee Hotel

February 20, 2021February 20, 2021 Forestwood

One of every three bites of food we eat is derived from plants pollinated by bees. And bees are in trouble worldwide.

Stingless Native bees on a paperbark tree

As pollinators, bees along with other insects play an essential role for our gardens and plants, fertilizing plants so they may begin producing fruit and seeds. Bees are very important because:

70 of the top 100 most popular food crops are pollinated by bees
80% of all flowering plants on earth and pollinated by bees

Pesticides, parasites and climate change are diminishing bee populations worldwide and we can help them.

How?

We can help them with organic gardening practices, planting flowers to attract them and provide them with shelter, so at the Home by the Sea is opening a Bee Hotel.

animals

Want a Chip, Bro?

July 24, 2020July 25, 2020 Forestwood

I did remind the friendly seagull that he would do better to rely on fresh fish than our takeaway lunch meal. But he wanted a chip.

The famous meme of a seagull offering the beached whale a chip went viral years ago. If you haven’t seen it, take a look:

Beached whale

Chips or chip, in the singular form, is the Australian equivalent of French Fries.

How do you refer to a singular, chip in America? Is it a “fry?”

How does an America say, ” Hey bro, do you want a fry?

The gull had several from our lunch of fish and chips and flew away satisfied with a crop of cholesterol.

The envy of his flock.

animals, environment, home

Birds and Sports

April 21, 2020April 26, 2020 Forestwood

I walk daily to the beautiful lake near our home by the sea.

There are many new homes being constructed in this area at present, thus there is always something new to see along the way. But the real attraction is the birdlife in this area, such as this Heron.

As a Chinese symbol, the Heron represents strength, purity, patience and long life.”

I hope this might mean that both the Heron and I have a long life!!

Sometimes we even see the local kangaroos and their joeys in this area. Meanwhile, the Heron continues stamping the slightly soggy ground on the street’s verges looking for some food.

Today, however, we took a long walk in the opposite direction to the roos and away from the foraging Heron.

A new sports facility has opened up. In the current environment, this means that the ground is open, but as the football competition has been closed for the season, I am not sure if you could call it open, but officially it is.

We continue walking from the main road towards the “basin,” or pond. This is a mini wetland area that has attracted a variety of birdlife.

With a larger wetland environmental area opposite, the birds have plenty of food sources.

On closer inspection we could see cormorants, drying their wings in their familiar crucifix-like gesture, welcoming the morning rays of sunlight as well as a Black swan and the odd Ibis. A Willy Wagtail pair tweeting their way along the path in front of us, danced lightly on the ground. They were gone before I could photograph them.

We saw Moorhens chicks stepping their way through the waterlily pads, a perfect adaptation to the watery environment.

This Mother was calling her wayward adventurous chick, and had to chase after her to give her some food.

The cutest of all were these little ducklings. Covered with down, they dipped their heads under the water, but never really that far from Mother Duck.

New Sports Facility for Australian Rules Football

This football field will be a training ground for the local Australian Rules Football club. If you are not Australian, you might not know of this game. Developed as a way for the cricket players to maintain their fitness in the off-season, ‘Aussie Rules,’ is played on a large oval with four posts at either end. It is basically a kick and catch type of game, with elements of basketball thrown in for good measure and a few penalties along the way to add excitement. The players are tall and lean, and very muscular, and I might add, very highly paid.

The Football Clubhouse looks forlorn and vacant and I think of the term ‘white elephant’ when I look at it. It awaits the demise of Corona as we all do.

A storm was heard in the distance, towards the Northern coast. Highly unusual for this time of year, it did not threaten us, but we did get to see some gorgeous coloured sky and cloud formations.

The simple pleasures of life.

Some days I feel that the lockdown won’t ever be over. I push that thought aside and continue my walk from the ground back towards the estate.

Just before we hit suburbia again, there is an Eco-corridor. The Magpies are up early hunting for their breakfast and I am getting pretty peckish too.

The early bird gets the worm, I hope. Can you see four birds in these pictures? Three were magpies and the fourth, an Indian Myna bird.

That completes Monday’s Walk at the Home by the Sea. Thanks for walking along with me in the virtual sense.

Breakfast awaits.

animals, blogging, building, environment

Walking with Kangaroos and Galahs

February 10, 2020February 11, 2020 Forestwood

Getting up early to go walking in summer, brings you some delightful surprises. And let’s face it, it is SO much cooler when you live in the sub-tropics. It is also a time when the animals are more active, as they too struggle in the heat and like to rest when the sun is high.

Like this family herd of Kangaroos. You won’t see any around at noon, as they will be resting in the shadows, but go walking early morning and you will see them, enjoying the free grass shoots that emerged with the recent god given rains.

Perhaps you will join me on this walk as we take a glimpse into Australian fauna.

The gorgeous roos were making the most of the recent rains and although you cannot see them in the photo, One mum has a baby, called a joey, which we have often seen at the newly created and yet to be used, sporting fields at theend of a nearby road. The roos seem to be co-existing well with the encroaching development. Let us hope it stays that way.

“One man’s trash can be another’s treasure.”

The rain gives happiness to animals and people alike. For me, rainfall and cooler days are invigorating. After years of drought, and months of never ending bushfires, the rainfall last week of showers and the occasional thunderstorm is so glorious in all its wetness! Truly manner from heaven. The drought may not be over but the grass and plants respond.

I often think about that disconnect between feelings about rain. The folks in the Northern hemisphere have had enough of it and down here we crave it more and more. There never seems to be enough, for all of Australia, or if there is, it comes down in bucketloads, far too much for us and our fragile land to absorb.

Do you get how we feel about rain in Australia?

The ducks and swans frolick in the overflowing pond, and yes, our feet get muddy.

Yet it is this lifegiving substance the earth needs to rejuvenate, to heal, for water is the essence of life.

With blue sky as far as the eye could see in the other direction, I turned and headed back home. By the lakeside, I was greeted by the local birds. They were really happy too. Except perhaps, the baby galah!

He was probably pretty hungry by the sound of his raucous call.

Along with all the other walkers around the globe, Jo’s Monday walks inspire me to share a little of my home by the sea with others around the globe.

Have a wonderful week. I plan to do so.

animals, environment

Koala Spotting

January 28, 2020 Forestwood

You know you are in Australia when you see a Koala in a tree! Australia’s unique marsupial is so specialized it only eats from around four species of Eucalypt trees. And it needs about 1 kilogram of them every day!

Koalas rescued during the South Australian bushfires Photograph: Adam Mudge/A

Koalas are super cute but they are endangered, and vulnerable to extinction and may potentially become extinct due to habitat loss, disease, limited interbreeding due to a declining population and more recently, significant bushfires in their natural habitat. At least 8000 koalas are thought to have died in the fires. We don’t know the real extent of loss.

Photograph: Eden Hills Country Fire Service/Facebook

We had koalas in our backyard trees, when I was a child, as we had tall Eucalypt trees. We had two males that were on the prowl looking for a mate, and were resting peacefully when the ranger came to collect them and take them back to the bush.

James Tremain, a spokesman for the NSW Nature Conservation Council, said in November that koala decline has been happening “slowly and silently.. and that Koala numbers have plunged over the past 20 years. According to the federal threatened species scientific committee koala numbers in two states have dropped 42% between 1990 and 2010.”
Guardian Australia

This is significant. How can a species, so specialized, stage a comeback when their food source, their only food source, is continually being cut down without replenishment? Residential areas that are cleared and developed, are not replanted with Eucalypt trees because they are too tall, continually drop branches and leaves and too large for back yards.

We have at least one resident koala in our estate – and we only have a few tall tress in the small Eco Zone between two large sporting fields and an estate of houses (without Eucalypt trees).So what will that wild koala go and what will they eat?

Can you see the koala?

Koala Facts

Koalas need oodles of sleep – around 18 hours. You would too, if you ate only one type of food all day, every day! That is why most of the time they are spotted in trees, they are sleeping.

You might be wondering how it survives on just gum leaves, as the oils in the leaves are quite poisonous. The Koalas have adapted to this specialized niche in the ecosystem, by having a very long digestive organ which allows them to break down the leaves and up til know were easily found throughout much of Eastern Australia. I spotted a few koalas on Stradbroke Island a few years ago.

The infant koala is called a Joey and it is pretty useless when it is born. Blind and earless when born the joey must use its strong sense of touch and smell, as well as natural instinct, to find its way into the pouch or face death. Being a marsupial it requires extended antenatal care that amounts to six to twelve months in its mother’s pouch, where it continues to grow and develop. After the first six months, the young koala will ride around on its Mother’s back until it reaches maturity.

I am kind of glad I am not a mumma koala!

Help for Koalas

Please support organizations that fund 24/7 care of wild koalas in trouble

Pine Rivers Koalacare – a registered Charity

More rescue organizations that assist Australian Wildlife

animals, building

A Natural Visitor

December 15, 2019December 15, 2019 Forestwood

There is a new visitor to the Little Home by the Sea. And his name is Billy!

We have decided. And he can’t disagree too vocally.

This little green tree frog has made our yard his home and is eating the annoying moths that we seem to have in our patio area. (Not the MOTH, of course).

Frogs are indicative of the health of the environment, so I feel this is a good indicator for our new estate, where wildlife would be greatly disturbed by the earthworks.

This is a good sign for our nearby wildlife corridor.

Did you know that you should always have wet hands if you try to touch or pick up a frog?