I joined iNAT because I have always enjoyed exploring the Australian bush and have worked towards giving back to country more than I take to help preserve our flora and fauna which coexist to create our unique ecosystems.
I’m interested in all Australian flora and fauna especially the locally indigenous to where I live at present.
I try to create habitat by planting, creating structure, water, and installing nesting boxes to house the arboreal critters adjacent to our property.
iNAT’s members have helped me to identify vegetation including invasive species of weeds which I continually work on eradicating in my spare time to help increase the habitat area of only 6.5 hectare which lays within the confinements of the neighbouring houses of the area.
I plan to record most locally native flora and fauna varieties of the forested wetland reserve which our property backs onto to better understand how each requires each other to survive.
At present we have sighted eastern grey kangaroos, swamp wallabies, brush tailed possums, squirrel gliders, sugar gliders, feather tail gliders, native bush rats, antechinus, echidna and many species of bats. Now our lawn and gardens are being cultivated by the recent tenants which moved in after the 2019 fires, the long nose bandicoot. They seem to be more benefit than harm ridding us of curl grubs.
Reptiles. Well, it’s a tough job sitting back with a beer as you watch a long neck turtle wander past the lawn, just so you can add to the increasing tally of reptiles.
The bird life is vast which range from small birds like the spotted pardalote which often nest in a pile of sand in our backyard, to the mighty powerful owl, including young which have been spotted taking refuge in the dense adjacent vegetation.
The local sea eagle most afternoons will fly over to show off with what he has just caught from the local beach, without the use of the beach rod and old Alvey reel.
A flock of yellow tailed black cockatoos fly over and squawk to remind us to take the washing off the line when it’s about to rain.
Wouldn’t be complete without our local bush rooster the kookaburra, who gets you out of bed early and then tries to flog your snags off the barbie in the arvo for a laugh.
Thanks to iNAT members, we have the tool to achieve identification of the existing neighboring vegetation to help understand how the plants and animals help sustain each other.
I try to id others observations from my past knowledge, friends with more experience, or via reputable online research and I am happy to be corrected if I have misidentified any critter or plant.
I would like to thank anyone in advance who id's or comments on my observations and for creating a space for better understanding of the lucky country we live in.