Wildlife

Went for two walks today. Both times the dogs came with me. They've learnt not to chase the roos. Spud cracks me up with the way she impersonates the 'pointer' on Bugs Bunny: front paw raised, tail stiff, ears up, pointing her nose in the direction of the noise. And this is what she did when we heard a rustling in the grass by the side of the track. I'd seen an animal wobble into the grass, and had thought that it was a wombat. But no! It was a very large echidna; its prickly butt sticking straight up at us. The dogs knew not to nose that one.

On the same walk a wombat scurried as fast as a wombat can, into its burrow. There's one corner of Wallaby Scrub that is inundated with wombat holes. Don't know if they've all been dug by the same animal, nor whether they all join up.

Two days ago I was walking down near the tip scrape and I disturbed a large animal. Up into the trees flew a male lyrebird. Though timid, it looked at me momentarily and then flew off. I hadn't really thought of lyrebirds flying much. Within seconds it started its familiar call which told me it hadn't gone too far.

And there seems to be so many kangaroos, wallabies and wallaroos on the property at the moment. We saw a mother with a joey sticking out of the pouch this arvo when driving into town. Jack thought it was very funny how the joey's head and hind legs stick out, and he did his best to immitate the position.

I love being able to see so much wildlife right in my own backyard.