Only in Australia (and and a small part of New Guinea)

The Short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), generally just called the echidna by most people, can be found over all of Australia and small parts of New Guinea.  Some people from outside of the the Australian region may have been introduced to this animal as a Spiny Anteater.  However, this animal is not closely related to true anteaters, and it has an unusual biology.

The Short-beaked echidna is a type of mammal known as a monotreme - an egg laying mammal.  Probably the most famous other monotreme is the Platypus.  So, the echidna lays eggs which after ten days in a pouch hatches and starts to feed on milk produced by the female.  This gives rise to the joke that monotremes can make their own custard, as they produce both milk and eggs!

We saw a good number of these remarkable creatures in Tasmania, most often just feeding on roadside verges.  This individual seemed to be very settled as we drove past, so we went back for a better look.

You can see the face of the animal here, with its long nose that is used to find and eat ants.  You can also see its classic defence posture - ie dug into the ground with its spines bristling!

What a great animal.

More pictures from around the world at Our World Tuesday.  SM

Wild Bird Wednesday 289 - Pied Oystercatcher

The beaches near our accommodation in Freycinet were perfect for Pied Oystercatchers (Haematopus longirostris) with a mix of sandy beaches - which are the classic habitat for this species - and rocky platforms, which rich beds of muscles and such like exposed at high tide.

I spent a while with this pair of birds, and while they were a bit flighty on the sand they seemed to settled down on a rock platform.  At that point they seemed to start ignoring me.

One of the things I have found is that birds often seem more calm if there is a stretch of water between you and them - and this was certainly the case here.  It would be reasonable to say I took a lot of pictures of these birds, so it would not surprise me if some more from this little session show up on WBW at some time.

I rather like the first image, as it does not look like most of the other oystercatcher shots I have ever taken.

As ever, to join in with WBW just click on the blue button below the thumbnails - feel free to share a link to this page on the many and varied forms of social media that we now use every day!

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On the Beach

Freycinet in Tasmania has to be one of my most favourite places.  The combination of Pink Granite rock, blue skies and sea and the orange lichen that grows on the rocks make it really rather colourful. When I went down on to the beach all of these colours were being bathed in late afternoon light.  

Wonderful.

More pictures from around the world at Our World Tuesday.  SM

Wild Bird Wednesday 288 - Tasmanian Native-hen

There are 12 endemic species found in (and only in) Tasmania.  One of these is the Tasmanian Native-hen (Tribonyx mortierii).  This bird is a large, flightless rail, and it used to be classified into the genus Gallinula, along with birds such as the Moorhen.  However, the tides of taxonomy have moved into a much smaller genus - which contains only one other living species.

It tells you a good deal about these birds that one of their common names is the "Turbo-Chook".  They are fast moving, noisy and often seem to be of ill temper with member of their own species, and the world in general.

I actually found them hard to photograph, and saw daily saw them on verges by the side of the road as I was going past, heading somewhere else.  On our last day in Tasmania I found some in that same habitat, and having a bit of time to waste while I waited for the ferry home I photographed them.

I rather like the urban background to these images.

As ever, to join in with WBW just click on the blue button below the thumbnails - feel free to share a link to this page on the many and varied forms of social media that we now use every day!

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Still Distracted

I arrived home from Tasmania today and went (more or less) straight to work!  I suspect that you will not be surprised that I found being in Tasmania better than being at my desk!

These are a few pictures taken from where we stayed in the second half of out trip - the house is near a settlement called Moina, which is not very far from Cradle Mountain National Park.  It was a wonderful, peaceful location with no connection to the outside world except for electricity.

I have sorted out these pictures, and will be back in full swing very soon!

The house is a little more modern than it looks, because it has been built largely with recycled materials that were present on the site.    It was a fabulous place!

More pictures from around the world at Our World Tuesday.  SM

Wild Bird Wednesday 287 - Welcome Swallows

When I was in New Zealand last year I came upon these fledged Welcome Swallows (Hirundo neoxena) being fed by their parents.  I seemed not to be able to get decent images of the birds being fed, but I did get these more stationary images.

I cant help but notice that the young birds seem rather content to just wait to be fed.  This may be familiar to all parents!

As ever, to join in with WBW just click on the blue button below the thumbnails - feel free to share a link to this page on the many and varied forms of social media that we now use every day!  

An InLinkz Link-up