Farewell to 2019!

Continuing my tradition of recent years, to mark the changeover of years I've selected just one photo* from each month of 2019. As ever I don't make any pretences to photographic excellence, but have chosen the pictures because of their associations, and in most cases because they are ones I've not previously used this year in a blog posting. 

It's been a remarkable year for us, marking the next stage of our life. To celebrate we did a bit of extra natural history travelling (of course): tropical Queensland in January;  Africa (Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa) in May-June; Brazil (accompanying a tour) in July-August; Costa Rica (reconnoitering for a tour next year); western Victoria, chasing wildflowers primarily, in September.

(*Actually that turns out to be a lie; for a couple of months there were other pics I just had to share. Sorry, but only a little bit sorry.)

JANUARY

Cairns Birdwing Ornithoptera euphorion, Lake Barrine, North Queensland. The main reason for going
to the tropics in the Wet is for the wealth of wildlife; we saw many things we'd not previously seen,
including this magnificent animal, Australia's biggest butterfly with a 15cm wingspan.
It is limited to coastal tropical Queensland.

Striped Possum Dactylopsila trivirgata, Lake Eacham, North Queensland.
This is an animal I'd long wanted to see, and it came to a feeding station near our accommodation,
attracted by some honey smeared on the tree (not by us). Its main food however comprises wood-boring larvae;
it chews through wood with chisel-like teeth and uses the long fourth toe to extract the morsel.

FEBRUARY

Sparring Eastern Grey Kangaroo males Macropus giganteus, Namadgi National Park,
south of Canberra. These two weren't seemingly intending serious harm but were
definitely testing each other's strength and resolve. Note how the tail acts as a fifth limb.

 MARCH

Robber Fly Ommatius coeraebus, Nowra, southern New South Wales.
When visiting I often prowl Lou's parents' substantial garden, and I'm usually rewarded.
Lucky I'm not smaller! Robber flies are fearsome predators, perching like this to watch for
prey insects flying by, which they pursue and capture with their spiny legs, stab with the short
powerful proboscis, inject with paralysing and digestive enzymes, and devour in the air.
Even wasps and dragonflies are not safe.

 APRIL

Filamentous lichens on a dead branch, Shanahans Mountain, southern Namadgi National Park,
south of Canberra. This is a memento of a nice walk we did on a sunny autumn day.

 MAY

Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus and Cape Buffalo skull, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.
I'm surprised I selected this one of all the possible amazing animals we saw in Africa, but this
juxtaposition appealed to me.

 

But in the end one wasn't quite enough for East Africa, so I've sneaked in this one of a Cheetah family,
mother and three youngsters, in the evening in Amboseli NP, in front of mighty Mount Kilimanjaro,
making a rare appearance from the clouds.
These two young ones had dropped behind and were playing chasing games.  

 JUNE

Gemsbok Oryx gazella, Augrabies Falls NP, northern South Africa. There are four species of oryx, big arid
land antelopes. Gemsboks are from southern Africa, centred on the Kalahari Desert.
This one was quite at home in the dry rocky wilderness of Augrabies.

JULY 

Southern Tamandua Tamandua tetradactyla, the second-largest South American anteater (up to 150cm long),
which I had longed to see for ages. This one appeared in a cattle paddock at Pousada Aguapé in the southern
Pantanal late in the afternoon. It was clearly aware of us, but seemed to have very poor eyesight.
We eventually left it to its own pottering devices in fading light; I was thrilled.

AUGUST

Crowned Tree Frog Anotheca (or Triprion) spinosa, Tapirus Lodge, Costa Rica.
This is a remarkable-looking frog with a spiny 'crown', living in bromeliads and related plants in the rain forest,
where our equally remarkable local guide located it for us in the rain. Eggs are laid in a flooded
tree hollow, where the female returns to feed the tadpoles by laying unfertilised eggs for them to eat.

Male Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno, Savegre Valley, Costa Rica; through early morning mist.
One of the most sought-after birds in this country of wonderful birds.

SEPTEMBER

 Common Heath Epacris impressa, Mount Zero, northern Gariwerd/Grampians NP, western Victoria.
There are quite a number of plants endemic to the range, but I chose this widespread species
because I love the fact that this healthy plant is virtually growing out of the sandstone.
It is Victoria's floral emblem, and also comes in pink and white.

 OCTOBER

Red-bellied Black Snake Pseudechis porphyriacus breakfasting on an unfortunate - and inattentive - Heatwole's
Water Skink Eulamprus heatwolei at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, just south of Canberra.
It was odd to watch such a drama played out at close range, and in total silence.

NOVEMBER

Hoary-headed Grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus, Molonglo Pond, just down the road from our home.
The adult (sexes are identical, and both play similar roles in chick care, so not sure who this is) was carrying
the baby around the pond, hidden under its wings. At this moment it popped its head out to be fed.
It was a delightful encounter.

 DECEMBER

 

The sun through bushfire smoke over Canberra, late afternoon but still high in the sky, 17 December.
The nearest fires to us are over 40km to the east but at times the smoke is choking and stinging here.
Between here and the coast three ferocious fires have burnt some 200,000 hectares so far (23 December),
mostly in national parks (but it will be more by the time you read this).
To the north over 400,000 hectares have burnt in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, and are still burning.
Only rain will put these fires out, and none is expected for at least a month...

This one was taken three days later, 20 December, mid-morning. It was an opportunistic shot, with just my phone.
I wouldn't normally post such a photo, but it really does give you an idea of conditions here
(and throughout much of eastern and southern Australia at the moment).
This is looking through the smoke across Lake Burley Griffin in central Canberra, to the other shore
only a couple of hundred metres away. Much of eastern Australia is burning in unprecedented December temperatures,
but our government doesn't deem this the right time to even discuss climate change, let alone meaningfully address it.
This is not how I wanted to end my year in photos, but anything else would have been dishonest.

However I can add an addendum, as a balance. I won't forget either the horrors of these fires or the shame of our government's contempt for the land, but neither do I want to forget the joy that I took from the world this year, as always, so here's another of my year's highlights.

Big male Leopard in a massive rock outcrop overlooking Serengeti NP, Tanzania.
Like most people I'm awed by big cats, and this year was an astonishing one for us in that regard.

So, that's one version of my year, but there could have been others. Perhaps I've prompted you to muse too on your year's natural history highlights - that can be a very satisfying and even therapeutic thing to do.

Thank you reading this, and if you're a 'regular' reader I greatly appreciate that support. May 2020 bring you lots of natural pleasures and surprises, and I look forward to sharing some with you.  

NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 16 JANUARY.
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