This was my second trip to the Buckenbowra wilderness and the first overnight. I have been interested in the Monga National park on the South Coast since reading a 19th century article called Hunting the Lyrebird (hint a good read). The Monga National Park area seems to fit the desciption. Lyrebirds mostly call in winter at which time they prepare their nest for a female. During the course of yesterday I heard several superb calls and a few of what I presumed to be examples of mimicking. Didn't see any though.
Regardless the trip was actually to try to capture some local wildlife on film. The method used at night is to first identify animals with a heat seeking Flir camera (when I can borrow it) before spotlighting and photographing any confirmed suspects. If it's alive it can't hide from the Flir...
If you never try you will never know and there's always the hope of a spotted quoll. It really is a stab in the dark on an overnight basis as most success is recorded when these cameras are left out several weeks. I also figure it's never going to capture an image packed in a cupboard at home.
Also noticed a few little visitors in camp that are probably a very good reason to have a fully enclosed swag if you intend to sleep on the ground. These scorpions were only about 10 mm long. They were tiny...
All set for the night and I explored a nearby walk-able creek. It was interesting to note what at first looked like concrete rubble strewn intermittently in the creek and on the shore. A strange sight so far from people. I have since been informed from a learned friend it is a 'conglomerate' rock. Apparently quite an ancient geological formation...
Unfortunately as I cooked a feed the winds started to rise... and continued to rise past dark as the temperature dropped. It was becoming quite uncomfortable and as I didn't want to light a fire decided the better part of valour would be to retire for the night. So an 8pm bedtime. No Telstra 3G to amuse me but I was soon off to sleep. The beautiful thing though was waking to a Lyrebird as my alarm clock...
Well that's the sort of the boring process I use when 'hunting'. Nothing to show for the adventure this time but its the successes that make it worthwhile. I must say although I enjoy the solace from people on trips It was good to rejoin the community with a great early morning coffee at the Braidwood Bakery which by the way has been newly refurbished. Fine then for a drive home to Canberra by 11.
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