Mark Carwardine’s role, essentially, was to be the one who knew what he was talking about. My role, and one for which I was entirely qualified, was to be an extremely ignorant non-zoologist to whom everything that happened would come as a complete surprise. ― Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See

 Luckily, Pete is excellent at wildlife identification. So I (that’s Margie) can just point and go ‘ooh’! This page records some of our spottings – when we had a camera. Our Fauna Species List is at the end of the page.

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Boxing Wallabies

We purchased our own wildlife camera in May 2019 – love those Aldi special buys! We immediately captured these photos of boxing wallabies on a Wordwood trail.

Squirrel Gliders

Easter 2019 we used a GoPro and a torch wire-tied to a stick to look into the nest boxes we had built and hung late 2016. About four squirrel gliders were nesting in one of the boxes. Cute doesn’t begin to say it!

Koalas 

Margie has developed a theory on koala spotting. You can’t see them if you are looking. You have to catch a glimpse out of the corner of your eye and then pick your way through the long grass, swamp, etc to be sure it is koala! Despite a low success rate, it is worth it for the few times it works. And, how is it that any koala can manage to sit in any tree in such a way that you can’t get a photo of its face?!

It was very exciting to spot our first koala (see the photo to the left)!     No further koala spottings for a while, despite occasionally coming across the distinctive gummy, urine smell of one nearby. Finally, in December 2012, we saw our second koala (see the photo on the right). Or maybe it was the same koala in a different tree?

In May 2015, we captured a koala on a wildlife camera (on the part of Wordwood that we call The Hill). He stayed for 2 nights (see the photos below).

Arriving – 1 May

Leaving – 1 May

Arriving – 2 May 2

Leaving – 2 May

Yellow-footed Antechinus 

Major excitement on 1 December 2012! A yellow-footed antechinus had moved into the storeroom in The Nook to nest. Mistaking it for a rat, Margie removed its nest twice. Then, Pete worked out from the scat that it was an antechinus. We gave it a nest box and hoped to soon have antechinus babies. We hoped it was a girl – ’cause if it was a boy and he’d got lucky it would have been all over! She didn’t use the nest box. The tarry and fragrant scat was a bit unfortunate. We read that if you put down paper a female will use it to toilet, and we tried that with limited success. We named her ‘Squatter’. The babies arrived on 13 January 2013. We guessed as much because the amount and spread of scat had increased. We then saw two of them. Very appropriately, one was hiding in the Land for Wildlife folder. The other one was in a cardboard cylinder. They grew very fast. They had gone by August 2013. Squatter was still around and using the nest box. When we arrived late one night, we saw her coming in from outdoors through the space between the roof and wall. She was very friendly – just sat looking at us and then continued about her business. Pete’s friends say that an antechinus in their house came out to visit every evening and danced around waiting for the attention until they all went ‘Ooh! Look an antechinus!’.

In December 2013, scat and eaten rice paper lanterns indicated that the antechinus had moved out of the storeroom into the main room. Moving into the main room was a major breach of mou cohabitation agreement, whereby they were required not to poo in the house. We went looking to relocate her and found mum with 6 babies (see the photo below). She had nested in the upper bunk of the bed. It was funny catching her. Each time Pete went up one side of the bunk, we saw her little figure running under the blanket to the other side. Eventually, Margie got up on the bed and managed to pick her up and pop her in the billy. We relocated her back to the nest box in the storeroom. She was very good about it all really. I guess when you are lugging around more than you body weight in babies you are pretty passive. It turns other that there was another mum with another 6 babies nesting in a basket in the storeroom as well. When Margie opened the basket she saw them all feeding. They were even tinier.

After our experience with the antechinus, I came across a poem and it struck me. The first verses are reproduced below.

To a Mouse Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim’rous beastie O, what a panic’s in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae hasty Wi bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee, Wi’ murd’ring pattle. I’m truly sorry man’s dominion Has broken nature’s socal union, An’ justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor, earth-born companion An’ fellow mortal! – Robert Burns

Northern Brown Bandicoots (Eastern)

A couple of nights when Pete has stayed in The Nook by himself and with no dogs, he has been woken by a northern brown bandicoot (eastern) on the deck. In August 2014, we put a wildlife camera on the ground looking at the land just next to the deck. A bandicoot visited every night, often more than once a night (see the photo on the right).

Dingos 

As at March 2013, we had only seen one dingo. It was crossing the driveway. As soon as it heard us it froze, and went on tentatively, clearly smelling where Margie and the dogs had been just a short time before. It looked mostly dingo-like, with maybe a little German shepard. Seeing it inspired Margie to write the poem set out below. In September 2014, we captured another dingo on the wildlife camera at a waterhole on the place we call Little Creek (see the photo below).

Love the Predators ‘You cannot love the prey and not love the predators’ If love means, it is an aching heart. The dingo. Pays the predator’s price – and becomes prey. Hiding. Paralysed. Tentative. Bolting. My helpless, hopeless aching heart. – Margie

Red Deer 

Despite the fact that they are feral, the red deer that visit Wordwood are majestic as they walk by and look us in the eye. In September 2014, we captured 3 deer on the wildlife camera at a waterhole on the place we call Little Creek (see the photos below). One seemed to be an old loner and the others a younger pair.

Birds

Wordwood is home to lots of birds. We find the website Birds in Backyards and the phone app Michael Morcombe & David Stewart eGuide to The Birds of Australia really useful in bird identification (see the links on the right).

Glossy Black Cockatoos

The glossy black cockatoo (calyptorhynchus lathami) is one of the more threatened species of cockatoo in Australia and is legislated as vulnerable in Queensland and New South Wales. We are delighted that glossy blacks use the area of Wordwood that we call She-Oak Grove for feeding. They feed on black she-oaks (allocasuarina littoralis) (see the photo on the right). In May 2014, our identification was confirmed by expert Lisa Bailey from the Glossy Black Cockatoo Conservancy. She also educated us that they are picky eaters, will only use select feed trees and different family groups feed in different ways (see the photo below).

The she-oaks are spreading on Wordwood. In May 2019, we saw the glossy backs feeding in a new area – The Hill near The Easement – see photos below.

White-Headed Pigeon

In September 2014, we had a a rare visit from a white-headed pigeon (see the photos below). They are usually rainforest dwellers. It came to our feeder just a few feet away from The Nook. It stayed for most of the morning, ignoring our activities. It fed happily and then sat out a shower of rain.

Eastern Yellow Robin

In August 2015, we found a nest with 2 eastern yellow robin chicks on the part of Wordwood that we call The Hill (see the photos below). The nest was in a gum sapling, only about 1 metre from the ground. Doesn’t seem like a smart survival strategy to nest so close to the ground. However, Mum was standing guard (see the photos on the left and right).

 

Pied Cormorant

A pied cormorant is a regular visitor to Wordwood’s dam, often sitting on the floating island that Pete made and anchored in the dam. In September 2014, we captured the cormorant on a wildlife camera at a waterhole on the part of Wordwood that we call Little Creek (see the photo below).

Nests 

In the gully running down from The Nook, kooaburras use ant mounds in gum trees as nests (see the photo on the near right).Since December 2012, noisy friarbirds have periodically nested in a gum tree with a feeder near The Nook (see the photo on the far right).     In December 2015, currawongs with at least 1 chick nested high up in a gum tree near The Nook. Easter 2019 we located an unknown egg shell – maybe an owlet nightjar – in a nest box hung late 2016.

Bird Photo Gallery

Top row left to right: Forest Kingfisher, White-throated Treecreeper, Pete’s art photography, Weebill, Owlet Nightjar

Second row left to right: Thornbill (credit: Deb Metters),  Pete’s art photography, Rose Robin (credit: Deb Metters)

Third row left to right: Brown-headed Honeyeater, Buff-rumped Thornbill x 4 (row credit: Deb Metters September 2018)

Fourth row left to right: Grey Fantail x 3, Red-browed Firetail Finch (row credit: Deb Metters September 2018)

Fifth row left to right: Striated Thornbill x 2, Varied Sittella x 2 (row credit: Deb Metters September 2018)

Bottom row left to right: White-naped Honeyeater x 2 (row credit: Deb Metters September 2018)

Frogs 

Wordwood has a surprising number and variety of frogs. We take this as a sign of its health. After the first of the Spring rains in November 2015, we went up to the dam one evening and the frog calls were deafening. We recorded them (listen to the recording by clicking on the red button below) and sent them to the Queensland Museum for identification. The museum staff identified at least 5 species – bleating tree frog, eastern sedge frog, emerald spotted tree frog, scarlet sided pobblebonk and broad-palmed rocket frog (see the photo below left). A Land for Wildlife SE Queensland officer also thought there was an additional species – ornate burrowing frog. The next morning, the dam was covered in frog spawn (see the photo below right).

Snakes 

One of the first animals we spotted at Wordwood, in October 2011, was a red-bellied black snake. We named it Sir Bernard Black and treated it with great respect. We found further evidence of it, or another red-bellied black snake, over near the dam in January 2014 – a big snake skin, eye holes and all. We found a similar skin in March 2015 at the top of the hill above the place on Wordword that we call Platypus Junction (see the photo on the right, measured against a deck of cards). On morning after we recorded the frog spawn in November 2015 (see above), we  spotted Sir Bernard Black or another red-bellied black snake swimming in the dam. It stayed underwater for at least 20 mins.  The evening before we saw a very small black snake on the drive way. Maybe Sir Bernard is a she and has a baby?

Lizards 

In the first 2 years after we purchased Wordwood, we noticed just one lizard – a nobby dragon (see the photo below left). We now spot lizards more frequently.  In September 2014, we caught a water dragon on the wildlife camera at a waterhole on the place at Wordwood that we call Little Creek (see the photo blow centre). In May 2015, we caught a lace monitor (goanna) on the wildlife camera at The Nook (see the photo blow right).

Creepy Crawlies

We are not much good at identifying Wordwood’s many butterflies, moths, spiders and other creep crawlies. Some of our favourite photos are included below.

Dragonfly

Dragonflys

 

Insect Galls

Gum Tree Shield Bug (Nymph)

Lady Beetle

 

Butterfly

Caterpillar

Caterpillar

 

Emerald Moth

Glasswing Butterfly

Meadow Argus Butterfly

 

Grey Huntsman

Trapdoor Spider Nest

​

Common epicoma moth

Vine hawk moth

Fauna Species List (Last updated May 2020)

Scientific name	Common name	Type
Indigenous
Aepyprymnus rufescens	Rufous bettong	Mammal
Antechinus flavipesr	Yellow-footed antechinus	Mammal
Canus lupus dingo	Dingo	Mammal
Hydromys chrysogaster	Rakali or water rat	Mammal
Isoodon macrourus	Northern brown bandicoot (Eastern)	Mammal
Microchiroptera	Microbats	Mammal
Petaurus norfolcensis	Squirrel glider	Mammal
Phascolarctos cinereus	Koala	Mammal
Tachyglossus aculeatus	Echidna	Mammal
Macropus giganteus	Eastern grey kangaroo	Mammal
Macropus rufogriseus	Red-necked wallaby	Mammal
Pseudocheirus peregrinus	Common ringtail possum	Mammal
Rattus tunneyi	Pale field rat	Mammal
Sminthopis murina	Common dunnart	Mammal
Trichosurus vulpecula	Brushtail possum	Mammal
Aegotheles cristatus	Owlet nightjar	Bird
Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris	Eastern spinebill	Bird
Acanthiza chrysorrhoa	Yellow-rumped thornbill	Bird
Acanthiza pusilla	Brown thornbill	Bird
Acanthiza lineata	Striated thornbill	Bird
Acanthiza reguloides	Buff-rumped thornbill	Bird
Acanthiza nana	Yellow thornbill	Bird
Alectura lathami	Australian brush turkey	Bird
Alisterus scapularis	King parrot	Bird
Anas superciliosa	Pacific black duck	Bird
Aquila audax	Wedge-tailed eagle	Bird
Ardea pacifica	White-necked heron	Bird
Artamus cyanopterus	Dusky woodswallow	Bird
Aviceda subcristata	Pacific baza	Bird
Cacatua galerita	Sulphur-crested cockatoo	Bird
Cacomantis flabelliformis	Fan-tailed cuckoo	Bird
Calyptorhynchus funereus	Yellow-tailed black cockatoo	Bird
Calyptorhynchus lathami	Glossy Black cockatoo	Bird
Centropus phasianinus	Pheasant coucal	Bird
Chalcites lucidus	Shining bronze-cuckoo	Bird
Chenonetta jubata	Australian wood duck	Bird
Colluricincla harmonica	Grey shrike-thrush	Bird
Columba leucomela	White-headed pigeon	Bird
Coracina novaehollandiae	Black-faced cuckoo-shrike	Bird
Cormobates leucophaea	White-throated treecreeper	Bird
Corvus orru	Torrvsian crow	Bird
Coturnix ypsilophora	Brown quail	Bird
Cracticus torquatus	Grey butcherbird	Bird
Cuculus pallicus	Pallid cuckoo	Bird
Dacelo novaeguineae	Laughing kookaburra	Bird
Daphoenositta chrysoptera	Varied sitella	Bird
Dicaeum hirundinaceum	Mistletoebird	Bird
Dicrurus bracteatus	Spangled drongo	Bird
Egretta novaehollandiae	White-faced heron	Bird
Eolophus roseicapilla	Galah	Bird
Eopsaltria australis	Eastern yellow robin	Bird
Eudynamys orientalis	Common or eastern koel	Bird
Geopelia striata	Peaceful dove	Bird
Gerygony olivacea	White-throated gerygony	Bird
Glossopsitta pusilla	Little lorikeet	Bird
Grallina cyanoleuca	Magpie-lark	Bird
Gymnorhina tibicen	Magpie	Bird
Haliastur sphenurus	Whistling kite	Bird
Lichenostomus chrysops	Yellow-faced honeyeater	Bird
Lopholaimus antarcticus	Topknot pigeon	Bird
Malurus cyaneus	Superb fairy wren	Bird
Malurus lamberti	Varigated fairy wren	Bird
Malurus melanocephalus	Red-backed fairywren	Bird
Manorina melanocephala	Noisy miner	Bird
Meliphaga lewinii	Lewin’s honeyeater	Bird
Melithreptus brevirostirs	Brown-headed honeyteater	Bird
Melithreptus gularis	Black-chinned honey eater ?	Bird
Melithreptus lunatus	White-naped honeyeater	Bird
Microcarbo melanoleucos	Little pied cormorant	Bird
Microeca fascinanss	Jacky winter	Bird
Myiagra rubecula	Leaden flycatcher	Bird
Myzomela sanguinolenta	Scarlet honeyeater	Bird
Neochmia temporalis	Red-browed or firetail finch	Bird
Ninox novaeseelandiae	Southern boobook owl or mopoke	Bird
Nycticorax caledonicus	Nankeen night heron	Bird
Oriolus sagittatus	Olive-backed oriole	Bird
Pachycephala pectoralis	Australian golden whistler	Bird
Pachycephala rufiventris	Rufous whistler	Bird
Pardalotus punctatus	Spotted pardalote	Bird
Pardalotus striatus	Striated pardalote	Bird
Petroica rosea	Rose robin	Bird
Phalacrocorax sulcirostris	Little black cormorant	Bird
Phalacrocorax varius	Pied cormorant	Bird
Phaps chalcoptera	Common bronzewing	Bird
Philemon corniculatus	Noisy friarbird	Bird
Platalea flavipes	Yellow-billed spoonbill	Bird
Platycercus adscitus	Pale-head rosella	Bird
Platycercus elegans	Crimson rosella	Bird
Podargus strigoides	Tawny frogmouth	Bird
Ptilonorhynchus violaceus	Satin bowerbird	Bird
Rhipidura fuliginosa	Grey fantail	Bird
Rhipidura rufifrons	Rufous fantail	Bird
Rhipidura leucophrys	Willie wagtail	Bird
Sericornis frontalis	White-browed scrubwren	Bird
Scythrops novaehollandiae	Channel-billed cuckoo	Bird
Smicrornis brevirostris	Weebill	Bird
Strepera graculina	Pied currawong	Bird
Todiramphus macleayii	Forest kingfisher	Bird
Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus	Scaly-breasted lorikeet	Bird
Trichoglossus haematodus	Rainbow lorikeet	Bird
Zosterops lateralis	Silvereye	Bird
Amphibolurus nobbi	Nobby dragon	Reptile
Intellagama lesueurii	Water dragon	Reptile
Lampropholis delicata	Garden skink	Reptile
Oedura tryoni	Spotted velvet gecko	Reptile
Pogona barbata	Bearded dragon	Reptile
Pseudechis porphyriacus	Red-bellied black snake	Reptile
Saiphos equalis?	Skink	Reptile
Varanus varius	Lace monitor or goanna	Reptile
Limnodynastes terraereginae	Scarlet-sided pobblebonk	Amphibian
Litoria caerulea	Australian green tree frog	Amphibian
Litoria dentata	Bleating tree frog	Amphibian
Litoria fallax	Eastern sedge frog	Amphibian
Litoria latopalmata	Broad palmed rocketfrog	Amphibian
Litoria peronii	Emerald-spotted tree frog	Amphibian
Mixophyes fasciolatus	Great barred frog (heard only)	Amphibian
Cherax depressus	Orange-fingered yabby	Crustacean
Cherax dispar	Slender yabby	Crustacean
Argiope keyserlingi	St Andrews cross spider	Arachnid
Austracantha minax	Jewel spider	Arachnid
Holconia immanis	Grey huntsman spider	Arachnid
	Small mottled scorpion	Arachnid
	Wolf spider?	Arachnid
Digaster longmani	Giant earthworm	Annelid
	Polydesmid millipede	Diplopod
Acrida conica	Long-headed grasshopper or giant green slantface	Insect
Acripeza reticulata	Mountain kitydid	Insect
Anoplognathus	Christmas beetle	Insect
Archimantis latistyla	Stick mantis	Insect
Cicadidae	Cicadas	Insect
Coccinellidae	Lady beetle	Insect
Hymenoptera symphyta	Sawfly larva or spitfire	Insect
Polyrhachis	Spiny ant	Insect
Ranatra ?	Needle bug	Insect
Theseus modestus	Gum tree shield bug (nymph)	Insect
Acraea andromacha	Glasswing butterfly	Lepidoptera
Belenois java	Caper white butterfly	Lepidoptera
Danaus chrysippus	Lesser wanderer butterfly	Lepidoptera
Danaus plexippus	Monarch butterfly	Lepidoptera
Elodina angulipennis	Southern pearl-white butterfly	Lepidoptera
Epicoma melanosticta	Common epicoma moth	Lepidoptera
Endoxyla cinera	Giant wood moth	Lepidoptera
Euploea core	Common crow butterfly	Lepidoptera
Eurema erigitta	No-brand grass-yellow butterfly	Lepidoptera
Hippotion celerio	Vine hawk moth	Lepidoptera
Hypolimnas bolina	Varied eggfly butterfly	Lepidoptera
Junonia villida	Meadow argus butterfly	Lepidoptera
Netrocoryne repanda	Bronze flat butterfly	Lepidoptera
Oenochroma infantilis	Emerald moth	Lepidoptera
Tirumala hamata	Blue tiger butterfly	Lepidoptera
Zizina labradus	Common grass-blue butterfly	Lepidoptera
Feral
Cervus elaphus	Red deer	Mammal
Felis catus	Feral cat	Mammal
Vulpes vulpes	European red fox (scat and feeding only)	Mammal
Bufo marinus	Cane toad	Amphibian