Creatures of The Pilliga

The Easter break provided us a great opportunity to do some more exploring of the Pilliga Forests of northwestern NSW. Excellent rains have given new life to the country, and wildlife is taking full advantage of the season of plenty. And we struck magic weather with warm, windless autumn days followed by clear, crisp nights.

Damp roads mean we haven't ventured far off the beaten track yet, but as always, we've been amused and amazed by wonderful creatures. I've seen many an impressive, lumbering goanna leaving tracks all over the sandy environs, but this hapless old lizard is not the prettiest monitor I've ever seen. He's got survivor genes to pass on though, as he's obviously come through a nasty accident with most of his tail missing, but healed.

Here Old Man Goanna stretches out sunning himself in the process of moulting. Once he loses all his grubby old skin, he'll be a tad more dashing with bright new colours to impress the lady lizards.

Now here's a handsome dragon, although rather bashful. Actually he/she did a pretty convincing job of playing dead to fool the intruder - the eye moving in the socket was the only movement this resourceful Bearded Dragon showed as I crept up to the somewhat uncomfortable-looking basking surface.

We always spend plenty of time birdwatching when we visit The Pilliga, and are always rewarded with fabulous observations and exciting surprises. With all the flood waters out west, a flock of 30 Pelicans headed out to greener pastures, along with a couple of large flocks of Little Black Cormorants.

But closer observations revealed Wood Ducks with a brood of 7 tiny fluffy ducklings faithfully tagging along. Another mum and dad Wood Duck rounded up their brood of 21 half-grown offspring as I approached the waterway. No, the industrious parents would not legally own all 21, but would have stolen some from neighbours, as Wood Ducks do.

And what a thrill it was to see five Pink-eared Ducks.

Downy Coots paddled along close to their parents, while other Coots busily carted fresh nesting material onto a reed bed. There's plenty of unseasonal breeding going on out west, where birds breed when food is in good supply.

Juvenile Striated Pardalotes stretched and flapped their wings while the adults fetched a meal for them amongst the Eucalypt leaves.

The Yellow-throated Miner is a new species for me.

Invertebrate life always grabs my attention, and this train of Processional Caterpillars was a beaut sighting. One train crossed the road safely, as another hairy rope of grubs started their dangerous journey across the track. We drove between the trains, leaving them to their business of surviving.

And breeding is on the minds of more than the birdlife. Insects frantically mate, thus providing still more food for the birds and animals.

Tomorrow we'll be out again, wandering and looking. Sunrises and sunsets have been magnificent, and the fresh air is always a treat.