What reptiles and amphibians?

 It's been a quiet weekend yet again. I am starting to doubt my ability to find critters to photograph these days. Hopefully it's just me and a bit of bad timing because I would hate to think that animal numbers are declining to the point where even the more commonly recorded species are difficult to locate even in relatively undisturbed areas. I spent a few hours in a heath section of a National Park well inland from the coast where in previous years I have photographed quite a few different reptiles and amphibians. The conditions were good, rainfall the night before and warm sunny skies with some cloud cover but it was strangely devoid of life except for the odd bird here and there. Does anyone remember when you couldn't walk along a bush track without disturbing numerous skinks and small dragons which would scuttle away making a racket in the leaf litter. Not sure exactly what's happening now but those days seem to be long gone. Is it just me? I don't know, I certainly hope it is.

 This spent Banksia cone caught my eye.

And these carnivorous plants were common in the moist sandy soil especially in areas where surface water collected in shallow pools.

 On the way home I stopped in at the Maddock wetlands a man made wetland area just off the main road near the Ewen Maddock Catchment. This small Yellow faced Whip snake was the only reptile recorded in an area that was once home to numerous critters ranging from small Carlia skinks up to Lacies and the odd large Elapid and Carpet Python. This little fella was no more than about thirty centimetres in length and just about to slough.

 The waterway itself was completely stuffed with huge areas of dead and dying vegetation and vast pools of putrid water and dry connecting creek beds despite the recent substantial rain events of the past six weeks or so. It was quite a disturbing sight considering how good it had looked the last time I visited a few years back.

 Enough of the doom and gloom. I think I'll finish off tonight by posting a few photographs of some of the feathered critters that regularly visit my home.

A stunning Dusky Honeyeater.

 These Lewin's Honeyeaters are one of the most common birds we record here.

 A male Scarlet Honeyeater - awesome check out that tongue.

 We have a small bird bath positioned in a protected corner of our house yard and many bird visitors use the bathing facilities every day especially in the dryer spells. A female Grey Shrike Thrush.

 And her partner.

 A male and a female Scarlet Honeyeater who were happy to get a drink despite the fact that I had been slack and forgot to top it up.

Sorry for the lack of reptile or amphibian photos I will do my best to rectify the situation next weekend.

Cheers thanks for visiting again, hope you enjoyed your stay.

Mike.