On the Coast Track...

[khiemtran]

I was lucky enough to catch this Yellow-vented squirrel scrambling over the rocks while on our bush walk this afternoon...



They're so hard to spot, because, when threatened, they take on the likeness of a New Holland Honeyeater. Convincing, huh?



The coast track hides all sorts of creatures, many little known to science...



Plus a few you might recognise from previous photos, like this white-bellied sea eagle...



We started out at Wattamolla, which was, unfortunately, ridiculously crowded. This is the downside of living in a city with beaches on its doorstep - on a hot day, several thousand people all want to be there too.



But at least the track was quiet enough... It was hot though. Next time, we'll head south from Wattamolla, where the trail runs along the cliffs earlier and the sea breeze makes the walk a bit cooler.

Comments

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

What a spectacular bird! I'm guessing from the bill that they really do eat honey?

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Yes, they eat mostly nectar, and also small insects. They're actually quite hard to spot, even though they are common, because they look almost identical to the white-cheeked honeyeater (apart from the white cheek of course) and it's very rare to get to see the whole bird at a time.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

That walk looks gorgeous, but yeah, not one I'd want to do when it is too hot out.

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Yes, we've learned now that that particular section is not a good choice for a short walk on a hot day. The south-bound section gets you up onto the cliffs a lot sooner, where at least you can cool down.