Nocturnal noises

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jfiess78
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Nocturnal noises

Every now and again I get an opportunity to do a quick spotlight at night around our five acres (bit hard when you have a 2 and 1/2 yr old & a 7 month old). I hear the strangest noises, haven’t worked out what they are yet. I know we have foxes & brush tails but as yet I haven't been able to identify the sounds. I was hoping to see some nocturnal birds or gliders, but nothing yet.

The other night I went out and saw nothing except for this little guy which I am fairly happy with because it's my first one. A Tyler’s tree frog (Litoria tyleri) named after frog guru Michael J. Tyler. (I am fairly sure anyway, don't think it's a Peron's)

And last night I saw a bush rat and a micro bat.

kathiemt
kathiemt's picture

Where do you live?  I've love to do that around our property but both my husband and I suffered injuries from 2 separate accidents last year and neither of us are 100% steady on our feet in daylight. I'd hate to trip over at night. I know we've had an Owl here, a fox, bandicoots and we've seen signs of a wombat pushing its way through but haven't actually seen it.

How did you find out the name of the frog?

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

jfiess78
jfiess78's picture

Hi Kathie, I live at South Maroota in the Hawkesbury area (outskirts of Sydney). Sorry to hear that you & hubby were injured :0( Where abouts are you guys??

I have always been inlove with all native Australian fauna and I was always Birding, frogging, spotlighting, camping & 4x4. I was a member of the Hawkesbury Herp society & FATS (frog & tadpole study group). So how I came to the conclusion of Tyler's Tree frog is through experience & knowledge.

If you are interested there is an awesome site http://www.frogsaustralia.net.au/

Cheers, Jackie.

birdie
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Love frogs and that is great to see....... we have moved fromm our jungle area and have lost them now i think sadly. I used to do the same and spotlight possums, frogs, bats adn anytnign I could find .

Sunshine Coast Queensland

jfiess78
jfiess78's picture

Hi birdie, yes frogs are one of my faves. It is so good to get back into some of the things I used to do all the time. Did you ever come across any interesting findings?

birdie
birdie's picture

Oh yes  was that you????? I did find it but I dont think I read it all . Now that you have reminded me I will go back and have another look.  I love frogs and they are such an indicator of the condition of our environment.

Sunshine Coast Queensland

darinnightowl
darinnightowl's picture

Hi there,

 I would say it is a Tyler's tree frog by the yellow armpits and groin as the Peron's has black or dark brown . I still get excited, since moved i have found two new species, the green and golden bell frog and a pink tongued lizard.  I also go spotlighting, the technique I use is to first find the tree with the most hollow branches, the best time is at dusk and the feather tailed gliders are first to jump and are just like a falling leaf and have no eye shine , sugar gliders are next, but don't use a spotlight yet,  just place yourself between flowering trees or even better a wattle tree with manna oozing from its trunk and use the night sky as your back drop,  they are easy to pick out. Once one has made the jump up to half a dozen will follow. And this is when the kids are hungry too so give them all a torch each and they will have as much as you . As a rule of thumb the bigger the arboreal mammal, the later they leave. Once the kids are in bed, if you have  a small dog put it on a leash they are good as they pick up sounds as well and then use your spotlight. In winter the gliders are in a torpid state so maybe wait a couple of weeks .  Have great night out.

Nightowl

See it!  Hear it!

Mid-North Coast NSW

kathiemt
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Where do you live Nightowl?  Sounds like some fun and I might have to gather up the courage to go wandering around in the semi dark... perhaps when the weather is warmer.

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

darinnightowl
darinnightowl's picture

Hi Kathie 

Lake Cathie on the mid north coast N S W 
Even better is to paddle a canoe   with a spot light. And look  into the over hanging trees. Do you know the sound of a katydid call ?

See it!  Hear it!

Mid-North Coast NSW

birdie
birdie's picture

Wow you sound really into it daringnightowl smiley

I just read two books by someone you may like to read if yo have not already done so. the guys name is greg French and one of the books was called Frog call. The other one escapes me for the moment but he is right into trout fishing and all the associated insects and amphibians  and their life cycles.. Wonderful read , I could read his books all day but he hasnt got any more unfortunately

Sunshine Coast Queensland

darinnightowl
darinnightowl's picture

Hi Birdie.   Thanks , yeah I am  into it - no matter what moves, or what sounds  or smells it makes, I make it my mission to track it down.  Started with birds at a very early age and just moved on . Have not read any books by Greg French but I will  check them out.  My reference books on aquatic species are from a few authours including Guntther Theischinger and John Hawking,  Martyn Robinson and Marion Anstis.  These are just field guides. 

Nymphs and tadpoles are are great food source for trout

Just a little bit trivia.  Dragonfly larvae  breathe though their anus, this allows the larvae to move around by propelling themselves by forcing water out of the anus. The hotter the water the faster it could move.  Ha Ha.

Nightowl. 

See it!  Hear it!

Mid-North Coast NSW

birdie
birdie's picture

I found the name of the book ...Menagerie of false Truths .... it is  a kind of biographical story of his love for trout fishing and nature ( including the mayfly and nymphs smiley ) and delves into autism , which he has and also his family lived with. it is a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable read. He has been responsible for a lot of eco conservation moves in his native Tasmania.

Here is a link to an interview I found on th ABC with him. Havent listened to it yet so I dont know what it is like.

hey guess what .... I woke at 5.00am when it was still dark to the sounds of what I am sure was a Southern Boobook owl....very exciting for me. I wasnt sure if it was a frog call or a bird but i think it was an Owl

Oh yes ...more trivia for you... did you know that trout eat frogs???

Sunshine Coast Queensland

kathiemt
kathiemt's picture

So, are you going to start venturing out too birdie? My biggest challenge is being able to hold a torch in the direction of where I want to focus my camera and then focus my camera too. 

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

birdie
birdie's picture

Yes kathie, a couple of years ago my hubby bought me a 1,000,000 candle power spotty as a toy with a trigger style grip. it has been one of the best gifts I have ever had, and have enjoyed many nights spotlighting in my last house , finding possums and bats and snakes etc..... also one very noisy frog that took me days to find. it was only about 1/2 an inch long lol

Sunshine Coast Queensland

kathiemt
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oooh, can you post a pick of the torch?  Would love to see what you have.

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

darinnightowl
darinnightowl's picture

Hi. jfiess and kathie

Don't let the injury or the kids slow you down, buckle  Up and try this out, get your spot light and clip it on to the car battery. Tape the wire up to keep it away from fan belt I known that now, or even better plug it into the cigar lighter find a dirt road and off you go. Dusk is the best time as nature is just waking up  and moving .  And Iam shore you would have done this before the kids were born it you part of a 4x4 club  Jackie. Don't forget the coffee and chocolate for the kids.  My kids wood stand up through the sun roof with the spot light hours of fun.

Nightowl.

See it!  Hear it!

Mid-North Coast NSW

darinnightowl
darinnightowl's picture

Hi birdie
Thanks for the name of the book. It excite the mind when you hear a noise in the dark. Early hours of the morning is best, when there is no urban noise. Unless its a koel.

Nightowl

See it!  Hear it!

Mid-North Coast NSW

kathiemt
kathiemt's picture

Oh, I'm a bit slow on the uptake. So it's spotlighting you've been doing?  I was thinking on my own property but that would mean walking around with a powerful torch - I couldn't drive the car here. It's bushland and lawns and very wet, we'd sink even if we could take the car onto it.

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

birdie
birdie's picture

NO  Kathie lol, I call it spotlighting becasue the torch is so powerful it lights up like a spotlight ,, but I am on foot when i do it yes

Sunshine Coast Queensland

birdie
birdie's picture

Just got the next update and read the other comments. Sounds wonderful nightowl.  Once , years ago , when we had no kids my hubby and I went up to Cairns and went on an evening eco tour through the rianforest up at Atherton. It was exciting and fascinating and the biggest thing we saw was a tree Kangaroo. It probably started a further interest in nature etc which has continued since then

Sunshine Coast Queensland

kathiemt
kathiemt's picture

Ok, just trying to get my head around what you're doing and how you're doing it. Then I am definitely interested in what kind of torch you have.  The thought of wandering around in the dark at night kind of scares me but is curious too and I would love to see what makes the noises in the night where we are. I did see a Boobook Owl a couple of months ago but it was very cold and hubby wouldn't come out with me (he has a spinal cord injury and the cold isn't kind to him) so trying to handle a torch and take a photo was impossible.  How do I focus high up in a tree and get the light on there, without having the bird fly off and take a photo at the same time? That is beyond me at the moment.

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

darinnightowl
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Hi kathie sorry can't help you there , Iam just learning to take a picture in the day .

See it!  Hear it!

Mid-North Coast NSW

birdie
birdie's picture

kathie I just try to balance it all LOL it is difficult unless you can talk an assistant into holding the torch, which I have done at times with my daughter . Will try to find info about the torch for you.

Sunshine Coast Queensland

kathiemt
kathiemt's picture

Yes, I thought it might be.  I'll have to find someone else who can come out with me from time to time. Perhaps a daughter and son-in-law when they're visiting as Graham (hubby) isn't able to go out in the cold at night, plus he isn't walking steadily enough to walk on the ground in the dark. Daylight he's fine.

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

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