Wild life.

 Soon we will be going back to beach-side living.  Our choice. We missed the natural environment - wild life and beach walks in particular. Now we we have less than two weeks left before we move, and what happens? Wild life. Last night and today it was this fellow - a tawny frogmouth owl - who didn't seem the least bit phased by Mr Sunshine walking up to his fence with the bins or me getting up close with my camera.

 The second picture is a sleepy-eyed daytime photo. I think he was being hassled by some feral mynah birds. I hope he makes them pay when he is out hunting tonight. He is gorgeous, but today while we were out for a walk along the riverbank (not something that we have had many opportunities to do unfortunately) we saw something even more exciting.

For the first time, after nearly 30 years in Townsville, I spotted a crocodile in the river. To be honest, I thought at first that I had spotted a log looking very like a croc. I had just said to Mr Sunshine that it would make my day to see a croc, when, almost immediately I spotted the eyes and nostrils protruding from the water. I couldn't believe my luck - really couldn't believe it. So I walked closer to the riverbank to be sure, thinking Mr Sunshine's skepticism will be correct as usual. We got within a few metres when the croc smoothly and quickly submerged and took off. It was one of those jaw-dropping, stop-breathing, pupil-dilating moments. It did make my day!

If you are wondering about the state of my survival instinct because I walked to the riverbank near a crocodile, I have to confess, he was a freshwater crocodile. They are much smaller and more timid than their big saltwater cousins. The distance between his nostril and his eyes was about 30 cm if you want Mr Sunshine's estimate, or 40 cm if you trust me. He was probably less than 2 m long from nose to tail tip.

 I hope I get to blog about a saltwater croc one of these days, but I won't be standing on the edge of the riverbank to get a close-up photo for anyone.

I don't usually worry, but. . .

Remember this post with the pic of the boys having a carefree play in the stinger enclosure. Here's a recent picture (plus story) of the very same singer enclosure. Not so carefree as we would have hoped after all.
I've always kept a careful eye on the water when we swim in the sea because crocs are a possibility, although their habitat is supposed to be the river estuaries. That is why they are called estuarine crocodiles, although most people these days just call them 'salties'. The possibility of a croc or two inside the enclosure puts a whole different complexion on things. Even a small one would be deadly to a child. Our estuarine crocodiles are extremely dangerous and aggressive when hungry. They also grow to a huge size and have been measured at over 6 metres (20feet) long.
We have another croc species. The freshwater crocodile (or Johnstone River Crocodile) which is a much smaller, shyer and less dangerous animal. It eats turtles and fish in northern rivers, but it isn't native to our part of the country.
One thing is for sure, we'll be swimming in swimming pools in future and maybe give the beach a miss.