Ant business

Near the bird table I noticed a pile of what appeared to be sawdust at the base of a tree. It was. Although a dusting rather than a pile.

In a crack a metre or so up the trunk were many black ants (no idea of the species), working hard at bringing out crumbs of tree that they’d dug from inside, and dropping them to the ground.

I’ll try to replace the ants’ picture with a better one but it might be a while before they’re working so feverishly again – I took this one a few hours before we had three days of rain.

Benefits

The burnt paddock next door is greening-up nicely, and the kangas (Eastern Grey, Macropus giganteus) are arriving for the best new shoots in the area. Because there’s now no cover on the paddock they hang out under my trees between meals.

Habitat

There wasn’t much habitat loss and none in the high-conservation-value area by the creek. However one of my back-fence neighbours has asked to “clean up” on my side of the fence and others might follow. This will involve removing fallen logs and is not a good thing.

But talking about habitat and fallen logs gives an excuse to post this photo. This particular small piece of habitat no longer exists.

and speaking of echidnas …

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s where the bulldozer went up the hill …

… and where it came down again. It continued up to the start of my driveway.

 

 

 

Missing?

There was a small community of Black Rock Skinks (Egernia saxatilis intermedia) living in  fallen logs which are now non-existent or heavily burned. These are quite large for small skinks, about 100mm plus tail, although nowhere near the size of blue-tongue lizards, which are also skinks.

And I would post one of my fabulous photos of black rock skinks if I could find them. Until I do, here’s where they lived, in the trunk and branches of a big fallen tree.

Below is roughly the same place on 15 March (you might or might not be able to see a tinge of green in the burnt grass), but I think the bulldozer must have moved the logs around.

Another pair of before-and-afters from roughly the same spot, this time facing the creek, down the winter drainage line. Dull pics but an interesting part of the property, both dry and wet. I’ll try to remember to keep taking photos from this spot.

In the ‘after’ photo you can see where the bulldozer crossed the creek and extended the firebreak up the hill on the neighbouring farm. (If you click and enlarge.)