Readers’ wildlife photos

We have some diverse photos by biologist Scott Ritchie from Cairns in Australia. Scott’s captions are indented and you can enlarge his photos by clicking on them. Scott’s Facebook page, on which he posts many photos, is here.

I have one batch of photos left, so send ’em if you got ’em. Thanks!  Scott’s text:

I had promised Phil Venables that I would get him in for on Cheynes Beach, WA [Western Australia], so here it is! What a great spot for landscapes, plants and wildlife! Mammals, from the small (Honey Possum) to the huge (S. Right Whale). And I managed to photograph 1 of the 3 skulking birds, the Western Bristlebird. Here are some of my favourites images.

The plants and the landscapes were brilliant. A must visit area:

From the large (Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis)…

. . . to the small (Honey Possum, Tarsipus rostratus, feeding on Waratah Banksia, Banksia coccinea):

. . . to the creepy…This huge skink snuck out from under the cabin and bit my wife’s foot!

. . . . and the beautiful (Waratah Banksia)…

Cheynes Beach has them all!:

First cute. I was fortunate to get get shots of this small Honey Possum feeding on the Waratah Banksia during the 1st light of dawn:

This small marsupial comes out at dusk and feeds on nectar and pollen through wee hours of dawn:

Mouse like:

With a very long tongue for nectar:

During our 1st sundowners, we saw a SR Whale breech!:

Two days later we discovered that they came just off shore at Tourist Rocks. They basically wallowed around like giant pigs. But I do like the cloud reflections on the whales back.:

Birds enjoyed the banksia too. A White-cheeked Honeyeater [Phylidonyris niger] getting ready for flight:

And chased each other around the banksias:

But the larger Western Wattlebirds [Anthochaera lunulata] chased them, and any bird that landed on a banksia flower:

A male Red-winged Fairywren [Malurus elegans] used old banksia cones as a lookout post:

The typical pose and photo of the Western Bristlebird [Dasyornis longirostris] as it runs down the sand trail:

He stopped just long enough to me to get this shot. Thanks for thinking of me:

The grass yards of the cabins attracted birds. I was lucky to get a nice close-up of a Brown Quail [Synoicus ypsilophorus]:

And a Common Bronzewing [Phaps chalcoptera] at dusk: