HANGING OUT WITH THE FRUIT BATS

Thousands of fruit bats (Little Red Flying Foxes) came to visit Coco Creek in February 2008. They stayed for a month.

In the daytime they would hang upside down in the tall river oaks, squealing and squabbling amongst themselves. At dusk they would fly off silently into Wollemi National Park to feed on the nectar and pollen of flowering Bloodwood trees. Then before dawn they would fly back again to their roost at Coco Creek.

I tried to count them as they flew off one night, there were about ten thousand of them. After a month they all disappeared off somewhere else, don’t know where.

Flying foxes have a good sense of direction and they follow along water courses to find their way around.

Their favourite food is pollen and nectar from eucalpyt trees, although they sometimes do raid fruit orchards.

Do you know another name for a flying fox roost?

EASTER BUNNIES!

It's Easter and that mean lots of hot cross buns and chocolate! And sometimes you'll even find chocolate shaped in the form of a rabbit. Why? Because Easter is a celebration of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, a time when plants bloom and baby animals are born. Rabbits have lots and lots of babies so they are a symbol of spring and fertility and Easter time.

Rabbits are an introduced species in Australia but they like to drink at running streams too. They've got lovely soft fur.

What do you think we should have as a symbol of Easter in Australia, given that it is Autumn time for us?

Are you having an Easter egg hunt in your backyard? If so, let us know how many eggs you collect!

YABBY-DABBY-DOO

When you go yabbying you should always throw back yabbies with eggs or small yabbies. It helps preserve the species as they can breed or grow up to be caught again or feed a platypus. A yabbie's eggs are small black spheres underneath the tail. The yabbies will be trying to curl up their tail to protect their eggs.

1. What is the minimum size you should catch a yabby at?

2. Where do yabbies go when a dam or creek dries up?

ELVERS IS IN THE HOUSE!

This crazy creature is a baby eel, otherwise known as an elver. He and his buddies swim up running streams all along the east coast of Australia. But they never make it across the Great Dividing Range. It's too steep. And besides, they have to swim all the way back out to sea when they grow up into big eels.

So this means that there are elvers and eels in Running Stream, which flows east, but not in Cunninghams Creek which flows west, even though they are very close to each other. Incredible!

What other streams have eels in them?

COCO CREEK IN FLOOD

Last December Coco Creek in Capertee Valley came down in flood. Here is a picture of the raging torrent of water.

Sometimes in drought the creek is completely dry. Wombats have their burrows along the banks. Small fish and frogs live in the water and I once saw an eel. There are a few snakes, tortoises and echidnas around. Wallabies come to drink here.

Did you know that eels only live in running streams that connect to the ocean? Coco Creek runs into the Capertee River, which eventually connects to the Hawkesbury River, and then the ocean.

Do you know what baby eels are called?

HUNTER'S PUGGLE FACT FILE

Thanks to Hunter Forbes for this fantastic fact file!

It really is amazing to discover that the platypus lays eggs AND suckles its baby's with breast milk. No wonder the scientists refused to believe it at first.

And it's also incredible to think that they are venemous!

Does anyone know which ones are?

What part of this unique animal is venemous?

PIPPINELLA

We are getting lots of visits from a female king parrot who likes to drink from the nearby stream. We can tell she is a girl because of the lovely green feathers on her head (the male king parrot has a striking red head with green wings).

We have decided to name her Pippinella.

This was the name of the main character in the book 'Doctor Doolittle and the Green Canary' written by Hugh Lofting way back in 1924.

Pippinella had many adventures before she met Doctor Doolittle, a very kind man who could talk to animals. She told the good Doctor all about her amazing life's journey and in one chapter she recounts her time in a coal mine, just before she was rescued by a very wealthy lady. Click here to read it Green Canary 7.pdf

Of course, parrots are very different to canaries. They are much bigger, for a start, and like to climb about on branches whereas canaries don't. They also like to be handled if they are tamed. Female canaries do not sing the beautiful songs that parrots often do but Pippinnella was a rare exception to this rule.

Do you have king parrots in your garden?

Can you tell us anything about them?

WHAT IS A PUGGLE?

A puggle is the affectionate name given to a baby platypus.
It is also the name of a cross between a pug dog and a beagle.

These adorable puggles are twins.

What do you think their names should be?

WISHING YOU WELL

Did you know that there is a wishing well on Cherry Tree Hill? It is tucked in under the Castlereagh Highway and fresh water trickles into it from a nearby spring that seeps through the rocks.

Back in 1848 it was just a small hole dug out of the earth to provide water for thirsty people crossing this part of the Great Dividing Range by horse and cart. In 1879 the well was enlarged to provide water "for man and beast".

What sort of men and beasts do you think might have drunk from this well?

We wish the wishing well well and hope it continues to be clean and healthy!

What is your wish?

MEET SWEETIE

Sweetie is a long-necked tortoise. Isn't she cute?! She was found on the road in Clandulla where she was in danger of being squashed! So we rescued her and released her back into the wild in Gang Gang Gully.

Where do you think she is now? Did she go up to the spring that feeds this stream on the top of Mt. Vincent? Or did she go downstream to Carwell Creek and on into the Cudgegong River?

Question #1: What towns does the Cudgegong River flow through?

Question #2: Is the water fresher upstream or downstream?

LISTEN TO THE RUNNING STREAM

Click here to hear Coco Creek trickling through the Capertee Valley (the 2nd largest river valley in the world after the Grand Canyon!).

You can also hear some of the creatures that live here:

1. Pobblebonk frogs

2. Fantailed Cuckoos

Vicky Powys recorded these sounds on her property and she says; "There are river oaks along the creek and a natural rocky habitat. Hope it stays that way."

Thanks Vicki!

WHAT DO PLATYPUS LOVE?

Running Streams!

Amazing fact #1:

Platypus lay eggs and suckle their young. This makes them one of only two families of monotremes in the world!

Question #1:

What is the other monotreme?

Question #2:

What can't you do in this running stream?