In Darwin , dragonflies , regarded as heralding the arrival of the dry season, have been seen in squadrons . Not welcome are cane toads , killed in large numbers in the rural area .
In North Queensland , bees, bumblebees , butterflies and birds , it seems , are out in droves . In Cairns , the waterfront Pelicans , feeling the cold , are not observing social distancing .
Dare it be mentioned that bats , as usual, are very evident in Cairns , as shown by photograph of them frequent flying in tight formation .
A Darwin resident with a quirky imagination , keen on home cooking , suggested that during the lockdown somebody should have written a souvenir Cairns Survival Cook Book making use of bats and other locally available ingredients from Rusty's Market . A typical recipe , he suggested, would read something like this : First, take net on extended pole , lean out apartment window, catch numerous passing bats ...!!!!!
In Townsville and on nearby Magnetic Island , many trees in blossom , there are insects and birds galore . Vallis , a regular contributor to this blog , has been blazing away with his camera, particularly chasing busy bees and larger bumblebees .
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Bee homing in on blossoms .
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Butterflies have long caused Vallis to regularly gallop about with the camera, disturbing dogs and worrying neighbours.The canopy of some trees on the island are alive with butterflies and moths, attracting a variety of feeding birds . Butterflies were evident on walking tracks at the weekend .
Vallis pauses every so often to photograph a wasp or two, including the following one which appeared to turn itself into Jiminy Cricket before buzzing off .
