LADY DIANE UNKNOWINGLY RUNNING SECRET CRECHE

Shipping Reporter exclusive

The American built  luxury cruiser Lady Diane  is being used  as a  daytime crèche  by Welcome Swallows who leave their youngsters  tucked  away near  the stern of the  vessel, soaking  up  the sun, on  Magnetic Island .

 

Swank Lady Diane Romper Room  for  fine  feathered  kids.

WATERFRONT ACTION CAPTURED

Shipping Reporter comes  ashore with a kitbag of  yarns and exclusive  photographs  as  Townsville Bulletin  resumes  chasing  P3 girls  on  The  Strand .

 

Odyssey returning  from  a short wander .

Surely worthy of P3 coverage in The Bulletin  is  this view of workers , some in the water, one possibly a female , repairing  the  much  used  boat  ramp  near  the Townsville  ferry  terminal .  One of the Ghost Fleet vessels in  port at the same time was the oil and chemical tanker Sti Leblon , sailing under  the  Marshall Islands flag, Thinking  the name  may have a French derivation related to les  blondes, possible P3 subjects for the Bully on   The Strand  ,  our waterfront  roundsman , the only one north of the Great Australian Bight ,  punched the   name  into Google for a meaning   and received an off - putting result. STI, it seems , is an abbreviation  for a sexually transmitted infection , which  obviously  has  nothing to do with  the  tanker .   

Upcoming  Shipping Reporter scoop , with pics : Stowaways on luxury vessel .  

AN ABUNDANCE OF WINGED WONDERS IN TROPICS

From  the Northern Territory   to North Queensland  our correspondents  report an  explosion  of   nature.

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 . 

Bee homing in on blossoms .

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 .

 

 

GHOST FLEET BURNS RUBBER

Accompanied by a pilot boat , heading out to sea, this is  the bulk carrier  Southgate, sailing  under the Liberian flag,  a member of the  Ghost Fleet  which  passes in  and out of  the Port of  Townsville  without mainland  media coverage . The  photograph was  taken by our Shipping Reporter who   was paddling  about  Cleveland Bay in  the leaky office coracle  at the time. He claims he  was   nearly  rundown  by  a V8 yacht as it  suddenly zoomed up on the scene  and challenged   the  large cargo  ship  and  the  pilot  to  a  race . 

Soon after , our waterfront  reporter  had  to dodge out of  the  way of  a cruiser in a hurry , heading  towards  Magnetic Island .

HELIPAD HELIOGRAPHY

 

 

 

 

 

Flight of  fancy on  Magnetic  Island  by Vallis .

WALLABIES EMULATE ROCK OF GIBRALTAR

Shipping  Reporter   Oddity 

As this  car ferry brought visitors from Townsville   to Magnetic Island at the beginning  of  the  eased  movement  restrictions ,  a  canoe  seen on the roof rack of one vehicle , the  island's  equivalent  to the Barbary  apes of Gibraltar, the many rock wallabies, were rehearsing an unexpected welcoming performance .   

At the viewing   platform  at the  end of  the  walkway  from the ferry terminal to the rocky arm  at the entrance to the harbour , where  the  wallabies abound , the path  had   been  decorated  with  chalk  drawings  and  included a large   message : HAVE  A  GREAT  DAY !

The wallabies were out in force, one carrying a  baby in its pouch , attracted  to  food  spread  about  as  a  special  weekend  treat .  

 

In the following photo it was a case of  where's Wally junior ? He  had apparently hopped out of  the confines of  the  protective  pouch  and   gone  walkabout .

WHAT BIRD IS THAT?

Cockatoos, Curlews, Crows , Lorikeets , Sunbirds, Rainbow Bee-eaters and Friarbirds  are  just some of  the visitors  that  drop  in  without notice. In recent days there  have  been  some  hard  to identify strangers  which  have  caused  this  old  bird to leaf  through Neville W. Cayley's   What Bird  Is That , Jo Wieneke's Birds Of Magnetic Island  and  another  she edited, Birds of Townsville and  Where to Find Them .

 The above  newcomer  was  identified as  a  Forest  Kingfisher , the   white  spot or " headlight "  near  the  eye distinguishing  it  from other  kingfishers . It breeds in hollow trees or cavities  in termite mounds . Proud as Punch is the daring bird below, thought to be a Figbird,  stealing a  nut  from a bunch which  the noisy  Cockatoos  had  claimed  as  one of  their  exclusive  takeaways  during  the  lockdown.