HAIL STORMS

Ali (the silver streak) in shelter

Hail on my favourite lounging around spot.  I hid over in the trees in the background when this came on

During the recent storm season we had a hail storm which sent all the critters scurrying for cover.  Ali aka "the silver streak" a red necked wallaby, raced up to the shelter in her old pen.  Here's a photo of her now.  We kangas, just hunkered down in amongst the tall trees.

BABY JOEY NEWS - NEW JOEY COMING

BABY JOEY NEWS - NEW JOEY COMING

Tamba in her dustbowl note bulgy pouch

Tamba has a pinky joey in her pouch.  She has been very secretive about it and D first got suspicious a few weeks ago, when there was much cleaning and inspecting of her pouch going on.  Now she lies about in the dust bowls she likes to create (whilst I lie on the deck!) to keep the irritating insects at bay.  We can spot the tiny thing wriggling in the pouch. 

Yarra on You Tube

I have posted a video on You Tube of the brown headed honey eaters collecting fur lining for their nests. These little honeyeaters nest high in the eucalypt canopy.
Click on this link below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFdhL8lrchk&feature=endscreen&NR=1 

Mate In Temp pen

January end - Cripes more joeys. Carer Annette from Arakoon, arrived a few days ago with Roley and Pip two red necked wallabies.  Roley got his name as he was always falling out of his pouch, when he was tiny.  They are really sweet, friendly and healthy.
Blow me down D and G have decided to accept two more a swamp wallaby joey and another red necked joey.  This is crazy.  That will be 7, don't know how the morning and evening feeds will go. They don't have that many hands.
They've decided, these are the last newbies now as they are going adventuring in May and these littlies will have to be released before they go which is a tight timetable.  The housesitters will take over and it should all run very smoothly.

JANUARY 26, 2012  Australia Day dawned wet, gusty and all the celebrations for the Valley have been cancelled.
Not that we the macropods could care less.
D and G have just accepted yet more joeys.  In December we were joined, (well in the pens, that is)by three eastern grey babies,
Merinda from Collombatti, a neighbour nearly, whose Mum was killed by dogs; luckily she wasn't but, her shoulder was dislocated and Carol - her carer at the time had to carry out lots of physio on her tiny little body.  Shea the wonderful vet worked her magic,and Merinda survived.  Although, she did spend some time on heat pads etc.She also had trouble with her tail which was permanently curled to the right.  Now that she's a happy little hoppy, her tail is lovely and straight, and she nearly can hop without wobbling.  She's gaining weight fast and nearly has her lazy toilet habits under control.  Can now get out of her pouch to toilet.  D is so thrilled, saves on so much laundry.
Mate - a pouch buddy, who's a gorgeous creamy colour, also a Collombatti kanga, whose Mum was shot, progressed really well until one particularly wet and windy night, when the ringtail possum raiders (mum with joey on back) popped by to steal some pellets from the joeys, and spooked them all.  Mate went into shock and next morning, when G went to feed the wamberoo, he was listless and hunched up.  D was at the pool swimming laps, stopped to catch her breath and heard the phone ringing.  Jumped out only to learn of this, bolted to the car and home.  Diagnosis - Mate had coccidiosis - prognosis - usually fatal.  Luckily not, but only after careful nursing, a faecal float, by Shea the vet, and doses of antibitoics and Coccivet @ 10 times the normal preventative rate and super hydrating, pushing fluids, he survived. Eureka.
Bro the other pouch buddy.  Such a gorgeous snuggly little bloke, his Mum was killed in a vehicle collision, also a Collombatti boy.  Pretty scary out this way.  Also alovely creamy colour. His progress has been uneventful.  They all weight around 4.5kgs now.  D ill post photos soon.

More new babies

Its coming up to Xmas now and the weather is still scary and stormy - although its the lunar eclips around midnight.  That's a new experience for us, the young joeys.  D has just released little Ali our newest red necked wallaby, who now weighs in at 7kg.  We now have no joeys in care. We spend all our days lazing about the house, on the deck or grazing on the grass. D hopes well move away soon, as we bring a good supply of mozzies and the bitey march flies, great big horsefly looking creatures.
Next weekend three more joeys will be arriving from our Macropod co-ordinator.  They are Eastern Greys and there are two little boys Mate and Bro and Mindy the smallest is a girl.  It will be good to have more for the mob.
We had a visit from Chloe our last released Swamp Wallaby, she looked fat and well groomed and healthy.