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Mystery Tracks..

26/12/2011

Here's a tracking mystery that's got us stumped - we're hoping someone might be able to help out...

These scratch marks were on a large old spotted gum (Corymbia maculata), leading from the base up to the top. They started to flake off a week ago as the tree began shedding bark - I wish I'd taken a photo before that happened.

They were either side of a large ridge that extended up the length of the tree trunk, about 30cm wide and 10cm deep.

It looked as though an animal with claws had climbed up, placing feet either side of the ridge as it climbed. The claw marks were mostly in groups of 2 - 3 (a fourth claw sometimes registering). The longest mark was almost 20cm long.

So, I'm having a hard time thinking of an animal that would be heavy enough to leave claw marks that deep. And lots of those marks were long - it was slipping a lot as it climbed. Something not so comfortable climbing a tree..?

I've seen large goannas climb trees and barely leave any trace at all - little gouges at most.

It seems too big and heavy for a feral cat, no? (It might be hard to see in the photo, but the claws often went 2-3 mm into the bark) I've heard they can get scary big, but that big?

Any other suggestions?

If it would help, I can post a photo of the tree itself. Though it's hard to see where the marks were, now that the bark has flaked off.

Thanks!

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Ode to Orchids

24/12/2011

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Aren't these orchid flowers amazing? They're known as Hyacinth orchids (Didpodium spp.) and they've been coming out for the past few weeks in the forest here at Bluegum HQ.

What a blessing, when the northern hemisphere is struggling to find two green leaves to rub together, to find these gorgeous flowers in the bush!

I was feasting my eyes on these flowers when realised that the stalk they grow from doesn't have any leaves. Nothing. Just a single stem rising from the ground, and the flowers themselves. I wondered whether the leaves grew at a different time of year - otherwise how could the plant photosynthesise and make food for itself?

I looked them up in a field guide and found no mention of leaves, at any time of year.

Then, in another book, I saw they were described as 'saprophytic' and wondered if that was a clue...

Thank God for wikipedia, which told me that a saprophyte is a plant that gets its food from decomposing organic matter in the soil (usually in symbiosis with a fungus), rather than from the sun's rays.

How cool! I thought. And the even cooler thing is that these orchids are so good at obtaining food this way, they are able to store the excess in long tubers packed with starchy carbohydrate. Now, as anyone who has lived on bush tucker for any length of time will tell you, carbs in the bush are worth their weight in gold. So knowing about these orchids could really come in handy and even save your life in a survival situation.

Of course, these plants are protected and it's absolutely against the law to pick them, unless your life depended on it. But good to know, nonetheless. And they were a staple in the diet of many Aboriginal mobs in the areas where they were abundant.

Right now, I'm just happy to feast on their beauty.

Speaking of which, Happy Feasting to all you folk out there this holiday.

If you haven't already, check out our Tribal Gathering (Jan 16 -18th) in the 'Family' section.

And stand by for news of our upcoming series of Rewild group workshops in March 2012.

Happy Holidays from the Bluegum Mob!

These Dipodium orchids are often found at the base of large eucalypts, like you can see in the backrgound

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Tracking Challenge - the easier one

18/12/2011

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Recognising this pair of tracks will be fairly to easy to many people.

But ask yourself - would you still be able to pick the species if you had only seen the track on the right-hand side of the photo?

How about from a distance?

While walking?

It's good to pay attention to the easier tracks - the ones we know we can see, as opposed to the ones we are pretty sure we can see.

The more clear print tracks we pay attention to, the clearer the search image we build in our minds. And having a clear, strong search image is a huge part of being able to track effectively.

Think about something you know really well. The face of a family member, for instance, or your favourite song. Because you have a such a clear brain pattern linked to that face, or that melody, you can still recognise it instantly even when you only have a partial match.

For example, it only takes the first few notes of that song for you to recognise it, and you can spot a family member out of the corner of your eye in a crowded room.

Of course to get a really clear search image for tracking animals, we really need to examine the animal itself. And not just once, but may times. It's partly why you often see people in indigenous cultures paying rapt attention to a newly killed animal - touching it, stroking it, moving its feet and limbs and really focusing their attention.

There is gratitude and reverence in their actions, and there is also the ever ravenous, ever questioning, curiosity of the tracker.

And by the way - if you were sure you recognised those tracks, how can you tell which species it is?

Not to mention the myriad other questions we could ask;

How fast was it moving?
When were those tracks left?
How old? How healthy? What gender? and on and on and on..

And, initially, we ask those questions not so as to answer every one of them but to open our minds, our awareness to absorb more and more of the track.

We ask, seeking to make our search image as rich, as subtle, as complex, as real as the thing we are tracking.

a tracker is a scholar of that which is real

Hmm. Maybe there's no such thing as an easy track after all...

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My Feathered Mate

16/12/2011

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I was walking through the forest the other day, when I spooked bird from a tree nearby. I caught a glimpse as it disappeared into the bush, and I realised I'd just seen a fledgling bird of some kind (a young bird who'd just left the nest).

There were a few reasons why I thought it was a young 'un. Firstly, it waited until the last minute before it flew off. That's something that birds do if they are ground-dwellers and rely on camouflage to keep safe. Even then, they only move if they think they've definitely been spotted or are about to be trodden on. But this bird was at my head height and I hadn't seen it at all! In fact, I was moving away from it when it decided to bolt. So I had a feeling this guy was a bit of an amateur when it came to hiding.

Secondly, I just had enough time to make out a fluffy head that didn't look like any of the birds I'd expect to see in our area. Another clue pointing to a young bird - they often look outlandish and much fluffier than adults.

Thirdly, the bird didn't fly far. Just far enough to get out of view. And it was on a downward trajectory. I got the feeling it wasn't all that comfortable with flying. It could have been an injured bird, but it didn't seem like it was in pain - just that it was a bit flummoxed.

I gently made my way toward where I'd heard it land and this is what I saw. (Isn't its camouflage good? It's in the middle of the photo..)

I've noticed that juvenile birds will often tolerate the presence of other animals and birds, more than the adults will. Especially if those other animals or birds are behaving in non-threatening ways. (This goes for other species too - an adolescent lace monitor climbed up on top of me once when I lay down next to him.)

So, projecting as benign a presence as I could, I slowly approached the young kooka. I stayed low, and avoided direct eye contact - in fact I took time to look around me, as though I too were looking out for predators. I relaxed myself and made soothing noises.

And it let me get this close:

And then, after a bit of a chat about this and that, we decided we were mates...

And you know the funny thing?

We hung out for ages - I've no idea how long exactly; I was too busy whispering sweet nothings and thanking my lucky stars - but after a while the parents came back with food and started calling out, 'Where are ya? Who's that you're talking to?' and so I said my goodbyes and got up to leave...

Which was when I heard a noise from nearby - a bleating squawk - and looked round to see that my mate's brother or sister had been hanging out not four metres away the whole time, without moving or making a sound!

(my mate is at left, bro/sis is on a branch in the middle of the pic)

So there you go. That was my kookaburra blessing/lesson.

Thanks for reading!

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Tracking Challenge - Dec 2011

6/12/2011

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(close up pics below)

Hi,

A whole lot of people have been asking when the next tracking challenge will appear - so here it is. Enjoy!

Thanks for pestering us; things have been hectic here and sometimes it's helpful to get a prod (or several :) to remind us.

Lee was lucky enough to watch these tracks being made, and we'll be impressed if anyone can say what species made them, or what the sequence of events was.

Don't worry if it looks difficult - just give it your best shot.

(For size reference, it's the rear windscreen of a car, in case that isn't obvious.)

We'll also be posting an easier tracking challenge soon - for folks who are new to tracking.

And remember, all entries qualify you for a chance to win a Mora 'Clipper' carbon-steel Swedish bushcraft knife. They're the business.

We look forward to hearing from you. Have fun!

blue skies,

the Bluegum Mob

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Echidna Encounter

1/12/2011

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We came across an echidna the other day, as it trundled across the road. We stopped to make sure it didn't get hit by any cars and it took a liking to Beth's ankles. (Which actually wasn't as painful as it looks, luckily :c)

The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is found in pretty much every Australian bio-region, from the cold Aussie Alps, to the arid Outback. So wherever you live, there are almost certainly echidnas in the bush near you. I've seen echidnas nearly every time I've visited the Royal National Park (just south of Sydney), as long as the weather was warm enough. When you're walking through the bush, listen out for their rustling through the undergrowth. They eat mostly termites and ants, but it also other insects.

They usually try digging themselves into the ground if they can't get away in time, and it's a surprisingly effective defense. They're good at gripping the ground with their claws and they can jab outwards with their spines if touched.

Just think: this animal knows how to stay safe and find food wherever it goes. When the weather gets too cold, it just hunkers down somewhere sheltered and goes to sleep. Talk about living the Dream! As with all animals, echidna can teach us a whole lot about bushcraft.

This young echidna hung out with us for a bit, and then decided we weren't trying to eat him, and waddled away into the bush. He (or she) was pretty camera shy, but you can just about see the eyes peering out in this pic below:

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Mystery Tracks..

Ode to Orchids

Tracking Challenge - the easier one

My Feathered Mate

Tracking Challenge - Dec 2011

Echidna Encounter

by the Bluegum Family

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