I took a walk around Tidbinbilla Sanctuary after 6pm, hoping to see some of the furry animals as well as birds.


First, there were lots of White-naped Honeyeaters.


White-naped Honeyeater by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

While staring up at the trees, I nearly stepped on a Southern Brown Bandicoot.


Southern Brown Bandicoot by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

Further on, some Sulphur-crested Cockatoos were clearing the seeds off wattles.


Sulphur-crested Cockatoo by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

The resident Little Pied Cormorant just thought it was a bit of a yawn.


What a yawn by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

Something surprised this lot up into a tree.


Three Musketeers by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

One of the Platypus enjoyed a crayfish dinner.


Crayfish for Dinner by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

A Potoroo looked embarrassed to be seen. Those amazing front claws are used for digging up fungi.


Potoroo by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

It was cuddle time in the Koala enclosure.


Cuddles by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

Sleepy.



Sleepy time by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

When the sanctuary closed at 8pm, I took a drive to the tracking station. This wombat spotted me and decided to go back to bed.


Heading home by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

At the tracking station, the big dish was listening to the stars - when it isn't communicating with spacecraft, the big dish is used for radio astronomy. The small dish on the right is the one which received "one small step". It was relocated from Honeysuckle Creek to Tidbinbilla when the new tracking station was built.


Listening to the stars by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

After contemplating the universe for a minute or two, I headed home.

[ProfessorBuzz]

All those cute cuddly radio telescopes... makes me want to cuddle up to their feed horns.

[RobG]

All those cute cuddly radio telescopes... makes me want to cuddle up to their feed horns.

You'd need to get a job with CSIRO or NASA first. But you can see what they are doing on the DSN website.

[pichaser]

You use the lens very well sir.

[PJ1]

Beautiful series, Rob. That platypus image is a stand-out. Not many opportunities like that.

[angkymac]

An entrancing story in contemplation!
Nature, humans, and universe contemplated at the initiation of 2022--
Wonder what will be the reflection of it on 2023's initiation...
Good shooting!
Angky.

[MikeNArk]

What a wonderful way to kick off the new year. Excellent captures of the birds and animals living in the sanctuary, some that I've not seen and some that I have not even heard of. Very nice series captured in one day. Closing out with the radio astronomy site seems to be fitting, contemplating the present state and the future. Thanks for giving us a glimpse of you day. Makes me want to visit again.

[RobG]

You use the lens very well sir.

Thank you! In the interests of full disclosure, the last two of the tracking station and the wombat were taken with the HDDA*16-50 f2.8. I wish I'd had the big lens still on the camera for the Wombat, but he chose otherwise!

Beautiful series, Rob. That platypus image is a stand-out. Not many opportunities like that.

Thanks, true! I knew they ate crayfish but this is the first time I've seen it. Mostly they eat worms and grubs, which don't take long to crunch and swallow but he had to chew on the crayfish for a while!

An entrancing story in contemplation! Nature, humans, and universe contemplated at the initiation of 2022-- Wonder what will be the reflection of it on 2023's initiation...Good shooting!

Wow, thank you!

What a wonderful way to kick off the new year. Excellent captures of the birds and animals living in the sanctuary, some that I've not seen and some that I have not even heard of. Very nice series captured in one day. Closing out with the radio astronomy site seems to be fitting, contemplating the present state and the future. Thanks for giving us a glimpse of you day. Makes me want to visit again.

Thanks Mike! I really appreciate it! Tidbinbilla is primarily a deep space tracking site; it's the only one which can send commands to the Voyager spacecraft for example, and last night it was communicating with the new space telescope, as well as doing radio astronomy.