Tuesday, September 16, 2008

"Echidna"

I have 2 weeks from today until my driving test. I am currently on my "L" plates but will hopefully to be on my red "P" plates soon.
This afternoon I was out practicing for my exam (I'm still not very good reverse parking). As I was driving along, I nearly claimed my first road kill.

This cheeky little fella was walking along the roadside - isn't she/he so cute! I flicked on my hazard lights, pulled over and slowed traffic to make sure this little fella wasn't going to get run over.

The road that I was driving along was next to the rail line. The echidna had made it's way over the road to the railway fence. I wanted to make sure the echidna was safe before I left it. It was on sunset and getting dark quickly but I was happy with photos I took. I wanted to get a close up of its spines but it was too dark for my camera to focus for macro properly and the echidna wasn't going to stick around for photos!

Katie and her brothers thought it was exciting. It was the first time they had seen an echinda in the wild. I love that I have this amazing wildlife on my door step but I'm not looking forward to encounters with snakes (especially the red-belly and the brown snakes!). Well, I don't mind the diamond pythons - I have seen them in the wild before, if you call sunning themselves in the middle of the road the wild..... :-)

More info on echidnas ..... http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?id=4796

12 comments:

Toria said...

Oh wow, how exciting. We've encountered them further west, like Mudgee, but I didn't know they were in the Mountains as well. Good luck with your driving test - I was about 30 when I finally got my license and from memory my first real success with reverse parking only came on the morning on the test!

COLLEEN said...

It is so exciting when we encounter new wildlife isn't it. Of course we would never encounter an echidna on the side of the road here in Canada, but we did encounter a snapping turtle once coming back from camping that had the same effect on us.
:-)

Mette (Mettuska) said...

Oh, good that she/he survived =)
I´m keeping my thumbs up for you to get your driver licence. I got mine when I was pregnant (third child), one week before he was born =D

Suse said...

It always makes me laugh when I read how echidnas are 'shy' and wary of humans.

Every echidna I've met couldn't give a hoot who's following it or taking photos of it or squealing with joy over it! Glad you didn't run him over!

Jacqueline said...

well sounds like you will pass your test with no probs with that kind of skillful traffic management! It REALLY upsets me when I see road kill - we passed six on our way home from Canberra. Poor little things. So glad you saved this little fella and the kids got a close up of him. It is a gift to live so close to all these critters but like you, I live in fear of encountering a brown snake even though I grew up near bush and came home from school once to a red belly under the coffee table at a friend's house. It wasn't in a hurry to leave!! Good luck with your test too!

Mama Randa Morning Glory said...

ooooohhhh it's so cute!

I recently saw a live skunk for the first time--- i was so excited! I've seen them dead on the side of the road but never alive. They are very cute creatures.

herhimnbryn said...

Aren't they amazing creatures? Bumbling along, ignoring all us humans!
Great pics.
Thankyou for the kind comment you left over at my blog and for linking it on your side bar , I am very honoured.

Julie said...

So glad this little spiky one was ok. How cool are you, slowing the traffic for this wee ones safe journey. I am yet to learn to drive, but plan to soon and find your efforts very inspiring.:)

Blossom said...

oh how lovely.
we have seen a rabbit,a fox and a kangeroo near us.but no echidnas!!!

Nicole and Andrew said...

i have seen a couple up here but even more out at lithgow & mudgee
good luck with your driving test.
i dont drive so no idea about reverse parking

Lynne said...

I've never seen an echidna in the wild but then, we live in suburbia! WM's never seen one either and you know where he works!

Good luck with the driving test. DD got hers three weeks ago -hurrah!

Mama Randa Morning Glory said...

Oh! So cute!

My 5 year old son is a big fan of Australian snakes (although he has no first hand experience!) The King Brown and Common Brown are often mentioned by him in passing conversation.

I recently saw my first live skunk. I have wanted to see one for a while now but have only ever seen dead ones by the road : ( When I finally saw it I got so excited and had to call a few people from the car. Now I'd like to see skunk babies-- they've gotta be some of the cutest creatures!