Night Heron at the small dam today

Today I had the second sighting of a young Nankeen Night Heron Nycticorax caledonicus at our small dam, that is amongst the trees behind our shed. The previous time I surprised it and it flew off the perch on a tree branch, some distance from me and I only had my phone, so the photo I took was poor quality and difficult for identification. However I thought it looked like an Australasian Bittern based on the colouring and markings. Today I had my camera with me and although I spooked it and again it flew to a branch in the same tree as previously I was able to get a better photo (not the best, as I was on full zoom and handheld)

 The markings are similar to the Australasian Bittern as this is a juvenile with very different plumage to the adult which has a black crown, with rufous upper body and a white belly and breast.

They range through most of Australia other than some of the desert regions, also New Zealand, New Caledonia, Micronesia, Philippines and some Pacific Islands.. As the name suggests they are active at night feeding around swamps, dams, rivers and creeks where frogs and night insects are their prey. During the day they roost in trees near the water sources

Scarlet Percher sunbathing by the pool

 A new dragonfly photo today when a Scarlet Percher landed on the stone edging of the pool, something that this species is known often prefer rather than on leaves and twigs.

The Scarlet Percher Diplacodes haematodes is a dragonfly which occurs throughout Australia (except Tasmania), Timor, New Guinea, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. It is locally common in hot sunny exposed sites near rivers, streams, ponds and lakes. The male has red eyes, face, thorax and abdomen and orange suffusions on the wing bases. There are no markings on the abdomen. The female has yellowish colouring with black markings.