wallaroos

Wallaroo couple

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The longhairs of the macropods around here are the Wallaroos. I have always had one small family or a couple here, and they prefer the rocky edges, usually only coming close to drink at the dam. But lately the couple have been grazing near the fence line.

The female is pale grey and stocky, with a rather doglike face — an amiable mongrel sort of dog.
Her male partner is the real standout — bigger and beefier, with long dark shaggy ‘hair’. He also has the doglike face, and perhaps the very long fur helps this impression. Much more wary than his wife, he stopped mid-munch at the sight of me.
Drawing himself erect to show his broad chest and powerful shoulders, he soon took off into the treeline to hide from me. I don’t know if he had told her to follow or sent a warning, but she stayed put and kept eating. Was she smarter or just stubborn?

Marsupial resort

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lone kangarooApart from the many Eastern red-necked wallabies, I share my place with small groups of other hoppy marsupials.

Only a few wallaroos come by, usually a small family trio, but this male has been hanging about the little dam on his own lately.

I wonder if he’s grown up and been asked to move out? As you can see, he doesn’t seem at all bothered by me and in fact lay down and went to sleep while I was there.

So I think he must have been raised around here to be so used to me and my behaviour.

Unmistakable with his long shaggy fur and broader features, he is not as dark all over as the males usually are, while the females are pale grey. It will be interesting to see if he changes.
kangaroos sunning
Later, after the sun had come out, I spotted a family of kangaroos sunbathing and snoozing at the same spot on the grassy bank.

Clearly a popular resort: for the food and drink, the water views and the entertainment of watching me go about my strange business in the house yard just up the hill.