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A grey evening. A walk with a friend down to the lake through the spotted gum forest and up to the headland. A stroll along the low-tide beach to the sand-stairs back to my village. And then her sharp eyes, breaking through our chatter: “Look!”
We stood on the sandy track, looking, for ten minutes, as the echidna snuffled in the sand, among the dune wattles, unconcerned by our presence. Snout appearing. Back retreating. And then across the track, leathery feet emerging from the gold-tipped spines. Leaving faint claw marks. Continuing to snuffle. Then disappearing.
And us, home to dinner.
Nice find. I’ve never seen an echidna in the wild.
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I’ve seen one beside the road: one burrowing down in the bush to escape the dog: one walking practically over my foot while I was raking up leaves: a huge one amongst fallen tombstones in a graveyard. But I didn’t expect one on the beach. I have to acknowledge other people’s eyes spotting this one! I’d have passed him / her by.
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