The Ascent
Short Beaked Echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus
By Charles Davis
THIS was my second day following echidna tracks in the snow. I had searched all the previous day, following the funny little footprints up the hill, down the hill, left, right, up, down and repeat.
Echidnas never follow a set path, they follow their noses and go where the smells take them. I had skied many kilometres already and ended the day with cute little footprints leading into a hole. Knowing that the echidna would not surface again until the sun had emerged, I skied home in the dark slightly let down.
The next day I picked up where I left off confident that I could again pick up the trail. Sure enough, 200 meters higher up the face of the slope, I could see a small dark creature ascending the steep snow.
I was not sure why the echidna was still heading higher above the tree line. They are a creature that loves to wonder, and this was the best example I had ever seen.
I wasted no time in skirting wide around the echidna so as not to spook it.
Once I was high enough up above it and in line with its current path, I started to slowly slide down the slope on my stomach so as not to crunch the windblown snow underneath me. Once in position, I just had to wait as the echidnas’ short little legs struggled through the deep snow towards me.
I clicked off a few shots until it finally reached me, it then stopped and raised its nose high into the air. I had seen echidna do this before, it could not see me or hear me, but it could smell me. It only looked up the hill though as if to say, yes, I can smell you. I am still going up there and you can't stop me.
That is exactly what it did, as soon as I took this image it made its escape higher up the mountain.
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Each edition of the Snowy Mountains Magazine starting in May 2021 you can read the story behind one of Charles Davis’ great animal snow pictures. You can also follow Charles on Instagram and Facebook plus visit his new Cooma gallery.
Read the Guthega Wombat story in 2021 Snow Holiday Edition
Read the Icy Kangaroo story in August edition.
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Charles Davis Gallery Location
The old Uniting Church, 185 Sharp St, Cooma.
Check opening times.
