Varanus varius (Tree Goanna, Lace Monitor). We were alerted by the frenzied screams of the Sacred Kingfishers. Their nest of several seasons, high in an Angophora, was under attack. While we quietly backed the birds, we did not (and could not) intervene.

The Sacred Kingfishers have successfully raised chicks in this same nest for many years. It seemed safe and inaccessible … a small opening, at the end of an overhanging branch. Yet despite the precarious location and the best efforts of both parents, the goanna was undeterred. It was a large lizard, the nest hole too small. But after about an hour of ripping and tearing at the surrounding bark, the marauder prevailed. We watched on as it swallowed all 3 chicks. The bereft parent birds left the forest within days, no doubt heading north – several weeks ahead of schedule.
[if you really want to see the action, Paul recorded the final moments in a short video - link to Vimeo]