Caught In The Act

It's full dark now, but half an hour ago there was still just enough light to safely navigate myself over to the property line [ about 100 metres ] to investigate whatever it was causing Bear to:

a] go absolutely troppo, barking his head off and doing that stiff legged bounce that all small dogs seem to do when confronting an intruder
and
b] completely ignore the fact that I, his adoptive parental unit and pack-leader was demanding he come inside.

I'm kinda glad that I struggled into the boots and went over to retrieve the annoying barking thing, because otherwise I would've missed seeing this little girl/guy.

He/she/or it was huddled in a ball with all extremities pulled in and head buried,
presumably trying to convince Bear to disappear.
Well, of course I hadn't taken the camera with me, so I raced back to the house - as much as one can race in failing light over uneven, rocky terrain - with Bear complaining and struggling under my arm, and returned sans canine and with the camera, fully expecting that the echidna would have already disappeared.
Nope.
Just as I'd left it.
It pulled its head out a couple of times, caught some glimpse of me and promptly dived its snout back into the leaf litter [ if my face is hidden, you can't see me! ] so I retreated a bit and just put the camera on zoom.
That did the trick ...