A small miscellany of natural things

Or, a miscellany of small natural things.

On returning from a large run yesterday I found a small bird perched on a moderate -sized basket outside our laundry door.
This Red-browed Finch had clearly found it rather difficult to traverse our closed window and was a bit concussed (note white evidence to rear of bird).  After a photo we left it to recover (assuming that the local Currawongs wouldn't come that close to a house) and 5 minutes later it had gone.

The next couple of shots are of insects on flowers. basically included because they look pretty!  The first is obviously a bee, and I believe the second is a true bug, which following Denis' comment below I now believe to be an Assassin Bug.

I also turned over some rocks to see what was underneath.  From the overall shape this looks pretty much like a cockroach..... 
.
... and I assume it has not been out from under its rock enough to develop colour.

A quite high proportion (perhaps 20%) of the rocks I turned over had scorpions underneath them.  This was the biggest specimen.
Of course I applied Tanzanian Beach-combers rules "Always turn a rock so that it is between you and whatever is underneath it".    The scorpions are one justification for that.  The 25cm Eastern Brown Snake also found was another.   Unfortunately it didn't hang around for a photo as it was a rather spiffy dark-reddish brown example, rather than the rather insipid yellowish brown ones we usually see,

Comments

Denis Wilson said…
Hi Martin.
Love the Tanzanian Beach-comber's Rule.
They get to live longer, those Tanzanian Beach-combers, t5han the city slickers who lift up the front edge of the rock and peer under it.
.
Did you send your Cockroach image to Dave Rentz?
It might be an just having undergone "ecdysis" (moulting). Interesting, as probably seldom photographed in the wild.
Wikipedia has one shot:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecdysis
But that is a Laboratory shot, judging by the tweezers.
.
Dave might well be interested in the image.
.
Did you consider Assassin Bugs for your Bug?
http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_assinsinbugs/index.html
They have any number which might be a "fit" with yours. You probably need upper views as well. But the large eyes and the proboscis look right for me, as well as the long antennae. Hopefully you managed several images.
Bugs are "Buggers" to identify (couldn't resist).
.
Shame you didn't get the baby Snake. Off to Snake-Kindy is it?
Cheers.
Denis
PS - it is peak Red-brow season here too, They love the weedy grasses.
21 February 2012 at 22:49:00 GMT+11
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