Matters natural and un-natural

Warning: this post contains images of an ex-snake.

I will begins with some matters not to do with natural history.  These are to do with the pre-poll arrangements in Queanbeyan.

If the election was declared on the number of placards on Morrisset St, Mike Kelly would be a good bit front.  Judging by the number of people who just took one party's cards I'd say it is a very close call.

These posters were in the window of the polling station.

Just about all of the artisitic images seemed designed to appeal to indigenous folk (from the desert or the tropical coast).  A little surprising as according to ABS Table Builder  2.9% of the people in Queanbeyan identify as being of Aboringinal or Torres Strait Islander origin.  Very little up on the Australian value of 2.56 %.

I have slightly adulterated this image of a sign on a nearby building site.

The following Monday I was back again.  A very pleasant two hours with good company provided by the other two major parties.  A first point of interest came from the Staffie (I think a male) left tied to one of the Liberal A-frame signs.

It looked probable that the sign could be relocated somewhere else, so the Liberal guy ended up holding the lead for about 10 minutes while the pooch's owner was doing some thing in the building (not voting).

A little after this we started to smell smoke and we all kept looking up in the sky but couldn't see anything that offered an explanation.  Then the lady from the Greens looked down: some idiot had chucked a dog-end into the ashtray without stubbing it out.

500ml of water was rapidly administered which left a puddle on the pavement but reduced the air pollution!

Getting back home after the first day I went down to check on some pine trees.  On the way I noticed these colourful rocks.

I also noticed that a 1m long Eastern Brown Snake had been out and about.

It appeared from the puncture wounds about 15cm and 75cm behind its head that it had met a raptor or possibly a Kookaburra.  The latter have been very vocal here recently so I think we have a rating of "Well done that Kingfisher!  (Given the way a Grey Currawong chased off a Kooka this morning, I don't think that the praise is universally endorsed.)

The eyes are not as bright as they are in life, but the scale pattern is still attractive.

 I went to visit the pines to collect some fallen - OK thrown down - cones to contribute to the fire lighting situation.

 These feathers gives a hint as to what had been throwing the cones down!