The House(s) of Fran_mart

No, not referring to the unpleasantness around London in 1940 .  This is about a concerted lightning observation of birds around Canberra by members of COG.  No explosives were used in this foray, although some would have been handy when I found a gate which had always been openable in past years now had about $200 of padlocks on it! As it was about birds, and specifically breeding birds, I'll start with a couple of avian images.  The first is an adult and juvenile Eastern Yellow Robin at Blue Tiles picnic area.  As the juvenile begged, and got some food provided this is a breeding record. The second image is from Queanbeyan Sewage Works, with some Great Cormorants nesting on a pontoon in the middle of one of the settling ponds.  As a result of the locked gate we had to hike across country.  That wasn't all bad as Frances spotted this Blue-tongued Skink This is the first site: a pocket of regenerating native vegetation in a scummy pine forest. ...

I set off for a run in Queanbeyan today and as seems to be a developing tradition - yes, I know the Committee has to rule on that, but if people go off on overseas trips .. - met some great art under the Queens Bridge.  This is part of a Festival put on by the Council each year. Fantasmagoricavian Feast by Deidre Oliver : illustrating diversity.   Effects of Climate Change by Mia Glenn .  Showing the effects of climate change on penguins.  I'm unclear if the stubbies are part of the work or not!   Carpflute by Tom Buckland.  Made out of abandoned corflutes from the ACT election.  The card compares introduced Carp and introduced politicians!   The Brolgas by Bob Teasdale with the works to upgrade the Riverside in the background.   River Culture by Gregory Ross McLean : the two river residents are used to bring the steel to life.  A very wordy title for a work by Stephen Harrison about literary allusions and veganism (I...

Frances and I have very fond memories of Dalton, just North of Gunning, as a native flower site.  It became less attractive a few years ago when the cemetery was incinerated by the Bush Fire people for reasons best known to them.  However, we wanted a shortish trip out of Carwoola so pointed the Jetta in that direction this morning. First up, we swung in to the Cemetery and found things very much better.  The area out of the burial grounds (which seem to have acquired some new fences) was regenerating very well. Jumping ahead a tad, we also visited Broadway TSR on the road to Boorowa.  That had some damp patches .. As a result of the dampness both areas were well endowed with mosquitoes.  The cemetery was very much sun orchid central.  When we first got there (about 0920) they were not yet open, possibly as the temperature was only about 16 o C.  We called back on the way home (about noon) and the 23 o C had not only got the Thelymitra carn...

A couple of days ago I posted a snap of a snake repeller enhanced with a sizable wombat turd.  To refresh your memory (although I would understand if you'd rather forget the image): I poked this off with a stick, but the next day another large brown cube was evident.  That does make it rather difficult for the solar panel to work.  Also, over Winter,  one repeller was broken when the marsupial backed up to do the business.  So I installed a deterrent. Not only wombats cause problems with renewably sourced energy. (No, I haven't been graced with a visit from Senator Malcolm Roberts, the man who stood for village idiot but was over-qualified.) I have erected a few fairy lights as a bit of fun on the lawn and somehow a passing Eastern Grey stuck its size 97 (UK system) feet into the wire and snapped it. 4 days later I found the solar panel and 2m of wire about 40m away. A bit of insulating tape and we're back in business.  A further protectif has been...