Panicking chooks and a smelly corpse!

I had noticed the chooks panicking the past couple of days whenever they crossed a certain area in the yard, but it was not until I went up there myself today that I noticed this! Almost had a heart attack until I realized it's dead. Not sure what type of snake it is.

The only snakes I have seen around here before are tree snakes and carpet snakes. This one doesn't look the right colour for a tree snake, though.


Closer shot. Given the injuries to the poor creature I would presume he/she was a victim of the lawn mower a couple of days ago. I think it's a good job our mowing man uses a ride on mower!



Poor Joe Blake (Australian slang for snake), he didn't come off too well in that argument and man, did he pong (stink)! I scooped him up with a stick and carried him away from the chooks' free range area. I was sneaky though, and put the corpse somewhere that I don't want the Hensingtons to be. ;) Maybe they will stay away from there for a while, at least!

Edited to add: An online friend of mine says it looks a lot like an Eastern Brown snake.

Eastern Brown Snake:

This makes me triply glad that I didn't encounter it when it was alive!

 

Spring Approaches

There are lots of signs in the garden at the moment that spring is on its way. I was delighted this morning when I went outside and took a deep breath, smelling the apple and plum blossoms on the air. It is so wonderful to see the plum tree which had done a convincing impersonation of death all winter, bursting into bud a few days ago, and then, today...

Another sure sign of spring in our garden is when the Pheasant Coucal returns. Although it looks like a pheasant, it is actually a variety of Cuckoo which nests in our yard each year. We really know spring is approaching when this bird shows up.

These birds have a soft, haunting call which carries a long distance. You can hear samples of the calls at the link above. I feel very privileged to have got these photos as this bird is extremely shy and we only see it very occasionally.

And of course, spring/summer would just not be complete without dear little Willie Wagtail!