Bandicoot

Tasmania has two species of bandicoot, at least one of which is leaving various sign around here. I've decided to keep an eye out and note what I can find.

The first set of tracks I noticed after getting out of my car and looking down, expecting to see cat tracks. Instead, I saw these. A little research and I worked out the critter.

I started looking around and noticed a patch of beautiful smooth mud. I figured that this would be about the best spot for prints, if only... well, it happened.

Today, walking back from checking the mail, I was studying the little digs by the side of the road. I looked at the prints and figured out which were bandicoots, took photos of the scat and sct next to dig, and researched what they eat, which happens to include the beetle shells you can see.

Would be nice to actually see one.

Busking, Birds, Swimming and Tracks

Time for an update. The two older boys have been particularly busy lately. Their swimming lessons are coming along ... swimmingly. Something new- they swam the length of the pool, on their backs, with plastic cups on their foreheads. An exercise in good form.

The boys, as part of their singing class, had a busking gig at Latrobe (main claim to fame-Platypus Capital of the World), and host to an annual Chocolate Winterfest). The Chocolate Winterfest certainly fills the town for the day. The singing class sang at four locations around town, ending up at the Axeman's Hall of Fame.

 Think I'm going to pay a little more attention to the birds around here. Such variety. Cockatoos, Magpies, Parakeets, Ravens, birds I haven't identified yet. There's a flock up the road, possibly thousands, of a white bird, that nests on a little island in a lake. About 6.30 each morning they fly around the district as a group. I really want to capture a pic of them.

Cats, dogs, birds, possums... they all leave their prints around here. For the most part, they are easy to identify, but I discovered these ones this morning where I parked. Unless I'm mistaken, always a possibility, I'd say we have bandicoots.

Had the homeschool monitor do a checkup today. Seems satisfied. The boys are progressing well enough. Will be back in two years.

Life is good.