Show & Tell at the AGM

Paper Wasp guarding a new nest (Oh, and Kevin tucking into lunch).

We had a lovely ‘Show & Tell’ , after the AGM of the Strathbogie Ranges Conservation Management Network, on Sunday 4th December. As Justus said, ‘Show & Tell has always been such a fabulously simple, inclusive and effective format’, but its pretty undervalued these days. But that didn’t stop this group of die-hards.

We had a tortoise shell, an unidentified Brachyscombe (now pressed and waiting for ID), some Aboriginal stone artifacts from the Ranges, a fascinating hanging wasp nest constructed of mud cemented to a vine stem, a recording of the vigorous, melodic ‘Ee chong bird’, AKA Rufous Whistler and some great stories about mating Eastern Brown Snakes. Here are a few pics.

Common Paper Wasp (Polistes humilis) guarding a new nest (without Kevin).

Common Paper Wasp (Polistes humilis) guarding a new nest (Oh, and Kevin tucking into lunch).

Unusual wasp nest, showing one of the two entry/exit holes.

Carapace of a sub-adult Eastern Long-necked Tortoise (Chelodina longicolis)

Underside of a sub-adult Eastern Long-necked Tortoise (Chelodina longicolis)

Now, 2 weeks later, there are 5 exit holes.

This wasp emerged from the mud nest.