Was it the US Presidentās car that crashed into yours? 
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Good Morning, Happy Friday 
I took this pic a few minutes ago 
A group of 20 Bucks (male deer) grazing and testing each other with antler butting competitions 
The interesting thing is that the 2 species of deer, fallow and samba (both introduced), are happily interbreeding and there are so many variations in colour, size and antlers as a result. There are also occasional pure white ones. I have a Buck that has been living here (not the one in the pic) for about 6 years who is pure white - a majestic Stag. 
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Youāre in the deer park (migadaya) !!! 
The confusing angles add an extra layer of cinematic horror; what is going on?! RUN!
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Yesterday while walking on the beach on the Oregon coast (USA) I saw a distressed murre along the water line that could not fly and was struggling as the tide was coming in. There has been a spate of distressed and dead murres along the Pacific coast. There is a retired gentleman nearby who takes in murres to try and rehabilitate them. To make a long story short, I was able to secure a box and after walking a considerable distance back to my condo with the murre I was able to drive it to the rehabilitation center where the gentleman took it in to see if he could save it. I donāt have a photo of the bird, but here is the Wikipedia page on the common murre:
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No worries at all 
There are various methods for different types and sizes of snakes and also depending on the situation and the objective.
Tailing is by far the safest method for venomous snakes that are no longer than the distance from your shoulder to the ground. If you can hold them completely in the air, so they have no purchase on anything, it is āsafeā. When they start to stretch upwards all it takes is a small movement of ones wrist and they fall back straight again - due to the structure of their vertebrae. It is much safer to come up on a snake from behind and grab it and whisk it in the air before it knows whatās happening. Donāt want to be putting hands anywhere near its mouth!! With bigger snakes, one has to go for the neck, and you need super-dooper reflexes - ie better than the snake!! There are people in some asian countries that catch king cobras by hand 
that is something amazing to seeā¦ they are face to face with the snake and slowly bring their arm up to the side of the snake, and then just grab it by the neckā¦ incredible
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A fairly harmless native caterpillar, the oakworm, eats late summer leaves (arriving mostly after the tree has gotten its annual nourishment) then drops from the oak tree, expecting to land on the soft forest floor. When great oaks spread their branches over roads, however, a caterpillar may land hard on the street pavement where it may quickly perish.
Iāve been saving them by the dozen the last few days, placing each one onto soft ground where it can dig a burrow in which to rest and slowly transform into a beautiful large moth the color of monksā robes:
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Namo Buddahaya
Great photos.
May I suggest that indeed if you can, you do not relocate snakes? I understand in this case was probably for the best, but a relocated snake had only 30% of survival chances. There is a Sutta you can recite called The Snake King which you can recite in Pali. I love Australia close to the bushes, and I can guarantee it works with snakes!! (And other creatures included ants) if repeated with metta (I usually do first metta meditation and then go where the snake is and recite this Sutta 9 times - the part in verses). Also, check if you have too many mixed or a source of food for them. Snakes stay where food is.
With meta 
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Thanks for your feedback @Gabi73
Itās really nice to see that you care for snakesā¦
With regards to the survival rates of re-located snakes, it is not that straight-forward. Many factors come into play. Firstly, what is the comparison rate of snake survival in those NOT relocated? Then other important factors eg. is the habitat the same, is the availability of food and shelter the same? Is there an increase or decrease of preditors or other dangers? Also the age and size as well as species (territorial v/s wandering) of the snake makes a difference - survival rates of baby and small snakes are very low ā¦ (Iād be guessing but Iād say in certain environments they would be much less than 30%) - the older, larger (and wiser) the snake, the better the survival rates. Overall there is very little actual robust research on these matters, and the 30% number you quote seems to be a bit too generalised to be of much use really, except as a reminder to be mindful of all these different factors.
The points about minimising the āattractivenessā of the environment are very valid. The less food, water and shelter there is, the less snakes there will be. This is the standard method for āmanagingā snake populations where such things are possible. I have a joke here, that food is so abundant, that snakes donāt even need to hunt - they just have to open their mouths and food will jump in. I live on the edge of a wetland, a place of abundance for so much wildlife. I have only ever found one robust study on populations with regards to Tiger snakes. There it estimates that in this kind of environment the population density is close to 20 snakes per Acreā¦
Everything eats everything elseā¦ it is Samsaraā¦ and living in such a place one is witness to this shocking reality. The beautiful frogs eat the lovely insects - the snakes eat the lovely frogs and cute mice and baby bush rats and birds. The gorgeous water birds; herons, egrets etc, eat the frogs, and the cute foxes eat them, as well as the bush rats. The eagles and hawks, falcons and harriers eat the other birds, baby ducks, as well as the bush rats and other small/medium marsupials and mammals. Kookaburras and some other birds of prey eat small snakes. The ants eat everything, often while they are still alive. The grey kangaroos compete with the other roos and deer for grass. They chase each other away and fight for territory. Some are driven away. The grey kangaroos have led to the almost eradication of the coastal scrub wallabies. All the Beings want to live and be happy, but this isnāt the way it worksā¦ Everywhere one looks there is competition and suffering. It is a very difficult thing to live in the midst of all this and not to contribute to the suffering of any beingsā¦ It has taken me a long time to understand and come to terms with this, and not to feel guilt for the impact that my human life has. I have lived here, observing for over 20 years. One tries to develop the most skillful means possible, but still it is an intrinsic part of samsara. All the more reason to do whatever is required to disentangle oneself as much as possible and to strive to abandon samsara to whatever degree is possible. I write this only to make the reality of samsara clearer. Unfortunately in todays world, people are so far removed from nature, they (and I donāt mean you here, but just people in general) have no idea of the realities and have some kind of deluded āDisneylandā idea of the beauty and benevolence of nature. Everything we do has an impact on all the other Beings around us, directly or indirectlyā¦ sometimes for good and sometimes for bad, sometimes it is impossible to knowā¦ it is part of the suffering of being in the gross form world.
Apologies for the serious tone of this postā¦ So just to compensate here are a couple more pics
Black swans
Satin Bowerbirds. The black one is a male. Initially all the birds are called āgreen birdsā and are identical. They take 7 years to mature and for the males to get their black plummage. These birds have saphire blue eyes, and the males make a special ābowerā where they collect objects (including blue things) to entice the females and then they do an elaborate courtship dance. Over the years the population here has increased. This winter was very harsh and they were/are getting very hungry towards the end, so I have been giving them a little supplementary food. But just like the Buddha said in his simile of a bird having a morsel of meat, and being chased by other birds who wish to take it off themā¦ here too the birds would fight - really fight! over the food. So now I put out 18 lots of food (one for each bird) so they donāt have to fight and none have to miss outā¦ Their favourite is corn on the cob and orange segments
A big āGrandpaā kangaroo. The male kangaroos fight for territory and females. As the big males age they are often outcastsā¦ This one has paired up with another Grandpa and they often hang out near the house. They are both bigger than I am In this pic, next to the garage for perspective, he is not standing at full height.
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Namo Buddhaya,
thank you for your beautiful reply. I surely understand your points, I live extremely close to the Bush in Sydney, practically I am within park boundaries. The advantage of living in a park is incredible, also for the practice. I love snakes (actually I have a python that has been with me for 12 years and counting which was given to me by somebody who did not want it). They are exceptional being really magic. It is amazing how well you live with them around you.
Thanks for the useful information and beautiful photos :pray.
With metta
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Thank you Viveka for your lovely post! How do I give multiple likes? 
Iāve seen the nests and dances of the browerbirds before; truly wonderful.
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So apparently there is a comedy wildlife photography prize, which might provide some joyous and light relief during our dark moments!
Here is last yearās winner which Iām sure youāll agree perfectly sums up many beingsā feelings about 2020.
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Those photos just really made my day! Thank you! 
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Photo 1: Where do I need to go? Outside???
Photo 2: NO WAY!
Sukho not convinced to go for a last wā¦, during winter time and rain
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āNot many birds can compare to the vocal range of the Australian lyrebird, and Taronga Zooās lyrebird, Echo, is no exception. The zoo says Echo has the ability to replicate a variety of calls, but its perfect impersonation of a crying baby is perhaps not the pleasant day at the zoo parents would be hoping for.ā
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Before I became a Buddhist, I had a terrible fear of insects, spiders especially. I stopped killing them long before I stopped being afraid of them, as they say āonly compassion can overcome fear.ā My heart warmed to see this video today of a man gently helping a very large (!!) spider with tangled up legs, you can tell that the spider understands the man is no danger to him, true compassion in action:
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