Rat Mummy & Plover Babies

I was in the garden last weekend and Troy came to find me saying "I've found something I think you'll really like." He is well aware of my penchant for the macabre but even I had to admit his find was pretty gruesome! It was a rat that had died inside the cabinet in our carport and had become mummified. I have no idea how long it had been there but it was totally dried although not entirely odourless. Troy took the following photo and played around with it in photoshop....I'm thinking it has possibilities to market as a postcard....yeah...nah? I ended up trading the rat to my Mum for a small display cabinet in which to house my skull collection. OMG we sound like the Adams Family!!!!

I have no idea how its right leg ended up on its left side.

On a lighter note, we went to Bunnings on Sunday to get some stuff for my new sculpture projects (yes I'm branching out.) I had noticed while driving home over the last few weeks that a pair of Spur-Winged Plovers had permanently moved into the grassy area between Bunnings carpark and the State Highway that ends at the Whakatane Bridge. I suspected they were nesting so after buying some MDF and brass upholsterers tacks I sussed out the birds. Sure enough they had three fluffy little babies. In all honesty both the parents and the chicks are kinda freaky looking. Whats with the yellow goggles I wonder not to mention the pointed spurs on the wing joints of the parent birds. Unfortunately not visible in my photo. Freaky chicks but admittedly kind of cute nevertheless.