Paint it Black

The skies have been otherworldly with the dust storms across NSW of late.
Although red during the day, as afternoon turned to dusk, I was able to capture this image below.



Bereft of colour, the view was a monochromatic display with the sun hanging pale in the sky.
Living far south of Sydney, the amount of dust we received was limited though enough to bring twilight many hours before the sun actually set.

The storms have not stopped the spread of the Black Swans as the weather warms.



While some remain in larger lake systems over winter, they spread to the many smaller systems during spring into summer, their numbers swelling into the thousands as they cross the sky in vast formations.

The warming weather has also seen the return of the Red Bellied Black Snake.
The photo below showing a sight all too common .
These males were in a sparring match that got carried a little to close to the traffic.



Care is required around this time as many reptiles are coming to grief in such a manner.
I was forced to dispatch the snake on the lower right, as its back was broken and was living still.
While repellent or a source of fear to some, their part in Australia's ecosystem makes them worth avoiding if possible. They eat the much more dangerous, and aggressive, Eastern Brown Snake.