ALUMINIUM ROLLER SHUTTER

I am featuring some some photos I took about three weeks ago on a walk from my place looking for any fungi that might be around. Sadly it has been a bit too dry this year and winds have been hot and westerly which is so uncommon for the tropics, so fungi have been scarce. These photos taken that morning will be in the SET - "OUT AND ABOUT ONE MORNING" and I hope you enjoy these.

I noticed a new sign had gone up near the carpark 1400 metres from me (on the walk from home) which is my track into the rainforest. This photo is of that sign. It means you cant move stuff around like rubbish to the dump, plant material, etc.

HISTORY & LOCATION:- The invasive pest electric ant was found in Smithfield (Cairns) in May 2006, and later also detected in Kewarra Beach, Trinity Beach and Caravonica, all northern suburbs of Cairns, Far North Queensland. Biosecurity Queensland is working with the community to eradicate this pest and treatment rounds and post-treatment surveillance continue to be undertaken in all areas of infestation. This ant was discovered only a couple hundred metres from where I live and since 2006 government people come around periodically putting special lures for them in yards to check if any are still around or have returned. (peanut paste/butter is a suitable lure, placed on a paddlepop stick).

THE ANT:- Electric ants:
•Are tiny, about 1.5mm long
•Are light to golden brown in colour all over
•Are usually slow moving
•Are social - they like to be with each other, often in heaps
•Do not have nests - electric ants establish colonies anywhere and have been found under stones, in garden waste, leaf mould, soil, trees, swimming pools and water courses, and may be in wall cavities, clothing, bedding or camping gear
•Can be found in wet or dry conditions
•Like water - they may ?jump? into swimming pools and form a ?raft?

THE ORIGIN:- The electric ant is native to Central and South America. These ants have a significant invasive history, having been introduced to Africa, North America and six Pacific Island groups (including the Galapagos, Hawaii, New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands). Electric ants make up 90% of ant populations in invaded catchments in New Caledonia. They are believed to have caused a decrease in reptile populations in New Caledonia and in the Galapagos Archipelago where they eat tortoise hatchlings and attack the eyes and cloacae of adult tortoises.

THE STING:- Its impact is similar to that of the red imported fire ant, in that it injects a powerful venom when it stings. The sting results in painful, itchy and persistent pimples, and sometimes in severe allergic reactions. In human habitations the ants may sting and even blind domestic pets (cats and dogs). Electric ants do not sting en masse like red imported fire ants, but will sting when they come in contact with people, such as in gardens or in water in swimming pools. Their sting is very painful at first, and can last - with itching - for up to three days. Foraging trails may enter houses.

One person wrote of the sting - "I cannot report first hand the sensation of electric ant bites but they inflict much more pain than green tree ants and the pain persists for quite a while after the ant is removed. I suppose they are similar to stinging nettles or the feeling of hot chilli rubbed on your pink bits. Certainly the people who have these ants report that it became impossible to swim in the swimming pool due to floating ants biting arm pits and other tender targets."

This shot pretty much sums up the holy trifecta of poor concert photography form.
Just in case it's not clear:

1.) Don't use a flash. Especially mere inches from a performer's face. It's completely distracting and blinding for the performer and everyone around you.

2.) Don't just hold your camera up above your head and randomly shoot. It blocks everyone's view in back of you and ruins shots for other photographers trying to shoot the show.

3.) When there's no pit, don't just camp out in the front row shooting after the first three songs. If you must stay, stow your camera away and actively participate like the rest of the fans up front. Dance, clap, whoot , cheer. When the front is full of nerdly photogs instead of excited uberfans, it completely changes the vibe, especially at a small club. If you're going to continue to shoot the rest of the show (like I often do) move to the back or the side where you're not interrupting the interaction between the performer and the fans.

Dave Wakeling of the English Beat called me out on point number three last week and he was completely right. I was still shooting at song number 4, and he looked me straight in the eye and said, put that camera down and start dancing! I was happy to oblige.