Monday, October 27, 2008

Greenery, scenery, in-betweenery

How could you wander around Tyto for almost five years and have so few pictures of the place? Well may you ask. Perhaps a bit obsessed by birds and other wildlife. Yep! Don't care much for scenery? Yep! A Green who doesn't hug too many trees? Yep!

But there's a reason for the last. There aren't many trees in Tyto worth hugging and almost no standouts of any species. It's slowly being regenerated but decades of misuse and neglect will take decades to repair.

The dominant guavas and tulip trees face the axe (and poison) but such weeds don't lie down and die without a huge fight.

Construction of a major new lagoon and boardwalk system close to the information centre has just begun. This year's major replanting effort also shifted the focus away from the main lagoon and closer to the info building. (Many tourists will not, or can not, walk the kilometre to the main lookout.)

So, having made some of my many excuses, here's a look at Tyto, but without much chocolate box (for that, go to July posts).


Scleria (Razor grass) in front of hide. Manmade treed island to north.

Black-necked Stork in the reedy shallows at northwestern end of lagoon.


Pandanus (spirals go left and right), bladey grass and open woodland.


Eastern edge of a lagoon created two years ago. White-faced Heron with fish.


Typical interlaced guavas, with rufous form of Black Butcherbird.



The dreaded tulip tree - multiply by thousands - with Helmeted Friarbird.

9 comments:

mick said...

Thanks for a very interesting post and photos. There's certainly different environments for the birds. I can also see why standing still and waiting in some of those spots would show lots of different birds. btw Why do the pandanus go left and right?

Tyto Tony said...

I reckon they do it to confound people with theories about chirality and Coriolis spin ;-)

Jenny said...

It's looking like a great place already. I bet you'll enjoy seeing it develop over time.

Gouldiae said...

Nice one Tony. It's a good idea of yours to show us readers where you do your birding. Great looking spot and oh so different to southern Victoria.
Gouldiae

Mosura said...

So you're sating Tyto is like a box of chocolates. It's not what's on the cover but what's in it that counts. Did you're mother tell you that ;-)

It is a nice spot though! It's good to have a mental picture of where your birds, snakes, etc are found.

Denis Wilson said...

Hi Tony
Nice post on the "big picture" stuff. Mosura sounds like he is having a "Forest Gump" moment. Hope not. :-))
.
We are lucky we have such diversity, from your tropical area, to Mick's middle bit, my cool temperate bit, and the Victorians and Taswegians giving us the cold range.
Cheers
Denis

Tyto Tony said...

Hi all,

@ Jenny: Must confess often to wishing things were left more to good old Ma Nature.

@ Gouldiae: Be a bit cheeky me taking credit for the post that you and Mick suggested.

@ Mosura: We didn't run to too many chocs. I'm just grateful to have avoided being boxed about the ears.

@ Denis: That's a nice embracing way of looking at us.

Cheers to all!

Duncan said...

Thanks for showing us your patch Tony, that first photo is most attractive.

Tyto Tony said...

The view helps to keep folk in the hide, Duncan, most of them unaware there are Little Bitterns unseen and silent in that Scleria! Plus White-browed and Spotless Crakes.

Head up for dragonfly, head off for fish head . . .

One moment it's dragonfly trying to dance on White-bellied Sea-Eagle's head, the next it's all go for fisher's discarded fis...