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To Discover
The River Banks
on the Serpentine
River
With no races on Sunday we decided to
paddle the Serpentine River in Mandurah. We had planned to
paddle about 20km to get some real paddling in but due to
stopping so much to take photos, we only managed about 11kms.
A canoe is so relaxing and having one that is only 19kgs is
a bonus.
Below I have included a few of the pictures
I took on the paddle. I hope you don't get too bored looking
at them.
At the start point on the Serpentine
River at the park at the end of Birchley Road. Conditions
fairly hot and very windy.
Only minutes into our
paddle we were watching Pelicans and cormorants fly by.
8 ducklings play hide
and seek. They would dive all at once and then pop up all
at once and then all dive under the water again. It was very
amusing to watch.
An Ibis feeds in the
mud. It was just amazing to see how many trees were either
toppled over or were dying. And I thought the Swan was bad.
Not long into our paddle
a camp fire was still smouldering. With the high winds and
hot weather it was a disaster waiting to happen. We smoothered
it.
It was easy to recognise
the chattering of the Willy Wagtail. There were lots of bird
calls which I didn't recognise though.
About 20 metres from
the Willy Wagtail, Alaine saw a dragon fly flittering around.
Suddenly it landed in a spider's web we went over to free
it from certain death but it flew up into another tree narrowly
missing another web!
As we look up two Pelicans
came soaring over head.
At the next corner only
100 metres further a heron sits quietly on a fallen tree branch.
The skies in parts looked
a little stormy but that didn't deter this bird of prey from
stalking its lunch.
300 metres further and
2kms from our start we moved under Pinjarra Road Bridge where
a large number of swallows had made their nests.
I spotted a Spendid Fairy
Wren so stopped to get photos but it was too far away to get
a good photo of it. I was surprised to see Blue Wrens around
this swampy area. Fifteen metres upstream a Darter was drying
its wings.
Grey Fantail
The most restless of Australia’s
fantails, Grey Fantails are almost continually on the move,
constantly changing position when perched, the tail swished
back and forth, fluttering about in the canopy of trees or
darting out after flying insects. They seem never to keep
still. Despite their fluttering flight, they are nevertheless
capable of relatively long-distance movements, with some regularly
flying across Bass Strait. Grey Fantails’ movements are
particularly complex, with no general rule: birds in each
different region have their own individual patterns of movement.
The Grey Fantail is most easily recognised
by its constantly fanned tail and agile aerial twists and
turns. Both sexes are similar in appearance: grey above, with
white eyebrow, throat and tail edges. This species is quite
inquisitive and will closely approach an observer.
We had already seen several
cormorants but this pack made a better photo
A canoe gives you a perfect platform
to take photographs
We were excited to see
the first Spendid Fairy Wren but it was even better to see
another close up.
A night Heron hiding
away in the dense part of the tree
As an Ibis stands high
on a dead tree, ducks and spoonbill muster around the creek
to the left whilst 4 pelicans preen themselves.
An Ibis feeds in the
creek and ducks graze in the green.
As we watch the pelicans
a bunch of squarking Black Cockatoos fly overhead. Hearing
all the different bird calls we could be in no other place
than Australia
After 5.04kms we move
into Geogrup Lake and were confronted with groups of pelicans.
It had taken us nearly 2 hours to paddle 5kms.
The lake was windy but
the Shelducks didn't have any problems in taking off.
The Australian Shelduck
is a large, brightly coloured duck with a small head and bill.
The male head and neck are black, tinged green, with a white
neck ring and occasionally a white ring around the base of
the bill. The upper parts are mainly black, while the underparts
are dark brown with a cinnamon breast. White upperwing coverts
form a white shoulder patch. The wings are black and deep
chestnut with a large green speculum (window in wing). The
female has a white eye-ring and a chestnut breast. This species
is also known as the Chestnut-breasted Shelduck, Mountain
Duck and Sheldrake.
After sitting in the
lake for several minutes watching the ducks, pelicans and
a number of other waterbirds we turned to head home checking
out a Egret and spoonbill feeding in the creek.
We thought the paddle
home was going to be quicker than the paddle up. We were more
focussed on paddling but it was hard not to look around. Another
group of young ducks starting their journey in life.
It makes you wonder how
the Egret can keep so white whilst feeding amongst the mud
Swallows stop for a rest
A Black-winged Stilt
A white faced Heron watches
on as we pick up the pace on that last kilometre before home.
It was just an amazing
11km paddle. In the comfort of the canoe we could sit quietly
and watch the world of bird life and insects. To see so many
different species in a small area was just great and there
were many more birds that we heard but couldn't see hiding
in the bushes.
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