Yellow Billed Spoonbill nesting
Yellow Billed Spoonbill (nesting)
Wandering along the river bank near the caravan park in Swan Hill I observed several birds high up in a eucalypt tree on the opposite bank. With my camera I was able to zoom in reasonably close and see that it was a pair of Yellow Billed Spoonbills nesting high up in the tree.
The nest, clearly visible, was at least 15 metres up above the ground. From memory, this is the first time I have observed this species actually breeding. For more interesting observations of Australian birds, go to another of my blogs over at Trevor’s Birding (click here).
The Giant Murray Cod, Swan Hill
The giant Murray Cod, Swan Hill
Our holiday in Victoria
September 2007
Australians have a love affair with all things big – no, make that HUGE. There is a big apple, banana, bottle, bull, cow, crocodile, galah, guitar, gumboot, kangaroo, koala, lobster, orange, pelican, penguin, pineapple and rocking horse. That is just a selection; there are dozens more.
The giant Murray Cod, Swan Hill
At Swan Hill we have the giant Murray Cod. This fish is much prized by anglers. Sadly there are very few left in the river system these days, though a large individual can sometimes be caught. The river system has been so tampered with through damming, irrigation and pollution that this magnificent creature is struggling for its very survival.
The giant Murray Cod, Swan Hill
Murray River at Swan Hill, Victoria
Murray River at Swan HIll, Victoria September 2007
Our holiday in Victoria
September 2007
During our short stay in Swan Hill last year we stayed in a cabin in one of the local caravan parks. This park fronts the Murray River, Australia’s longest river. In the morning I wandered along down to the river bank. What I saw reinforced the poor state of our major river system as a result of the prolonged drought. The low water level can be clearly seen in this series of photos. You can see where the water is normally, and how far down it was last September. I believe that the situation has not improved much since. We are hoping for extensive and significant rainfall during this winter as well as above average snow falls in the Snowy Mountains.
Murray River, Swan Hill, Victoria, September 2007
Murray River, Swan Hill, Victoria, September 2007
Swan Hill, Victoria
Our cabin, Swan Hill, Victoria
Our holiday in Victoria
September 2007
Our next overnight stay was at a caravan park in Swan Hill. This delightful town is located on the banks of the River Murray in north-west Victoria. This town is predominantly a service centre for the surrounding farming districts. Tourism is becoming increasingly important too. The cabin we stayed was very nice though rather on the expensive side compared to some we had hired.
Caravan Park, Swan Hill, Victoria
The caravan park is very pleasant and much of it fronts the bank of the river. It is also only a short distance from the Historic Village. We didn’t have time to visit this village on this trip. I’ll share photos of our visit some years ago when I get around to it. I know I have plenty of photographic slides of this tourist village. The replica village is a living museum paying tribute to the early settlers of the area. It also features the importance of the river boat trade before the advent of the railway.
PS Pyap, Swan Hill, Victoria