River Walk

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Walking along the River...

It's been a while
since I have walked along the Noosa River
Without my dog
my walks have ventured further afield
and into the National Park on the headland

But today I felt like revisiting
my favourite dog walking haunt
walking up river towards Tewantin

and I was very surprised
by all the seasonal changes
in the vegetation





An unopened tulip flower
high in an ancient Tulip tree
Unfortunately the African tulip tree
is on the list of weed-trees in our town
because it spreads easily
by windborne seeds and suckers
and displaces native vegetation

The eucalypts are flowering

some varieties past flowering...









but still pretty
and attractive for the birds...











The giant Alexandra palm
was wearing its beaded hula skirt

and a friendly Ibis
was foraging in the soft wet grass

The white Ibis, Threskiornis Mulucca
is a wading bird that frequents the wetlands,
and is common in Australia by the water,
near open grassland and parks

He has white plumage,
a bare black head,
long downward curving bill
and black legs.

He was relatively unknown near the cities
of Brisbane and Sydney 20 years ago
and it is thought that severe droughts
in the late 1970s
drove the Ibis to the coast
seeking water to breed.


In the wild they eat the native crayfish,
mussels and insects
but in parklands and public picnic areas
they have become partial
to the odd sandwich
and are known to steal your picnic lunch
from your hand...


In addition to the accusations of theft
the Ibis has earned a bad name
because he frequents the rubbish dumps
and scavenges
and smells...

Image Wikipedia

The birds nest high in trees near the water
making low shallow dish like platforms

Now it's time to return home...
passing one of the very few deciduous trees
in our area of coastal SE Queensland

see the bright golden
climbing nasturtium plant
with a colourful aesthetic

dripping with morning dew

who has chosen
an equally beautiful orange hibiscus
to befriend

and drapes over the bush
in a rampant, boisterous manner

near home
a purple creeper in the trees
beside the mangrove edged river
catches my eye

and shines at me

and a simple little unobtrusive flower
completes our walk
for today...

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