Usually, a good few hours of child free shooting makes my soul soar ... there is NOTHING that recharges my batteries more than going shooting (or 'hunting and shooting' as I call it!) But this time, although I had a lovely time, my soul is saddened by the devistation that this drought is having on this beautiful environment.
The waters upon which I learnt to sail, are now sand ... the view from my parents deck, usually a beautiful lagoon covered in waterbirds, is a muddy swamp with a few ducks and seagulls ...
This is 'ducks hospital' ... not a duck in sight.
There used to be boat races through this part of the lagoon. Now you'ld be lucky to get a canoe through.
Miles of crusted mud, sometimes soft and sinky, mostly hard and fragile. The receeding waters revealing the logs and snags which trapped the fishing lines.
Piles and piles of freshwater mussles, now dead because the water is so salty. The reeds dead and dying ... foot prints of the odd remaining bird searching for non-existant food ...
High and dry ... the Margaret Rose won't be going anywhere in a hurry ...I'll add some more images when I get time ...
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as promised ... another few images ...
We walked for about 100 metres below the cliffs at Clayton and found 3 dead turtles. They have a coral growing on their shells, usually only found in salt water, but because of the high salinity in the lakes the coral is growing on their shells, eventually killing them. Apparently there are hundreds coming out of the river and lakes and dieing on the shore. The Milang Primary School students are scraping the coral off the survivers that they find and putting them back in the water, but it is hopeless unless the salinity is reduced. I fear we are seeing the last of these freshwater turtles in these parts of the Murray. I can't imagine what it is doing to the water rats and other animals which rely on the fresh water ...
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