Tidbinbilla Wetland Sanctuary

[calissa]

Early last week, a few days before I got sick, my sister, dad and I went on another photography trip to the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. This time we headed to the Wetland Sanctuary. It is the part of the reserve that I am most familiar with and have written about before. We were blessed with gorgeous weather and I was especially pleased with this batch of photos.





The photo above is a couple of years old but shows the lovely signage in front of the enclosure. Bushfires swept through the area in 2003, destroying the old facilities and much of the wildlife population. When the facilities were rebuilt, the opportunity was taken to incorporate many artistic touches, such as the quote at the top of this post. There are many other quotes and art pieces scattered throughout the sanctuary.







Granite carving of a bogong moth (Agrotis infusa). During the spring months, thousands of the moths will begin to migrate to this area to hide from the summer heat in cool rock crevices. I'll be trapping and releasing them when they make their way into my bathroom. They were an important food source for local Aboriginals who would hold feasts in November.



The first thing we did on arriving was head to the platypus pond (photos of which are in the entry I linked to in the opening paragraph). It is rare to catch a glimpse of the creatures, so we were delighted to see one was active. I got a few good looks with my binoculars but zie proved to be camera shy and even my sister's best shot didn't amount to much. (While you're there, I highly recommend you check out the rest of her photos from our various trips to Tidbinbilla.)

We also made some other friends who were rather less shy (as you can see below), perhaps hoping for some lunch. They were rather disappointed.











I'm looking forward to going back again, once I'm well enough. The flowers should be coming out soon, if they haven't started already.

Comments

[onewhitecrow]

[sends healthy thoughts, though also seems to have a cold] I like the grass-platypus, it looks like a swimming spirit.

...is there much meat on the moths? Also, is that barksplosion supposed to look like that, or did the tree die a terrible terrible death?

[calissa]

*sends healthy thoughts in reply and virtual tea* Summer colds are horrible things. I hope you feel better soon.

The wetland sanctuary is a good place for swimming spirits (which is not to say that I've sensed any, only that it would be a nice space for them) :)

Apparently the moths are rich in fat. I've never tried them, myself.

As for the tree, it is supposed to look like that. Eucalypts don't really shed their leaves, but many of them shed their bark.

[tara]

Lovely photos. It looks like an amazing place with all the artwork amongst the nature - I particularly liked the eagle/hawk.

We're in the path of the bogong moths' migration, much to the horror of my mother, who is quite phobic about them ;)

[calissa]

It is an amazing place and I love to visit. The quotes are my favourite.

Your poor mum! Do you get many in the house?

[nanila]

Love the shot with the swan peeping out from behind the tree. "Bwah?" And the tree bark - such beautiful colours and patterns.

[calissa]

I was quite surprised that the swans came so close! The ones in the ponds around the city are not at all shy but I thought the ones at the nature reserve might be a bit more... reserved. Perhaps they've spent time at the ponds.

I rather liked the bark. My dad gets the credit for spotting it first, however.

[sylvaine]

Wow, what a gorgeous place!

[calissa]

It really is beautiful and I constantly count myself lucky that it is close by. If you're interested in pictures of other parts of the reserve, I've got another post up. It contains a couple of my sister's kangaroo photos, among other things.