Winter Colours in my Neighbourhood (Part 2): Eden, NSW Australia

Low Tide on the Boardwalk
Even in winter, the colours and patterns around the boardwalk along Lake Curalo in Eden, Australia, can be vibrant and arresting. (03August2021)

Lines and Curves
Lake Curalo is tidal – especially when the sandbar is open to the Pacific Ocean. On a low tide like this one, there is marshy ground – rather than brackish water – around the support posts of the boardwalk. (10July2021)

Grasslands
The landscape around the lake is remarkably varied. In the early Sunday morning haze, the tall gums that surround these grasslands fade into the background. (11July2021)

Daffodil in Bloom
In this temperate climate, bulbs seem to get confused and don’t wait for spring to break into bloom. (13July2021)

Boats on Twofold Bay
Snug Cove in Eden is a working harbour, with two tugboats and a small fleet of resident fishing vessels. (15July2021)

Rosemary Grevillea – Grevillea Rosmarinifolia
Blooms on the native shrubs in my garden provide a splash of colour in the winter morning light. (03August2021)

Royal Spoonbills – Platalea Regia
Every day, there is a different mix of waterbirds on the estuary. (03August2021)

Black Swan – Cygnus Atratus
A large number of black swans are at home on the lake – but they change location regularly and often hide in the tributaries. So the number I see on a daily basis is variable. (03August2021)

Grasses around the Estuary
Soft tufts of grass contrast with the red sorrel and saltbush, and the green tea trees (melaleuca) in the background. (03August2021)

Rusty Fence
A caravan park and a public high school back onto the boardwalk on Lake Curalo. There is a fence, but the gate here is open, and the school students often take kayaks out via a small boat launch nearby. (03August2021)

On the Estuary
(05August2021)

Winter Colours in the Grass
Colour is everywhere, including in the tufts of grass at the shallow edges of the estuary. (07August2021)

The Green and Gold
Australia’s national colours are inspired by wattle trees. The coastal wattle (acacia longifolia) generally blooms between August and October. (08August2021)

Morning Sparkle
The low winter sun angles off the shallow waters … (13August2021)

The Impossible Brightness of Morning
… causing a brilliant sparkle that pierces my eyes.  (14August2021)

Morning Low Tide
Spoonbills and ibises are regular visitors to the mudflats at low tide, and egrets, herons, black swans and Australian pelicans can usually be found. (17August2021)

Ripples and Poles
We often experience gale-force winds, straight up from Antarctica; then there are days like this, when even the ripples are soft and quiet. (18August2021)

Reflections on Palestine Creek
The waters in the tributaries into Lake Curalo are more sheltered than the lake itself – and reflect the surrounding tea trees (melaleuca) in their clear, glassy surfaces. (22August2021)

Greenery on Palestine Creek
(22August2021)

Moonrise over the Estuary
Winter often brings magnificent skies. (22August2021)

Swans on the Blue-Green Waters
Every day the colours are different. The black swans (Cygnus atratus) look so elegant gliding across the lake, even with pond-grass hanging from their beaks. (24August2021)

Oystercatchers and Ducks
I’m always pleased when the Australian pied oystercatchers (Haematopus longirostris) visit. The Australian wood ducks (Chenonetta jubata), on the other hand, are around all year, and can often be seen with large broods of fluffy ducklings. (24August2021 )

Wet Boardwalk
Winter brings a lot of rain. It’s all about the right clothing! (24August2021)

Galahs on the Rails
The older iPhones didn’t always do terribly well on details, but I like the splash of pink these galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla) bring to another wet day. (25August2021)

Cormorant on Watch
We have three kinds of cormorants on the lake: little pied cormorants (Microcarbo melanoleucos), pied cormorants (Phalacrocorax varius), and great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo). I think this is the first. (28August2021)