Most of the year Graham’s pond looks like this………..
Months of mostly dry weather has resulted in rapidly shrinking puddles on what are usually referred to as “wetlands” so now it looks like this.
We do live in the wet tropics so even an extended dry season cannot be compared to the dry weather experienced in many other areas of Australia and our grassed areas were only just starting to brown off. Still, to us it has seemed like a long dry stretch and so we were delighted to waken yesterday morning to the sound of gentle rain.
At 8 am it was becoming quite crowded on Graham’s Pond but as the showers became heavier the water-birds dispersed. Glossy Ibis in the background, Little, Intermediate and Great Egret, Royal Spoonbill, White-necked Heron, Black Duck and Grey Teal looking like a new species with their head and neck feathers stained brown.
As usual the sound of rain reminded me of just one last job to do before the water levels rise too much and so I spent some of the morning in a muddy puddle pulling out para grass (Brachiaria mutica). Allen helped with the tractor and blade pulling out the bulk of the material so it didn’t take long. After a shower and lots of scrubbing with appropriate sweet-smelling body wash I felt quite virtuous and had a relaxing afternoon enjoying the heavier showers of rain.
There was another shower or two this morning but most of the heavy rain seems to be well south of Cairns. 65mm measured this morning has softened the ground, greened the grass, freshened up the forest and when the sun came out the humidity soared. Just a typical Daintree December!
Allen
Barbara
