It's a really pretty time of the year, don't you think? That week of showers at the end of March has freshened up the grass, and the sunburned look is going off the paddocks. It's too cold to swim in the river, but we might walk over the bridge and see if the swans are there. Oh, you won't need the insect repellent this time. We had a couple of frosts this week and that really knocked a hole in the fly population. Unfortunately, it also means that the last of the blackberries won't ripen, but that happens every year.
I always think, as I walk down towards the river, that Tasmania has the best of both worlds as far as scenery goes. Up on the hill you can see the dark, rather somber colours of the natural bush. It's mostly gum trees and wattles up there, but there are a few blackwoods. Along the road, though, we have the hawthorn trees, and the berries are really fine this year. Can you see those parrots feasting up in the top branches? They are green rosellas. If you go to this URL http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/wildlife/bir... you can find out more about them.
Over by the river there are lots of willow trees, and the leaves are turning gold with the autumn. Some people dislike the non-native species, most of which were brought here by British and European settlers in the Nineteenth Century, but I think they add character to the place. After all, I live here, and my ancestors came from England too!
If you look over the paddock towards the hill you can see a few white birds. Those are the cattle egrets, and they've come all the way across the sea on their annual visit. There are just a few at present, because they've only been back a few days, but later in the year there will be hundreds. It seems they've been coming here for the past twenty-five or so years. If you'd like to see a picture, have a look at this one http://www.mbr-wrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/P...
Here's the bridge coming up now. If we walk across, you'll be able to see that the river has a bit more flow. That's good, because it was a bit low this summer. Look over to your left, and see if you can see the swans. There are usually four of them - there they are! Apparently the early settlers were very surprised to see black swans, but there are quite a few of them here. A well-known children's author named Leslie Rees wrote a book called "Koonawarra, the Black Swan" many years ago. Sometimes you might find a copy at a second-hand book shop. It's well worth having a look for one.
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