New Wetland

Already we have had some good rains, the new wetland was overflowing by the end of December. The series of ponds constructed as silt and nutrient traps is working well and we have been busy planting native ground cover, sedges and trees in our new landscape.

There is ample opportunity for fish and crustaceans to move into this new area while the ponds are overflowing, a fact that has also been noticed by an Azure Kingfisher while a regular Egret visitor has been feeding on some of our frogs.

We were delighted to find a Papuan Frogmouth with one chick on a nest in a huge old tree in the garden and we are enjoying our regular observations. Large flocks of Double-eyed Fig Parrots, Metallic Starlings and some Barred Cuckoo-shrikes have been feasting on the same large Ficus benjamina that was last fruiting in September. What a wonderful food source this tree is.