Friday, November 12, 2010

Mangroves

The other morning I kayaked up Mullens Creek a little way. The water was very still and the reflections were beautiful.
As I came around a bend in the creek a number of shorebirds flew up from the side of the creek. They don't usually use this spot as a roost and I had unfortunately disturbed them. Most of them appeared to be Whimbrels and they flew off across the creek to another roost site where they usually roost in the mangroves. I heard the splash of a fish jumping as I was photographing the birds flying off and when I looked at the photos at home I had managed to catch the fish jumping.
There were a few mangroves flowering. It was a species I could not recognize so I took photos and have had friends, who have been volunteering in the mangrove watch program, to ID the plant for me. They say it is a Yellow Mangrove (Ceriops Australus). (I have just had a comment from a reader to say that this is the River Mangrove Aegiceras corniculatum. IMO mangroves are NOT easy to ID!) (The close-ups of the flowers could be a lot clearer but the tide was running in and I have not worked out a way to keep the kayak still in the one place and take photos at the same time!)

4 comments:

  1. Hi Mick,
    The mangrove you've got there is the River Mangrove. Aegiceras corniculatum. These flowers make great mangrove honey.

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  2. Hi Mangrove, thanks very much for the info on the name. Very interesting as well about the honey. What is the honey like - light or dark?

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  3. Lovely serene scenery in the first photo. Sounds like your kayak needs an anchor sometimes ;)

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  4. Hi John, I've thought of the anchor a few times but don't quite know where I would carry it. As it is I have bits and pieces tied on or strapped on around me.

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