Observers who visit the now-watery Kelly Swamp and say to one another “Not much going on here” could not be more wrong. There is a great deal going on, and quite rapidly. As we all know, Shingle Island is no longer an island, and the view to the south end of the swamp from Bittern Hide has been lost completely. The view from Cygnus Hide is considerably different from the photo on the COG website. There is a well-known log beyond the willow on which thousands of waterbirds have been observed and photographed. Not for much longer. The advance of the typha is about to obscure it completely. The difference in the 6 weeks up to today is remarkable. Today’s photo was taken from the left of the hide, to the extent that the branches of the willow are brought into play. Apart from the typha, the sinking and submerging of logs has reduced the attraction of the area for birds, particularly now that there are no islands.
