Hi Steve, The best thing for you to do is to check the Vicroads website for road conditions. You will quickly find the link to the flood information and which roads are cut. Most of the rivers here in northern Vic flow from south to north, off the ranges and downhill/inland towards the Murray river. As I write both the Loddon and Avoca rivers are in major flood and are running through my local area. In a couple more days or so the flood peak will reach the Kerang area. Many other smaller creeks are roaring along too. Roads are cut off. Further east around Shepparton the flood is also peaking and moving north. The forecast is for more rain next week, so its looking like the flows will continue for some time, though the peak flood was produced by the massive recent rains across the ranges. I have not personally had much of a chance to get out and about to see which wetlands are full or filling, but I have heard of a number of lakes in the Avoca and Loddon systems which are getting water already. I moved here in 1993, which was a flood as big as this one. The waterbirds across the area were in their thousands and everywhere ! I can’t wait to enjoy the spectacle as it unfolds this spring and summer. Once things settle down I will report more on where the best wetlands are. Unfortunately there are a number of previously naturally filled wetlands which probably wont fill because of water diversion, drainage schemes and levee banks. Hirds and Johnsons Swamp fit into this category. The Pyramid Creek which passes by them has been dredged down to a depth of a few metres. They now require environmental allocations and human intervention to fill them, which is also the case with the Hattah lakes remarkably enough ( except in a very big Murray flood….maybe this one ? ?.)
I have a small lignum swamp close to home, which is full to overflowing already. Many different birds have arrived. I particularly enjoyed watching a pair of Swamp Harriers hunting Nativehens low down through the lignum, quite spectacular. Interestingly the Nativehens were calling from throughout the wetland, a sound I havent heard for 15 years or more. Wonderful stuff.
Regards,
Simon Starr, Pyramid Hill, Northern Victoria. ============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
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