Dangar's Lagoon

Eastern Australia has been deluged with rain over the last few months, and even the Armidale district, which escaped most of the drought conditions of the last few years, has witnessed a dramatic greening of the landscape. Even Dumaresq Creek which runs through town has flooded mildly from time to time and all the wetlands, which dot the New England Tablelands, have been rejuvenated. We set out early today to visit one of them, Dangar's Lagoon and, as the picture shows, the open landscape tot he east of it indeed looks lush and green.

The timing was not accidental as the forecast was for another heavy rain event this afternoon and we thought it best to see the lagoon in sunlight, if possible. However, the cloud scenes in the photos posted here testify to the impending storms. Our lagoons are areas of internal drainage not connected to the local river systems, so they contract sharply under dry conditions - aided and abetted by farmers who surreptitiously pump water for their own use, driving all the water birds away. Today, however, was just brilliant. The water level was highest I've seen it and the lagoon was teeming with families of ducks and swans (of the black variety).

The cluster of photos shows, firstly, the middle portion of the lagoon looking west and you'll probably make out three black swans in the middle among the reeds. Then we drove around the edge of the lagoon to a lovely hide provided by the national parks service where we could spy on the bird-life in a less threatening way. The second of the trio shows a black swan (they're all black in this district) on its nest atop a little mound surrounded by a variety of ducks. And the last of the three shows a bloke paddling a canoe around the lagoon with darkening clouds hovering overhead.

As you can see the scenery is very pleasant too, not to mention the peace and solitude.

AS