On a recent trip to the South West we spend a few days camped on the shore of Lake Towerrinning near Boyup Brook. It is a large freshwater lake with surprisingly clean deep water surrounded by farmland. Adjacent to the main lake is a smaller shallow salt lake filled with bleached tree skeletons, stinking black mud and a slightly sinister atmosphere.
Together the two lakes provide a wide range of habitat and consequently, the area is a haven for birds. There was a large population of White Faced Heron, Black Winged Stilts, Spoonbills, Blue Wrens and various other waders.
In the early light of dawn I walked around the salt lake and was witness to the most spectacular sunrise I think I have ever seen. A large fire was burning in nearby Boddington and the smoke filled atmosphere and stormy overcast skies caught the light in deep shades of red and blue which reflected perfectly in the still waters of the lake. It lasted about ten minutes before the light softened and faded and the dramatic intensity was gone.
At one point I looked into the mirror like surface of the lake to see a perfect image of the clouds above in the most delicate subtle shades of blue and silvery grey. It seemed as if a portal into another world had momentarily declared itself with beautiful deep intensity. Without any need for a clear understanding of my thoughts or feelings I knew I was witnessing something profound and rare which would leave a mark on my mind.
The two days which we spent there were very hot and the light was harsh so we spent most of our time swimming with the dog and sitting in the shade. In the late afternoon I went for a walk and came across a family of Splendid Blue Wrens in a prickly paper bark tree.
I was lucky to get some clear shots of these tiny birds on a paperbark branch before they disappeared into the thick bush. I sat and waited at a distance hoping they would reappear.
I was lucky, curiosity overcame fear and these tiny birds allowed me to get quite close and photograph them flitting about in the last of the day's light. At one point a vivid blue male snuggled up with two females in a tangle of sharp grey branches.
The two females did not seem very content with this arrangement and it wasn't long before one left. The remaining male and female remained together in the middle of the bush allowing me to get a couple of clear shots.
Finally, unnerved by my presence a gaggle of females left the bush, relocating to another close by. The little male was left alone on a branch where he sat for a couple of seconds before leaving to rejoin his harem.
As I walked back to camp I noticed hundreds of bright blue dragonflies among the reeds. The light was catching their wings which shimmered as the reeds wavered in the breeze. In the morning I went to have a look. All that remained of the dragonflies were empty shells. Overnight they had shed their skin and flown away.
