Wednesday 21 October 2020. The sun was shining, a light southerly was blowing, and Melbourne’s coronavirus lockdown radius had just been extended to 25 kilometres. Altogether it was an excellent day for a bike ride to Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve in Williamstown, an old Handel favourite but inaccessible since the imposition in early August of a five-kilometre lockdown radius. Not any more! Setting out from Handel HQ, I cycled along Somerville Rd and turned right onto Hyde St. Turning onto the bicycle path, I flew past the Yarraville ExxonMobil oil terminal (actually in Spotswood); under the mighty Westgate Bridge, whose tragic (partial) collapse 50 years ago was recently commemorated; past Handel-family-favourite Scienceworks; past the iconic Newport Power Station, with its not uninteresting, vaguely modernist design; along Williamstown’s Strand and historic Nelson Place; onto Cole St and then Osborne St, passing the rather lovely Williamstown Botanic Gardens; and finally onto Bay Trail West via Victoria St and the Esplanade, arriving thereby at Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve. I cycled as far as the quiet and peaceful bird hide tucked away in the far corner of the Paisley-Challis Wetlands, a reclaimed stormwater-drainage area adjoining the reserve. Here I stopped to observe some pelicans on a tyre-pontoon; beyond, the Ocean Onyx drilling rig was still in coronavirus-induced layover. Stopping regularly to take photos, I made my way slowly back through Jawbone Reserve, admiring en route the pretty Pigface, a hardy, salt-tolerant succulent now in bloom. I noticed that the family of Black Swans I had encountered earlier was drifting slowly from east to west. I had passed them as I was heading towards Paisley-Challis; now, they were 200 metres or so further on. Despite the perfect weather, and the expansion of the lockdown radius, there were fewer people out than I had anticipated. The weekend will tell. My one regret as I cycled home was not having seen any Royal Spoonbills. According to eBird Australia a small number of that curious and charming species were indeed present at Jawbone on the day of my visit. They must have been hiding.
Black Swan family, Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve Black Swan family, Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve Ocean Onyx from Paisley-Challis Wetlands Black Swans from Paisley-Challis Wetlands Paisley-Challis Wetlands Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve Pied Cormorants, Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve