This post is also a bit different to my normal posts because there are not many bird or wildlife photos below, but not through a lack of trying. I had been thinking about going for a paddle on the Clyde River for a while but the opportunity never really came up until November. Then, when it did arise, it was almost a spur of the moment thing. As a family we had nothing to do one Sunday, when the weather was forecast to be fantastic and I realised I had a chance to let my family stay home while I undertook the trip. I did not really want to go on a Sunday because I knew that the river, as well as the roads, were likely to be busy. I was right. I had originally planned to paddle further up the river but I think there was a slight flow in the river and the number of powerboats on the river kept reminding me that I was not really far from the crowds. Do not get me wrong, the powerboat drivers were all considerate, giving me plenty of room and generally passed me at a reasonable speed but the noise and the resulting wake meant it was hard to focus on the nature. In the end I decided that I was not really getting the chance to see wildlife, possibly because there was too much activity on the river, so I might as well turn around. I am keen to try the river again, but not on a weekend and I may try to turn off the main channel to see what a smaller creek has to offer as far as wildlife photography opportunities. I hope you enjoy the somewhat limited pictures below.
To paddle along the river I set off from Canberra very early on Sunday morning with my blue kayak strapped to the roof racks of my car. I was heading to Nelligen, on the south coast of NSW, just inland from Batemans Bay, where I launched my kayak from just south of the bridge. I have a picture below of what my kayak looked like. I was not too overloaded with things but I did have a number of items that I wanted to carry. to help my photographing. I also took plenty of water as well as some lunch. I followed the river north-north-east, against the flow. The temperature ended up being around 30 degrees Celsius, which felt very warm for somebody only used to the cooler mornings of Canberra.
My paddling route up and back along the Clyde River
My kayak at the launching location in Nelligen
(Apple iPhone 8 [ISO 20, 3.99mm, f/1.8 and 1/1000 SEC])
Looking up the Clyde River in the direction I was going to travel
(Apple iPhone 8 [ISO 20, 3.99mm, f/1.8 and 1/1000 SEC])
I had been paddling for almost three hours and had covered almost 17 km when I decided that this was not really the right day to do what I was doing. My main objective was photography, not just paddling on the river. At about that time I saw a spot where I thought I could land the kayak to allow me to stretch my legs. It was also the first time that I wanted to take my camera out because I could hear some birds around.
There was possibly a number of different species but the only bird that I was able to photograph properly was this Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus) and even this bird was high up in a tree. There were a number of birds flying between trees. They did not appear to be chasing each other away but just moving between trees. That said, this species is noted as an aggressive bird during the breeding season, chasing away other woodswallows, as well as other species of birds, from the nest location.
Dusky Woodswallow in a tree
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
My kayak where I pulled-in to have a break before heading back down the river to the left of the picture
(Apple iPhone 8 [ISO 20, 3.99mm, f/1.8 and 1/1000 SEC])
After hopping back in the kayak to head down stream I noticed some old, dead trees in the water. I rather liked their shapes, like some grotesque, contorted creature coming up from the depths. I wondered if I was actually looking at part of the root system of trees that had tumbled into the water because there was no dam that would have caused flooding along this part of the river and drown such, large, established trees. That was when I also noticed the current in the river because the kayak would not stay still, it kept drifting past these trees. There was also the a trace of a current on the downstream side of trees in the river as the river moved around objects that it could not budge.
Old, dead trees sticking out of the river
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])
Another tree in the river
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/10 and 1/320 SEC])
I kept paddling on a little bit more before I stopped for lunch on a small, false island. I figured that the river’s level was probably up a little and because of extra water meaning this bit of raised land was cut off from the bank. There was some shallow water between this island and then main river bank, with some plants underwater that did not look like water plants. That little bit of isolation on some green grass, under a shady tree with my kayak pulled up, dry out of the river, was the perfect place to sit while watching the river slowly meander past. While I was enjoying that peaceful solitude a Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) popped up in the middle of the river channel. It did not notice me because I was just part of the scenery. I slowly brought my camera up to my eye to take some shots because I did not want to startle the bird. After a little while it flew to a sunken branch in the river where it stayed to dry out its feathers. With the cormorant resting there, I figured that it was time to continue my paddling. I dragged my kayak down from where it was perched on the grass mound, to let it slide straight as an arrow back into the waters of the Clyde River.
Little Black Cormorant swimming in the river
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
The same bird resting on a sunken tree
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
There was a private camping ground along the way, named after the Victorian town, Bonnie Doon, made famous in the iconic 1997 Australian movie, The Castle.
Bonnie Doon Park on the Clyde River
Olympus Tough TG-6 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/320 SEC]
When I returned to Nelligen, after getting sorted out and changed, I had a quick cool drink, then I hopped in the car for the drive home.
I enjoyed the paddle but I was disappointed that I had not seen more wildlife. I will do another paddle along the Clyde River but I will try to avoid the main channel, which always seems to be busy.
Thanks for reading this post and thanks also for looking at my photos. I hope you come back again to read more about some of the wonderful natural things that the Australian Capital Territory has on offer. All the best until the next post.