Yellow Water’s Cruise
Cooinda
The Yellow Waters Billabong at
Cooinda gets its name from the algal bloom found floating on its surface.
It is a paradise for
birdlife. The cruise is therefore best taken in the early morning or the late
afternoon
when the birds are most active.
In the background of this
picture one can see brumbies grazing in front of the paper-bark trees.
While horses are actually
feral, they are preserved in the park due to their close association with the
local aboriginal tribe who originally used them to hunt buffalo.
This pair of ducks keep a
tight watch over their flock of ducklings near the water’s edge.
Here the jabiru grooms
itself,
The magnificent deep green color
of its neck clearly visible,
Huddles between the trees, a flock of small brown ducks huddle together for safety.
.
Also taking shelter while waiting for the
dark, this night bird, with its big night eyes clearly evident
This amazing long-necked bird
catches fish by spearing them with its sharp beak
It then jumps into a tree
with 
the
prey sill impaled…
ß
And proceeds to beat
the fish against the trunk of the tree à
ßThe fish has stopped
struggling and is now
loosened from its beak…
The bird now juggles the fish
around to swallow it head first, the scales and fins therefore not causing any
damage to the bird’s long and slender neck.
Overhead, a
large bird of prey.
The Melaleuca
or Paper Bark has adapted to living in the wet by growing its roots up its own
trunk to avoid the water. This vast melaleuca swamp
covers thousands of acres.
A water lily adds a bright
drop of color to the waters of the billabong.
That night we stayed at Cooinda Lodge, before embarking on a 4WD safari to see
waterfalls.