My Patch

Not exactly a pristine waterway: The Cooks River at Tempe

And in its upper reaches, little more than a stormwater ditch

My local birding patch? Well, that's up and down The Cooks River. Well worth a look for all sorts of birds. Don't bother to pack your swimsuit though. Nobody swims in this river. Not anymore. Although early last century they did. You can even find old photographs of lifesavers patrolling the riverbanks. Since then, industrial waste, including heavy metals, has accumulated in the river bed, and sewerage overflow pipes have often contaminated the water with faecal coliforms. Add to that the tons of rubbish, especially plastics, that are washed into the river through stormwater drains. So you don't want to take a dip here. Not even a quick one. Some people panic if they get so much as a splash from the water. But birdos are made of stronger stuff than that, and we regularly get into the mud between the mangroves to gawp at a Striated Heron or a Royal Spoonbill.

I shake my head when I see people fishing along the river though.

Just eat the chips