After a pre-walk coffee at a nearby cafe, a nice number of walkers assembled at the Riverside Drive Carpark, Sans Souci. Russell Barnes and Col Packham led us southwards over the Captain Cook Bridge (opened 1965) and then along a path skirting the Taren Point Shorebird Reserve.
Further along the shoreline we stopped for morning tea at a rather smart new shelter and viewing platform looking out over the Towra Point Nature Reserve.
The Towra Point Reserve is a destination for the Bar-tailed Godwit, a migratory bird that flies in large numbers from Siberia each year in order to feed. In fact, the tidal wetlands of Towra Point are the last of the large wetlands of the Sydney region - most of the wetlands that existed prior to European settlement have been reclaimed and developed for housing, recreation and industry. It is an important site, recognised in the Ramsar Convention of sites of international importance.
Just offshore we noted a man-made “island” consisting of sand-filled bags which serves as a resting point for pelicans. There is also plenty of evidence around this area of oyster farming in years past.
Despite this area being a noted bird haven, we saw very few on this day. There was a small number of sandpipers, and two pairs of pied oyster catchers.
Returning on the east side of the Captain Cook Bridge, we walked the foreshore to Dolls Point and had lunch in the park adjoining the Georges River 16 Foot Sailing Club. The Kiss the Barrista cafe there was quite busy, and of course due to COVID limitations, there was no kissing to experience.
With luncheon over, we socially-distanced walkers made our way back to our cars at Sans Souci and headed home.
Thanks for Russell and Col for arranging this day and for being a mine of information about the local area.
