On the way to Chippendale you stopped, the artificial lake in Victoria Park gave reason for a picture:
Ibises roosting on a willow.
These majestic native birds are one of the winners of nowadays urban wildlife, as the wikipedia entry:
Historically rare in urban areas, the Australian White Ibis has immigrated to urban areas of the east coast in increasing numbers since the late 1970s; it is now commonly seen in Wollongong, Sydney, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Townsville. Debate continues on whether to consider it a pest or vulnerable species. Populations have disappeared from natural breeding areas such as the Macquarie Marshes in northwestern New South Wales. Despite this, the species has been culled in parts of Sydney due to their smell and at times obtrusive nature.
The culling part is quite interesting, read this Sydney Morning Herald article about the Royal Botanic Gardens management plan for the birds.
Despite the issues of cohexistence between humans and native species, was amusing to see a willow being chosen as a roosting tree from the birds.
The rough botanical survey of Chippendale continues, amongst various other commitments, like the current project you are doing with the SquatSpace collective at the Redfern Community Centre, in preparation for a show next year, There Goes The Neighbourhood, at Performance Space, Redfern.
You are very keen on this project, mostly because is dealing with local issues in a local setting.
The latest additions are a number of street trees, the usual species really, platanus and celtis.
LIsa Kelly, who’s studio is on the other side of the train track from this Fraser’s of yours, is propagating platanus seedlings, in preparation for the show next year, you’re looking forward to see the results of 6 months of botanical nursing.
