Despite winds up to 27 km per hour 24 volunteers from Little Bay Scouting and La Perouse Coastcare had a productive morning cleaning up Molineux Point, Bumborah Point and Yarra Bay beach and dunes. Scouts leader Ian brought screens to collect small plastics. Two Ofo bikes were recovered from the Port Botany Revetment Wall
On a Weeds Field trip to the Central Coast today to see Sicilian Sea Lavender –Limonium hyblaeum (Plumbaginaceae) – in situ at Saratoga Nature Reserve before its eradication. This invasive species which destroys native salt marsh species, has already taken hold in Victoria . Fortunately it has only been recorded in NSW at Saratoga and Lake Conjelligo. Thanks to Nicola Nixon for organising the trip.
One of the pollinators of Sicilian Sea Lavender
Paul Marynissen talking about Sicilian Sea Lavender at Saratoga Nature Reserve
Photographing mangroves in the new wellies
View from Saratoga Nature Reserve
From Saratoga Nature Reserve
Exposed roots of Sicilian Sea Lavender
Checking dune species at Saratoga Nature Reserve
More weed species at Saratoga Nature Reserve
Paul Marynissen talking about Kudzu
Another disturbing incursion has been the Kudzu( Pueraria lobata) observed in a number of locations on the Central Coast and Northern NSW.
Scouts on Rocks
The weather was perfect this morning for the annual clean up of Molineux and Bumborah Points at Port Botany.
Rubbish and Recycling Bags Bumborah
Scouts and Cubs at Bumborah
The Molineux group
Industrial Landscape
Cycling at Molineux
Corellas
On the rocks at Molineux
La Perouse Coastcare at Molineux
Bag from Bumborah
Bag on the beach
Cleaning up butts in the bush at Molineux
Container Ship and Wake through Heads of Botany Bay
Water Testing yesterday at Congwong Lagoon: Water Temperature 23; pH 6; Electrical Conductivity 680; Turbidity 18; Coliforms 1300 per 100ml; Dissolved oxygen 4.7 (55%) Phosphate 0.06 ppm.
In 2013 Caltex was responsible for a major oil spill in Botany Bay and in April 2015 undertook to provide funds for work on the Gross Pollutant Trap that filters stormwater entering Congwong Lagoon.
Photos from yesterday including signs at the entry to the Beach (6 poles but no bike rack).
Seen on the walk to Henry Head today: Woody pears and banksia emerging after recent fires; Endiandra sieberi (Corkwood) along with tree ferns at Happy Valley creek; Chloanthes stoechadis recovering very slowly after being cut out in 2006; new sign at the entry to the Orica track to Cape Banks; Endeavour lighthouse and Henry Head fortifications; Hybanthus monopetalus; Wet n Wild near the Minmi wreck Cape Banks; scenes of Bare Island with Banks (revetment wall)Norfolk Pine Macquarie Watchtower Museum and monument.
Tree ferns now tower over the bridge but weed extensive, eg. near the Corkwood – Endiandra sieberi
Results: Dissolved Oxygen at 11% was well below the boundary limit. Turbidity and Temperature readings at 15 and 23 respectively were fine. Electrical conductivity at 560 was higher than usual. Available phosphate at 0.09 was expected given the extensive weed and runoff. The e-coli count was around the usual.
Frenchman’s Beach – one sailing boat destroyed and another off its mooring; Congwong Lagoon and beach eroded; Bare Island; The Kiel Express’s bow rams the Safmarine Makutu midship at Port Botany.
From World Maritime News: A super storm that hit Sydney Tuesday night wrought havoc on the city’s commercial Port Botany, cutting the mooring of Hapag-Lloyd’s 67,ooo tonne container ship the Kiel Express, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
The drifting ship, propelled by winds reaching 70 miles per hour, left a trail of destruction behind, cutting the mooring of the OOCL Hong Kong, and ultimately slamming into a stationary Safmarine ship, the Makutu. The strong winds then turned the Kiel Express, causing a side-by-side collision with the 62,000 tonne Makutu.
The OOCL Hong Kong was anchored away from the docks, with the unsecured containers on board the vessel preventing the tug boat crews to tow it further out to sea.
The ships have reportedly suffered only surface damage. The port’s two cranes that had been hit in the process are also not extensively damaged, and are deemed operational.
The Botany Port plans to resume operations on Wednesday night.
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