Day 34 Mamukala

Today we had a slow start, Kevin looked after the car and I got organised. After lunch we drove to Mamukala Wetlands for some birdwatching. The absolute peak for bird numbers is in the late dry season (August/September) when waterholes shrink dramatically, however we gave it a shot to see what would be there today from the dedicated bird hide from the safety of the viewing platform or along the 3km loop walk.





















We were told the other day on the cruise that aquatic plants had been dumped in the waterways of the Yellow River and they had multiplied so much that they had taken over the river. The waterway-smothering salvinia weed chokes waterways, covering the surface with a thick mat of vegetation that can reach up to 400 tonnes. It blocks plant life and starves the water of oxygen. The weed doubles in size every two days. But scientists have found one bug with an insatiable appetite for the weed — the salvinia weevil. Cleverly is has been managed somewhat by the weevil munching through hundreds of hectares of salvinia by eating out the bud. It seems to be working well.