A Raindrop falling on the Head

Today I had a busy morning with the Physio for my leg.. he gave me some ultrasound on it to help with the healing. Apart from my leg being all bruised I am managing to take slow walks without too much trouble. After the Physio I had to see my GP.. I had some time to fill in and didn't want to go home again so took a shot walk around the Travis Wetland Nature Heritage Park.

It was a very overcast but mild morning with a few raindrops falling from time to time. I enjoyed sitting and listening to all the bird singing, they were too high up in the trees for me to get any shots of them. I did spy a really big spider but could get a great shot of him. The Pūkeko were not playing ball either!

The Travis Wetland Nature Heritage Park is a lowland freshwater wetland, located in the midst of an urban environment. It offers a number of easy walkways and viewing areas, with opportunities to see many bird species and plant communities. The walking tracks are suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs and there are a number of opportunities to take a rest on seats along the way.

Fifty-five species of birds, including 35 natives, have been recorded at the wetland. Travis is the most important freshwater wetland for birds in Christchurch, supporting about half the total Christchurch pukeko population. An indigenous skink, the native short-fined eel and possibly the Canterbury mudfish are present in the wetland. Travis also supports healthy populations of a diverse variety of insects. As the diversity of habitat develops, additional species are expected to occur.

Nearly 80 per cent of pre-European native wetland plant species are present in the wetland, including a number of species now rare on the Canterbury Plains. These include the only substantial stand of manuka, a species of spider orchid and a native sundew, which are regionally vulnerable.