Tom Parkinson's monthly column, introducing the diverse range of flora and fauna on show at Sanctuary Lakes.

As we stroll along the Boulevard
With an independent air
You can hear us all declare
"We must be a Millionaire."
English Music Hall Song; by Fred Gilbert 1892

With the milder weather on the horizon, it could be an ideal time to enjoy the circular walk around the estate's Boulevards.  The distance is around six and a half kilometres, roughly a two hour stroll - perfect for that weekend walk.  To add to your enjoyment, I thought the next two Nature's Rubik should highlight some of the more interesting of the Boulevard's flora, fauna and fascinating facts; such as "how many litres of water evaporates off the lake on a hot day?"   Ten thousand, half a million, maybe one or two million, four million or even more perhaps.  You will be amazed by the answer which is a tease for next month's Rubik.

Let's start our walk at the most northern of the lake's beaches - the Good Samaritan Lookout, named in memory of Sanctuary Lakes' resident Luke Mitchell, killed while heroically helping a stranger who was being brutally bashed by a gang in Brunswick in May 2009.

Australian raven corvus coronoidesThe Australian Raven Corvus Coronoides The Australian Raven Corvus CoronoidesThis popular beach has nine young River Gums and a Ficus tree on the promontory.  As the Lookout lies next to the mouth of the canal, it attracts numerous species of waterbirds.  Nesting in the largest River Gum overlooking the canal is most dominant of Australian birds, the Australian Raven (Corvus Coronoides).

The Australian raven is easily distinguished from the crow species by its throat hackle feathers, which are prominent in adult birds.  Adult Ravens also have distinctive white irises eyes, their calls differ slightly from crows, but they are quite divergent genetically.  Adult Raven are sedentary, a breeding pair can occupy and dominate a territory of up to 150 hectares (most of the lake area) and remains there all year-round.  The flocks that are sometimes seen are young adults searching for territories and mates.  Once they have established a territory, the Australian ravens will vigorously defend it by chasing, dive-bombing and occasionally striking the backs of birds.  I even saw one, on the golf course, attack a fox. The Ravens nesting at Samaritan Lookout Lookout dominate all the other birds - Gulls, Coots, Cormorants, Swans, even the Pelicans.

While crossing the canal bridge, you will see two underwater pipes.  One follows the left bank and enters a filter system which pumps the water for the Fountain in the centre of the lake. The second pipe is in the middle of the canal and this goes to the top of the canal and pumps out the salt water from the tridal pond in Cheetham Creek.  If you look up the canal some fifty metres, you will see some barley straw bales in the water.  These are placed there to prevent algae blooming in the canal. 

Ficus MicrocarpaFicus Microcarpa Ficus MicrocarpaFive hundred metres on from the Canal Bridge, we come to the most popular beach with locals, the Rod Partington Reserve. It has become a regular neighbourhood social gathering spot with its permanent gas BBQ and table.  My street sometimes gathers for a BBQ and Boules (French Bowls) afternoon. The flat sand makes an almost perfect pitch for amateur Boules.  Added to the social fun is a pre-school children's playground which my grandchildren have named the "wibbly wobbly park".  Partington Reserve is given a look of distinction by its five maturing Ficus Microcarpa trees. There is a Ficus Microcarpa growing on the peninsular at Samaritan Lookout and three beautiful specimens on the next beach at Pelican Bay.

Also known as the Indian Laurel, Chinese Banyan or Malayan Bayan, Ficus Microcarpa has many synonyms and is widely distributed.  Although ours are Australian native, each country seems to have grown its own distinctive variations. This could be partly due to the symbolically pollinating Fig Wasp.

In Australia the pollinating Fig Wasp associated with Ficus Microcarpa is Eupristina verticillata. The Ficus fruit nuts when ripe are enjoyed by the Parrots and the Partington Reserve's Ficus are already attracting a small flock of Corellas.

Less than a kilometre on from the Reserve is the small beach of Pelican Bay. Walking along the Boulevard, the gardens are starting to shine with rich native flora, which of course attracts our wonderful native birds.

native bird 01native bird 02native bird 03

Depending on the time of day the Australian garden birds you are most likely to see on this part of the stroll are (in order above) the Willy Wag Tail, White Plumed Honey Eater and the New Holland Honey Eater.

The Boulevard trees Simon Poplar on the median strip and Angophora Costata on the walkway are maturing beautifully.  As the summer ends, the Simon Poplar are preparing themselves for the autumn changes.

When you reach Pelican Bay, instead of looking at the lake, look over the road where you will see a recently planted park reserve designed around a series of ponds.  These are in fact settlement ponds for Sanctuary Lakes' Lake. The water for these ponds come from the surrounding road systems with some as far as west of Point Cook Road. The pond water is pumped under the Boulevard and is piped out into Pelican Bay.  This gives the Bay a heady mix of brackish water which starts a micro Nature's Rubik with the brackish water, encouraging the Sea Tassel weed which in turn brings the swans, whose weed disturbance and poo encourage the small invertebrates (shrimps, sand worms, snails etc.) and the water midges, which encourages the fish and healthy bird life and so the Rubik turns.

After Pelican Bay, the stroll continues along South Boulevard passing a couple of new lakeside reserves which are still being planned and planted.  For the moment, their dominant tree is the ubiquitous Norfolk Pine.  Some are growing successfully but a few are unfortunately being "wind pruned".  The South Boulevard gently moves north easterly and we come to the Slipway.  This is the southern point of the lake and the slipway seen on the lake side of the Boulevard controls the lake from flooding.  Water flows into the lake from the canal and settlement ponds and any excess is passed through the slipway, then under the Boulevard and dispersed into the Cheetham Wetlands.

In next month's Nature's Rubik, we will complete the Boulevard circuit including a slight detour along the Cheetham footpath.