Richmond

Smith Park, Pugh's Lagoon

Today we drove down to one of our favourite places, Pugh's Lagoon.  It was not a very nice day, very windy, in fact, blowing a gale.  We wanted to photograph birds and this is a great place to go to get some good shots of water birds.  There were plenty of ducks and waterfowl lying around, trying to keep out of the wind.  However, we soon found it was not the best day for photography and decided in the end we would leave it and come back on a better day.  We did manage to get a few good bird photos which I will post on instagram over the next few days. (shirleva471) 

One of the picnic sheds on the banks of the picturesque Lagoon.  Smith Park is a peaceful recreation space, ideal for a picnic and a spot of bird watching.  There is plenty of parking.  As it was such a windy day, I think the Swans and Pelicans had decided to seek shelter along the shoreline and consequently we did not see any cruising on the water.

Some of the geese, with their heads tucked under their wings, trying to protect themselves from the wind.

There are three ponds comprising the freshwater Lagoon and these wetlands are listed as an endangered ecological community.

A view between two trees of the other side of the Lagoon.

Pugh's Lagoon is named after Edward Pugh, transported to NSW as a convict in 1787.  He was later granted 100 acres of land immediately west of Richmond, near this Lagoon.

The trees on the far bank are bending in the wind.  The wind, every now and then, would whip up great gusts of dirt that appeared as a dust haze over the water.

Smith Park is divided into three specific areas and the boundaries are defined by the roads that run through it.

Some of the ducks down on the water's edge.

We also saw many Sparrows, Mynas, Willie Wagtails and Magpie Larks hopping around in the grass or flying around in the trees in the Park.