Byron Bay Wetlands appear to have escaped relatively lightly from the October bush-fire that burnt from Byron Bay to close to Brunswick Heads in October 2023. The fire impinged mainly on the western side of the reserve and did not affect the wetland area directly.
One year and one month after the NSW bushfires
It was just over a year ago that the Currawon bushfire raged through Conjola National Park south of Sydney, burning most of the park. At the survey sites I monitor the rains of the last year have meant a faster recovery than expected, but progress varies greatly depending on the terrain. Where the hottest fires struck in tall eucalypt forest there is a mix of trees recovering through epicormic growth and other trees, usually the smaller ones, that appear to be dead at this stage. In coastal scrub there are large areas where all the trees are dead but the undergrowth is renewing.
Bird numbers are recovering but still not to the pre-fire levels. The most noticeable absence is the large honeyeaters, especially the Red Wattlebirds.
NSW South Coast Bush Shows Green Shoots
Ten weeks after the bush fire there are green shoots to soften the bleak colours of the burnt bush. The heavy rain of the past few weeks has been very timely but a lot questions remain about the fire’s impact on wildlife. Bird species numbers on the bush survey sites I monitor are not showing any increase since the fires. But this week a flock of Thornbills feeding in the fresh green foliage increased the total number of birds counted.
There do seem to be more birds around the townships and some less common birds have taken up residence. The photos below show some of the newcomers.