Saltmarsh is an endangered habitat and some of the reasons behind its fragility include weeds, development traffic including bikes and 4 wheel drives as well as predicted sea rise from climate change. Hays inlet still has some significant areas of saltmarsh which are important nursery sites for fish, provide habitat for wading birds, improves the water quality entering Moreton Bay and is one of the most effective habitats in storing carbon. REF Inc along with its partners has continued to work in these areas including removing some serious weeds from the landward buffer zones of Casuarina and Melaleuca.
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Recently weeding work has been carried out in these buffer zones as well as a new set of saltmarsh transects being put in place to monitor the health of the saltmarsh vegetation. A recent high tide had receded when I noticed the channels between patches of marine couch and saltmarsh vegetation were full of snails. A closer inspection revealed that as well as snails many small fish had been trapped in the channels and with the tide receded were now in real danger of being desiccated.

When high tides inundate saltmarsh many fish move in with the water to take advantage and feed on the high levels of algae and detritus. Clearly this is a risky business for if they don’t retreat with the tide they risk being trapped on the saltmarsh. Without the tide, this is a harsh environment and really its invertebrates that do best in these conditions. The snails can close up shop by closing an operculum on their shell effectively creating a moist environment. They will often make their way to the base of surrounding vegetation in order to avoid direct exposure to the sun. Other invertebrates including mangrove whelks employ a similar strategy, although in this case they make their way to the shade found on the surface of mangroves. Other invertebrates including crabs will burrow into the marsh sediment and wait out for the next tide.

This is generally not an option for fish; once the water recedes they are trapped. A closer inspection of these channels areas revealed that one or two of the fish appeared to have buried themselves into the sediment. Saltmarsh specialists such as gobies do have burrows and are adapted to cope with heat and excess salt levels. But these fish were not gobies and perhaps this is a behaviour used by them to avoid a harsh death. There appears to be nothing in the literature about this behaviour and the author would be appreciative if any reader has come across this behaviour in the literature. Saltmarsh can be a harsh environment, especially during low tide at daytime. Invertebrates with their external shells and burrowing habits dominate here, but many species of fish will make their way onto the saltmarsh during high tides regardless of the risk. Another reason for us to appreciate the saltmarsh and do everything we can to preserve the remaining sections at Hays Inlet.

Working on our saltmarsh rehabilitation project, REF Inc has been working with its partners to control as much weed as possible around the large saltmarsh area at the end of the Silcock Street Reserve. Last week we were working with a team from Conservation Volunteers Australia when I noticed that the Osprey’s nest adjacent to the Redcliffe Golf Club has been diminished. The ospreys themselves were not to be seen anywhere.

This gave us a chance to reflect on their presence in the area. For the past four years they have provided a highlight for many visitors and volunteers to the project area. On a number of community days including bushcare and Green Army events the breeding pair looked down from their roost as if to approve the work being done to enhance the area. At different times we would often catch glimpses of their chicks (three sets from our count) or se one of the adult birds at their feeding tree with a fish caught from the adjacent Hays Inlet.
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Their nest has disintegrated, although the tree is still strong and clear at the top. According to bird experts, they may well return and rebuild the nest in the near future. Alternatively they may have found a new roosting tree, hopefully nearby. One thing is for certain, we will be keeping our eyes out to see what happens next.  They are an apex predator and have shown us that there are still fish to be caught in Hays Inlet. They are a fantastic bird to watch in the wild, for some a real privilege to see them go about their daily routine. They remind us why we care about the area, so let’s hope they rebuild their nest so we can enjoy their presence each time we visit the reserve.
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