Thanks to George Graham’s letter last week for his reminder that the stormwater drain emptying into Clarkes Beach is not suitable for swimming – E. coli bacteria, yuck!
But I can’t agree with blocking it. Other beachside residents seem to thrive near this rivulet of ‘fresh’ water, regardless of human pollution.
Red-capped plovers run vigorously along the damp edges of the drain, the pied oystercatcher’s chick hides in a clump of seaweed as it builds up the energy for its first flight, the vulnerable species of beach stone-curlews are successfully raising their chick nearby, the little black cormorant swims in the murky water looking for a feed, a whimbrel from Siberia does a fly-by looking for a resting place, while a pair of Caspian terns with distinctive bright red beak blend in with the resident crested terns and silver gulls.
Sharing our beach with the birds is such a delight. Let’s continue to work on improving the water quality through protecting our wetlands and let more birds thrive.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
