How does wildlife respond to a climate of extremes? Some species may move into or out of an area, depending on the conditions; others may remain where they are, surviving as best they can until conditions improve.
Australia is one such land. In many regions, conditions veer between episodes of excessive rainfall and periods of extreme drought. When it is wet, hundreds of thousands of birds converge on the temporary waterbodies and wetlands to breed prolifically, providing a spectacle for tourists and photographers alike. When it is dry, they all move off, leaving only the resident species behind to cope. At best, photographs of the droughts show forlorn, often emaciated animals, or carcasses of dead birds.
How complete are such pictures? Whereas prolonged droughts are challenging, many resident species seem to have ways of coping with such adversity. Earlier this year, photographer Paul Gibson travelled to Lake Cargelligo in central west region of New South Wales, Australia, in the heart of the Murray-Darling Basin. The area is in the grips of its worst drought in over 100 years. Travelling there at such a time gave Paul an ideal opportunity to observe and photograph the wildlife surviving despite the drought. Focusing especially on birds, Paul photographed a wide diversity of species. In this month's Nature Talks, he will show a selection of his photographs and talk about his observations and experiences. His presentation will provide an opportunity to consider some of the issues raised above. Those who are familiar with Paul's books on New Zealand birds, the latest being Birds New Zealand — Beauty Like No Other (second edition), will know that his talk will be a visual feast.
Paul's talk, Wildlife of Arid Outback Australia, will be given in the Davis Lecture Theatre, Whanganui Regional Museum (Watt St entrance) on Tuesday, November 19, at 7.30pm. Entrance is free, although a gold-coin koha is always appreciated to help offset costs of hiring the theatre. This will be the last Nature Talks for this year.
Nature Talks is a series of monthly talks offered by three local environmental groups — Birds New Zealand (Whanganui Region), the Whanganui Museum Botanical Group and the Whanganui branch of Forest & Bird, and in conjunction with the Whanganui Regional Museum — on topics related to New Zealand's environment and natural history, and their conservation. The talks are normally held on the third Tuesday of each month.