A single walkway girded by metal mesh leads from the banks of the Tamar River to its heart where Tamar Island slumbers. As an urban wetlands reserve, it is also one of the last protected outcrops of the coastal paperbark forests of Tasmania. The distinctive thin parchment-like cork that peels away in patches across the tree’s body gives it a mottled brown shading, revealing spots of sandy brown beneath its heavy crown of leaves. The swampy marshes that once dominated the landscape have since sunken back but the reeds and tall grasses continue to reign over the riverbanks. Structures resembling reed columns lashed together form sheltered promontories looking out into the river. Bird hides are built with sufficient seating for avid birdwatchers to whip out their binoculars and long range cameras in wait for the rare migratory species that might chance across their frames. Even on an average day, the Tamar Island Wetlands is a bustling metropolis of birds with black swans drifting across the waters. The bright bobbing emerald head of the chestnut teal and the black laced wings of the grey teal abound the reserve, being the two most common duck species on the Tamar. The deep ebony of the great cormorant is often visible against the cloudless skies while white bellied sea eagles swoop down with talons extended to pluck their next meal from beneath the water’s surface. Keep your eyes peeled at the Wetlands and its feathery inhabitants will gradually reveal themselves to you.