Tipuana tipu (after massive storm)

Description:

I've chosen to add this spotting because it shows how rapidly an environment can change. I posted a spotting of these trees in February this year, so you can make a before and after comparison: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/155... A massive storm ripped through Brisbane a couple of days ago leaving a path of destruction and causing over AUD one billion dollars in damage. With cyclonic winds (Category 2) in excess of 140 kph, torrential rain, and large hail, this supercell didn't spare much. These trees are probably 40+ years old, but now will most likely be turned into wood chip. They were in full leaf too and looked magnificent. This scene is repeated a hundred times in my suburb alone, and that's just large trees. The rest is property and infrastructure damage.

Habitat:

In our local park, in an inner-city suburb of Brisbane.

Notes:

The last photo shows two little survivors - Australian Magpies (mother and chick). They just had to ride it out and were lucky to see another day, particularly after a hail storm. I expected to see dead birds everywhere, but found none. I still can't find my resident Ringtail Possum though, nor the Tawny Frogmouths which have been in my yard for the past couple of weeks. To lose these trees is to lose even more habitat for wildlife in an urban environment, and that makes me feel so sad. PS: The video gives a good account of events. The last couple of minutes of footage was taken only a short distance from my neighbourhood.