Lake Gwelup

Thanks to Facebook, now I can offer suggestions as to what places we might visit. I found on Tim’s Australian Nature Pics a few bird photos from a place that John told me was close by, Lake Gwelup, so we went.

Situated on the western side of the suburb of Gwelup, lies the remainder of the once broader Lake Gwelup and accompanying bushland nature reserve. As one of the few wetlands that has a mostly intact native bushland, Lake Gwelup is home to a wide variety of local and visitor birds (waders, raptors, ducks etc.) as well many frogs (notably Moaning Frogs Heleioporus eyrei), reptile species (e.g. dugites, skinks and long necked turtles). Native flora in the bushland include Marri (Corymbia calophylla), Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), Flooded Gum (E. rudis), Tuart (E. gomphocephela) as well as at least four species of Banksia, many annual wildflowers (incl. orchids) and fungi. One of the most spectacular species of visiting birds is the Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus).

We needed our umbrella for part of the trip around.

The first thing we saw was this magnificent black shouldered kite.

Later, the same one or another black shouldered kite hovered around where we were.

There were a few herons there. They didn’t let us get too close.

I was very pleased with our short visit there, didn’t even care about the rain. 🙂