Birds Australia Western Australia Coming Events

Birds Australia WA organises regular activities for members. Many of the events are open to the general public. The following are scheduled:

This campout is in collaboration with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) who have owned and managed Mt Gibson Station as a wildlife sanctuary since 2001. AWC, with assistance from the Department of Environment and Conservation, have been controlling feral animals on the station and monitoring the effects on wildlife.
The turnoff to Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary is 74 km north-east of Wubin along the Great Northern Highway heading for Paynes Find. The homestead is 27 km from the main road. Two-wheel-drive vehicles are able to get into the sanctuary, but four-wheel-drives will be needed when moving around. Fill your fuel tank at Wubin. Bring warm clothes and sleeping gear as it gets cold inland at this time of year.
Accommodation: AWC has agreed to waive all camping fees.
There is a visitors centre which has five single dongas with two showers/toilets and cooking facilities. Nearby there is a shearing shed with an additional five beds.
The camp site is currently 2 km from the shearing shed and has drinking water and two pit toilets. However, by June the camp site may have moved to a new location. It is likely to have similar, but more salubrious facilities.
We plan to carry out surveys in different vegetation types around the station. The bird watching is good for dry land species such as Southern Scrub-robin, Chestnut and Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush, Mulga and Bourke Parrot, honeyeaters, Redthroat and Malleefowl, all of which have been seen recently. It is eight years since BAWA has had a campout at Mt Gibson Station.
To book the dongas or the shearing shed beds call caretakers Stan and Mary at Mt Gibson on 9963 6518. Numbers will be limited so please call the BA office to put your name on the list.
For members and guests only.

Leader: John and Ruth Luyer and George and Pam Agar

Meet at 8:00 am in Fawcett Road, 100 m from Mayor Road. Nearly 100 species of birds have been seen on and around the lake, including nine raptors. It is a large lake and has a path right around it so some people may wish to do the full circuit. There has been a lot of development in the area and Lake Coogee hasn’t been visited by BAWA since 2003. We may go on to another site after morning tea.
For members and the general public.

Leader: Paul Marty

Meet at 8:30 am at the turnoff to the park at the corner of Toodyay Road and Morangup Road, 42 km from Midland Junction. There is a sign for Avon Valley National Park at this turnoff.
For anyone arriving late, we will be travelling along Morangup Road to the National Park entry, which is again signposted, then along Forty-One Mile Road. This will lead to the valley camp site overlooking the Avon River.
There will be some waterbirds on the river, and many other species in good Jarrah, Marri and Wandoo (Whitegum) woodland. Bring your lunch, as there are no supplies within the park. Roads in the park are gravel but safe for two-wheel-drive cars, and there are the usual facilities.
For those who wish to make a weekend of it, we will be camping on Saturday night at the group camping area. Contact the office for further details and to register.
For members and guests only.

Meet at 8:30 am in the car park off Murdoch Drive. Turn off Leach Highway or South Street into Murdoch Drive at the lights. From Leach Highway take the second turn right, across the dual carriage way, into the grassed park area to the car park.It is approximately 700 m from Leach Highway. This park used to be a pine plantation, and has two artificial lakes and one natural permanent lake. Spotless Crakes and numerous other waterbirds frequent the area. There is a considerable area of natural bushland around the lake and this is home to the usual local species.
For members and the general public.

Leaders: Clive Napier

Meet at 9:00 am at the corner of Flynn Road and Great Eastern Highway, about 10 km past Sawyers Valley or 1 km on the Perth side of The Lakes (the York turnoff). We will look at several areas of Wandoo woodland, where three species of robin are often seen, and sometimes a Crested Shrike-tit.
For members and guests only.

Leader: Charles Merriam

Meet at 8:30 am opposite Carey Baptist College on Wright Road, Forrestdale.
This reserve is fenced but has a swing gate at this location. There are good tracks throughout with varied vegetation including wetland areas that may have some water in them if we get early winter rain. Many bushbirds have been seen including Scarlet Robin, Splendid Fairy-wren, Western Spinebill, White-browed Scrub-wren, Grey Shrike-thrush, Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo, Red-capped Parrot and Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, to name just a few. Wetland species are also a possibility. Wear old shoes/gumboots just in case.
For members and guests only.

Leader: Debbie Walker

Nick Dunlop, Chairman of the Conservation Council, will give an illustrated talk entitled “Population dynamics of tropical seabirds breeding off South West Australia”.

Accommodation and travel arrangements for this survey will be as in previous surveys. Accommodation at the UWA Research Station, at $11 per night. Bring, or buy there, your own food. The Rottnest Islander concession ferry fare is $32. There will also be a small extra cost for the UWA vehicle. Whilst there are not many waders present in the winter, the bushbirds can be interesting with the presence of winter migrants. Contact Sue Mather, 93896416, Email: sma12577@bigpond.net.au if you are interested in participating.
For members only.

Leader: Sue Mather

Meet at 9:00 am at The Lakes turnoff to York after travelling along Great Eastern Highway. For those arriving late, we will travel along the Great Southern Highway 13 km, turn right into Yarra Road for 2 km, then left into West Talbot Road for 23 km, then left into Talbot Road for 5 km, then right into Talbot Hall Road for approximately 3 km, then right into McDougall Road. The entrance to the property is on the right; watch for the BAWA sign. We are visiting the property of Eggy and Rob Boggs, which has been visited on a number of occasions by BAWA members. Tea and coffee making facilities will be available. Bring your own lunch. Barbeque facilities are also available.
For members and guests only.

Leader: Paul Marty

Meet at 8:00 am at the junction of Hummerston Road and Schipp Road at the southern end of Kalamunda National Park. Take Mundaring Weir Road from Kalamunda, and turn left into Hummerston Road. We should see Golden Whistler, perhaps the introduced Red-browed Finch, and other bushbirds.
For members and guests only.

Leader: Stella Stewart-Wynne

Meet at 8:30 am in the car park in the Memorial Park. Pinnaroo is an extensive bushland area very close to the Mitchell Freeway in Padbury. Turn south off Whitford’s Avenue at the “cemetery” sign, go ahead through the roundabout then turn right immediately into the car park. This is an interesting park where gardens and lawns are flanked by natural woodland of Tuarts and Banksias. About 80 bird species have been identified in the area, including Splendid Fairy-wren, Scarlet Robin and Varied Sittella.
For members and the general public.

Leader: Paul Marty and Robina Haynes

Meet at 8:00 am in the car park, Azelia Road, opposite the Azelia Ley Homestead Museum, on the western side of the lake. This is a semi-permanent wetland, with a fringe of paperbark trees, noted for its waterbirds. Bushbirds are also plentiful in the reserve and in bush to the west.
For members and the general public.

Leader: Barry and Molly Haynes

Meet at 8:00 am at the end of North Mole, near the light house. We will look for seabirds here, and then go onto Woodman Point. Bring your telescope if you have one.
For members and guests only.

Leader: Michael Craig and Paul Marty

John Dell, Environmental Officer with the Department of the Environment and Conservation, will give an illustrated talk entitled “Honeyeaters in the Coastal Plain — threats and conservation”.

Meet at 8:00 am in the car park of the Perth Pony Club. To reach the car park, drive along John Sanders Drive from the Perth direction, and turn left just before you reach Selby Street. This is one of the waterbird refuges that never dries up. Bring your telescope if you have one.
For members and the general public.

Leader: Claire Gerrish

Meet at 8:30 am. Take the left hand turn off Mandurah Road onto Paganoni Road. Proceed 1.3 km until the Paganoni Swamp sign on the right (there are power lines here). Parking is along Paganoni Road. We will be looking for Western Yellow Robins and Grey Currawongs among many others in this area of diverse habitats. Participants then have the option of proceeding to the beach for lunch and to look for seabirds. This excursion is in conjunction with the Friends of Paganoni Swamp.
For members and the general public.

Leader: Mary Vaughan

Meet at 8:30 am on the corner of Yarra Road and Great Southern Highway. Travel along Great Eastern Highway to The Lakes turnoff to York. Travel about 13 km along the Great Southern Highway to Yarra Road. We will look at various areas of Wandoo woodland where Crested Shrike-tit and Hooded Robin have been seen.
For members and guests only.

Leader: Sue Abbotts

Meet at 8:00 am at the junction of the South West Highway and Falls Road (the turnoff to Serpentine Falls). We will walk along a ridge overlooking Serpentine Falls, also with views across the plain to the ocean. The bush in this area has both Marri and Wandoo and usually yields a good number of bird species. For those who wish to extend the day, bring along lunch and we can explore Webb’s Lease near Jarrahdale.
For members and guests only.

Leader: Paul Marty

Please see under Notices in the current issue of WA Bird Notes.

Meet at 8:30 am near the playground on the western side of this small wooded lake. Little Rush Lake is part of the Belair Regional Park. If travelling south, turn right off North Lake Road, into Osprey Drive, right into Dotterel Way, then right into Grassbird Loop. There is a path around the lake, and we should see plenty of waterbirds and bushbirds. Fifty species of bird have been seen here. Bring morning tea.
For members and the general public.

Leader: Barry and Molly Angus

Meet at 8:30 am on the corner of Wanneroo Road and Pipidinny Road, about an hour’s drive from Perth. Be prepared to pay a small fee to enter the picnic area for lunch. We will look at four habitats during the day: coastal dunes for Variegated Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrub-wren, etc; heath for Tawny-crowned and White-cheeked Honeyeater; the swamp for waterfowl; and lastly, a part of the Yanchep National Park that few people visit.
For members and the general public.

Leader: Brice Wells

Maris Lauva, a member, will show his photos of WA birds, leaving the audience to identify them.

Meet at 8:30 am at Wandoo Heights. Follow the Toodyay Road about 3 km past the Roe Highway junction. Turn left into Campersic Road and travel approximately 6 km then turn right into Loton Road, then left into Range Rd. The gate is about 200 m on the right. Wandoo Heights is an uncleared 22 ha block, vested in the Swan Shire, and has a range of habitats.  After morning tea we will travel further east on the Toodyay Road to Noble Falls, which is on the left, and signposted just past Gidgegannup. The walk will follow the creek line north and return through the woodland area to the car park for lunch.
For members and the general public.

Leader: Sue Mather

Meet at 8:30 am in the car park at the end of Avon Road. Travelling on the Toodyay Road, turn north into O’Brien Road, which becomes Clenton Road after 15.3 km, and after a further 2 km turn north onto Avon Road. This road is gravelled but quite suitable for any vehicle, and less than 1 km in length. Allow 20 minutes from the Toodyay/O’Brien turn off. Paruna Sanctuary is owned by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) and we will be carrying out surveys of three sites. AWC members will be joining us and they will provide a BBQ lunch for those attending.
For members and guests only.

Leader: Paul Marty, George Agar, Robina Haynes and Jo Williams

Meet at 8:00 am beside the playground / sporting complex at the corner of Nicholson and Wilfred Roads (car-park entry is off Wilfred Rd). We will look at a series of wetlands constructed to remove nutrients from water draining into the Canning River. We will also look at small bushland areas if they are accessible. Rubber boots may be a good idea, and insect repellent. Bring morning tea to have while we do a combined bird list.
For members and the general public.

Leader: George and Pam Agar

Meet at 8:30 am at the first car park for Wungong Dam at the end of Admiral Road, off Albany Highway. Over 90 species of birds have been recorded here, including Red-eared Firetail, White-breasted Robin and Red-winged Fairy-wren and several raptor species. Those who wish can continue on to Bungendore Nature Reserve. This is a good place to see a variety of parrots, including Elegant and Red-capped Parrots. It is also the best place near Perth to see the Rufous Treecreeper.
For members and guests only.

Leader: Robyn Pickering and Maris Lauva

This nature reserve contains impressive stands of Powderbark Wandoo as well as Marri, Casuarina and some Jarrah. Seventy three species of bird have been recorded, including Black Honeyeater and several owls. Walks are moderate to easy, but optional walks over the rock can be testing. Numbats have been seen here, and at this time of the year wildflowers should be everywhere. To reach the campsite at the base of Boyagin Rock, travel along Brookton Highway to the intersection of the York-Williams Road, turn south (right if coming from Perth) and proceed to Boyagin Road, which enters from the left. The road from here to the rock will be sign-posted with BAWA signs. There is a bush toilet but please be self-sufficient for all other items, such as food, water, tents, etc. It is possible to enjoy a single full day excursion, but it will be necessary to leave home early to take part in group activities. The round trip is 250 km. The leader will be on site on Friday afternoon. Please advise the Birds Australia office if you plan to attend, and note if single day or camping. For further details contact Clive Napier on 9332 7265.
For members and guests only.

Leader: Clive Napier

Meet at 8:30 am at the administration building (main car park) of Whiteman Park. Look for the BAWA signs. We will walk the Bennett Brook trail of the park. This pleasant walk should provide the opportunity to see a wide range of bird species. Western Spinebill, Western Thornbill, White-naped Honeyeater, Red-capped and Scarlet Robins and Golden Whistler have all been sighted here.
For members and guests only.

Leader: Michael Bamford

This reserve is approximately 20 km east of Pingelly and 154 km from Perth. Follow the Wickepin Road out of Pingelly, turn left (east) from the centre of town. Don’t go into the first turn off to Tutanning Reserve (Tutanning Road) but continue further to the third turning on the left, Marshall Road. Follow this road for approximately 4 km to the Marshall property. Follow the BAWA signs to the DEC Research Station now maintained by the Friends of Tutanning.
Camping will be around the Research Station and in the adjacent paddock. The old Research Station has been recently renovated and 2 bedrooms containing 6 beds each (bunk beds) with basic kitchen and bathroom facilities are available. Electricity is supplied from a generator. Tracks are suitable for caravans and 2WD vehicles. Everyone will need to be self sufficient, though water will be available. A small fee will be charged so that this facility can be maintained.
Tutanning Nature Reserve is 2089 hectares of a mixture of Wandoo, open woodland and Casuarina thickets with breakaways and granite outcrops. We will go spotlighting one night and have a BBQ on another night.
Members and guests, Friends of Tutanning Nature Reserve only.

Leader: Sue Abbotts

We thank for their funding.  Be Active Everyday.