Category: Bird surveys

A dry February has seen the lake levels drop somewhat, and the southern chain of ponds has no water to speak of. The good news is that Westgate Biodiversity – Bili Nursery teams have been weeding extensively throughout the park, which accordingly looks terri...

Thanks to continuing rains, water levels and quality in the fresh water lake are very high with consequent reduced numbers of several species of water birds. The salt lake level now reads .83 m – up .03m from last survey. Vegetation throughout the park conti...

Thanks to better-than-average summer rainfall, the large Freshwater and Saltwater Lake levels are high, as before, bringing small numbers of diving feeders such as Little Pied and Little Black Cormorants, Hardheads, Australasian Grebes and Hoary...

The total number of bird species recorded in the Park is now 162 and in 2019, 88 bird species were observed – more than half!

The large Freshwater and Saltwater lakes have risen lately, which suits diving feeders, such as Hardheads, Australasian Grebes and Hoary-headed Grebes – suggesting aquatic invertebrates and other small prey are plentiful in the former. With several...

Over 40 mm of rain in July turned the park around; vegetation recovered rapidly, although many dead trees and shrubs remain from the preceding dry months. Resident species such as Superb Fairy-wrens and White-plumed Honeyeaters are present in high numbers, alo...

After many dry months and just 3 mm of rain in March, Westgate Park is severely stressed, with numerous dead shrubs and trees, especially narrow-leafed peppermints and banksias. Although some eucalypts, including the large Ironbark near the windmill, are flowe...

After a long run of extreme heat and almost no rain in January and February park vegetation is stressed, with some shrubs dying. Nevertheless, the survey produced exciting results and 53 species. A larger than usual range of land-based bird species observed in...

photos by Euan Moore a Bird Survey 7 Jan 2019 Water levels in both lakes are high, and water quality in the freshwater lakes and southern wetlands appears very good. Water quality in the saltwater lake is average, with an algal bloom on one small water body so...

Forty-seven species on 1 October was a pleasing result. Despite a very dry September, water levels of both large lakes and smaller salt water lakes remain very high, while other freshwater wetlands including the dam are low or completely dried out. The usual w...