A couple of weeks ago I posted about all the Ibis nesting at Tomato Lake and how it heralded the start of the breeding season for them. Well this week the Black Swans at lake Claremont were building nests and pairing off and spring is just round the corner. It was an uninspiring morning, the rain was bucketing down and the usually frenetic Welcome Swallows looked unimpressed.
Kanamit or Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxxena) looking unhappy in the rain. Lake Claremont, Western Australia.
A bit further on amongst the reeds the swans were busy in spite of the inclement weather.
This swan was very obliging and allowed me to take its photo.
A female black swan sits on the nest while the male gathers more nesting material.
Elsewhere on the lake things were much more advanced with the Shelducks as there were several mothers escorting very young ducklings out on the water.
No water wings in sight. A Shelduck takes her young brood out for a swim on Lake Claremont.
I was a bit apprehensive about walking in the rain. My usual camera – an Olympus OMD EM1 mk ii and its Panasonic Leica 100-400mm f4-6.3 – are incredibly resistant to rain fall, but this time I was out with my Sony A7r2 and the Sigma 150-600mm whose weather sealing leaves a bit to be desired. Thankfully the combination worked flawlessly and lived to tell the tale. It was, however, its last outing. I’ve developed quite bad arthritis in my right hand, elbow, and shoulder and find the larger full frame cameras too much to handle so I’m going to put it all up for sale. Getting older really sucks sometimes.
Originally what is now Lake Claremont was a swamp with a series of small pools edged with reeds and then surrounded by paperbark trees. There was abundant plant an animal life and it was an important hunting and gathering place for the Mooro clan of the Nyoongar in the warmer months of the year.
The bird observation platform allows visitors to watch the birds in the grasses and reeds at Lake Claremont.
In 1831 European settlers began to clear the land for farming and by the 1890’s there were market gardens and a then state of the art dairy farm. Things looked good and the area prospered. However, this state of affairs was short lived as by the turn of the Twentieth Century the water level rose and the farms were flooded and a permanent lake which rises and falls with the seasons was formed. In the 1950’s Claremont Town Council reclaimed large areas for a rubbish tip and renamed it Lake Claremont in the process. In the 1960’s it was decided to beautify the lake and its surrounds. Sections were infilled to create a golf course and the school playing fields. In time two small bird sanctuary islands were created and there has been a move to manage the the lake in a more ecological manner. The Friends of Lake Claremont are an enthusiastic and very active bunch of local residents and volunteers who have undertaken to assist in the conservation and enhancement of Lake Claremont. There activities have been crucial in weed eradication programs and revegetation projects working in tandem with pupils fromScotch College and Graylands Primary School. They also have annual public events including Clean Up Australia Day, National Tree Day and Celebrate Lake Claremont Day (community fair). More details can be found on their website.
The infamous Lake Claremont crocodile. Lake Claremont, Western Australia.
So that was then and this is now. What does the lake offer today? Well the wetlands of the Swan Coastal Plain are internationally acknowledged as a bio-diversity hotspot having a greater number of endemic species than most other regions in Australia. Since colonisation three quarters of the wetlands have been drained for urban development. Those that remain are adversely effected by the introduction of feral animals and plants. In this context Lake Claremont is like a biosphere. In the past ten years or so eBird Australia has listed 116 species of bird that can be found on or around the lake which makes it somewhat of a birders paradise. The path around the lake and the bird observation platform make it easy to spot birds all year round. To make it so that you know what you are looking for you can down load an illustrated brochure listing the birds from the Town of Claremont website.
Lake Claremont has a dual use path around its edge which is popular with runners and cyclists.
In addition to the nature based activities there is a 3 Km dual use path that circumnavigates the lake which is very popular with walkers, runners and cyclists. Dogs are welcome on a lead. The walk is enjoyable all year round and if you start the car park and head off in a clockwise direction then you can stop at the TeeBox Cafe shortly before returning to the car park. For the youngsters who need to burn off some energy before looking at the ducks there are two playgrounds. If dad doesn’t care for looking at the ducks then he has the option of playing a quick nine holes of golf.
A juvenile pied stilt (Himantopus himantopus) at Lake Claremont, Western Australia.
A black swan (black ) gathering nesting material at Lake Claremont, Western Australia.
A pair of Australian Shovelers (Australian) at Lake Claremont, Western Australia.
A pair of grey teals (Anas gracilis) at Lake Claremont in Western Australia.
A purple swamp hen (Purple), Lake Claremont, Western Australia.
Rainbow lorikeets (Rain) were introduced to Western Australiafrom the eastern states of Australia. Lake Claremont, Western Australia.
Pink-eared ducks (Malacorhynchus membranaceus) at Lake Claremont in Western Australia.
Called Dit by the Nyoongar this juvenile pied stilt (Himantopus himantopus) feeds at Lake Claremont, Western Australia.
Bardoongooba called Australian Shovelers (Anas rhynchotis) by European settlers can be readily seen on Lake Claremont.
The recent lock downs for the COVID 19 outbreak had a very strange effect. Living in York we don’t visit the coast very often, but as soon as the Western Australian government said we could leave our region all I wanted to do was go to the coast. I suppose it’s a bit like being on a diet and then spending all day obsessing over food. Well with the lockdown over we put the dog in kennels and headed down to Mandurah for a couple of days to get an oceanic fix.
Now the plan was to spend three days visiting some reserves around, but as Robert Burns once said “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley.”. The first spot we went out to was Lake McLarty, but there was no water in the lake and no birds to be seen. To cap it all the weather was grim – a storm front was closing in. So we decided to cut our losses and head in land to Pinjarra and walk along the Murray River and visit the Edenvale Heritage Tearoom. Well the tearooms were still shut because of COVID so we settled for a walk along the the river.
Eastern osprey (Pandion cristatus subs leucocephalus) at Lake McLarty Nature Reserve near Mandurah in Western Australia. Olympus OMD EM1 mk ii with Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens. Exposure: 1/500, f7.1 ISO 320.
Nankeen Night Heron, Nycticorax caledonicus subsp mannillenis. Pinjara, Western Australia. Olympus OMD EM 1 mk ii with Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens. Exposure: 1/500, f6.3, ISO 1600.
A male Australian darter (Anhinga melanogaster subspecies novaehollandiae) aka as the snake bird. Pinjarra, Western Australia. Olympus OMD EM 1 mk ii with Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens. Exposure: 1/500 sec, f6.3 at ISO 3200.
Paul Amyes taking it easy from the rigours of bird watching on a concrete sofa on the banks of the Murray River in Pinjarra, Western Australia. The sofa is part of the “Take Your Seat Art Project by Fremantle Arts Centre and Alcoa.
The next day the weather was grimmer than the previous day’s. We were wearing enough clothes to make Captain Scott of the Antarctic fame look severely underdressed. The morning’s activities were to be based at the Creery Wetlands Reserve which was only a short way from where we were staying. Although wet and bitterly cold we had more success than the previous day. It is amazing how much wildlife can be packed into a small area just minutes from a city centre. If you are in the area it is well worth visiting, don’t let the fact that the entrance makes it look like an off-shore detention camp put you off. As you cross the bridge you get the feeling a couple of Border Force goons could jump out of the bushes and indefinitely detain you. Once in side you can commune with nature to your hearts content.
The entrance to Creery Wetlands Nature Reserve in Western Australia.
One of the two bird hides at Creery Wetlands Nature Reserve in Western Australia.
Helen bird watching at the Creery Wetlands Nature Reserve, Mandurah, Western Australia.
Pacific black duck, Anas superciliosa. Creery Wetlands Nature Reserve, Western Australia.
Western Gerygone, Gerygone fusca. Creery Wetland Reserve, Western Australia.
A great egret (Ardea alba modesta) flying over the Creery Wetlands Nature Reserve in Western Australia.
Inland Thornbill, Acanthiza apicalis. Creery Wetlands Nature Reserve, Western Australia.
Black swans (Cygnus atratus) feeding. Creery Wetlands Reserve, Western Australia.
An eastern osprey, Pandion cristatus subs leucocephalus, perched on a sign warning about 1080 baiting. Creery Wetalnds Nature Reserve, Mandurah, Western Australia.
Western Grey Kangaroo, Macropus fuliginosus. Creery Wetlands Nature Reserve, Western Australia.
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