Bayswater Bushwalk

With Haydee leading the walk, I knew that the pace would be more to my liking, with plenty of time to stop and admire the flora and birdlife. The Eric Singleton Bird Sanctuary is an artificial wetland, created to prevent contaminants from entering the Swan River. 

Water quality monitoring undertaken by the City of Bayswater shows notable improvement outcomes for the Brook and adjacent Swan River and the project is expected to prevent 1.35 tonnes of nitrogen, 200kg of phosphorous, and around 40 tonnes of sediment and other rubbish from entering the Swan River each year. This is approximately half of the catchment’s target nutrient reduction. 

I drove across the Garratt Road Bridge to the meeting place near the Oarhouse Cafe. As usual on a Sunday morning, it was virtually impossible to find a parking spot. When our small group was all assembled, we set off into the wetlands.

Garratt Road Bridge

Start of the walk into the wetlands

A brood of teenage ducklings relaxing,
safe from humans

A lone spoonbill

A tangle of wild sweet peas

Tiny white fungi

Orange fungus

An elusive Blue billed duck
(Photo contributed by Denice)

After the slow walk, we sat down for a rest near the cafe and had a long chat with a man who had a strange hair style. MM knew him from coaching at the rowing club and said he was an expert at giving instructions to beginners on the river. I was interested in what he had to say about preparing dog treats in a de-humidifier:

Clever t-shirt!