Birds! - Those fascinating creatures that inhabit every city and town around the world! There are so many thousands of different species in our own country, and Fremantle, being a coastal town, and between the Swan River and the Indian Ocean, has a good share of different birds.
The City of Fremantle provides a number of excellent bird watching opportunities in some of the most beautiful and picturesque locations of the metropolitan area of Perth. There are a number of places along the coastline where species such as the Crested Tern can easily be seen, while North Mole has one of the best areas to look for the Pelagic Sea Bird species such as the Shearwaters.
There are SO many species of birds that you can see in this area and these include White-browed Scrub wren and White-cheeked honey eater. You could turn this into an interesting family day out as a number of the bird watching location also provide recreational facilities. Start by having a list of all the birds and seeing which ones you and your family can spot!
Or take out a book from the library, or pick up a copy at an Op Shop, so you can also see pictures of the birds you are looking for. This is sure to amuse children and could keep them occupied for many hours whilst out in the fresh air! With just a little imagination, you could turn it into a game for children and adults alike!
Some of the areas where you might find many species of birds include the following:
Sir Frederick Samson Park: Red Wattlebird, Australian Ringneck and Australian Magpie, Weebill, Striated Pardalote and Spotted Pardalote
Booyeembara Park: White-cheeked honeyeaters, Brown and Singing Honeyeaters and Silvereye.
A species of honey eater
Clontarf Hill: Willie Wagtail, Singing Honeyeater and Silvereye
South Beach: Crested Tern, Caspian Tern, White-browed, Scrub-wren, White-cheeked Honeyeater, Osprey
Bathers Beach: Singing Honeyeater, Silvereye, Variegated Fairy-wren, Crested Tern, Silver Gull, Tree Martins, Welcome Swallows, Nankeen Night-Heron
North Mole: Pied Cormorant, Crested and Fairy Tern, Arctic Jaeger, Silver Gulls, Wilson's Storm Petrel, Australasian Gannet, Flesh-footed Shearwater, Brown Skua and Giant Petrels
Sandtrax, Port & Leighton Beach: Crested Tern, Silver Gull, Pied Oystercatcher, Red-capped Plover, Red-necked Stint, Sanderling, White-browed Scrubwren, Singing Honeyeater, Nankeen Kestrel, Fairy Tern
Cantonment Hill: Silvereye, singing Honeyeater, White-browed Scrub-wren
North Fremantle Reserves: Australasian Darter, Pied, Little Pied, Little Black and Great Cormorants, Crested, Caspian and Fairy Terns, Pied Oystercatcher, Red-capped Plover, Red necked Stint, Common Sandpiper.
Carnac Island: A fully protected nature reserve of Carnac Island is a breeding area for many seabirds including a variety of Tern species, Little Penguins and many other local seabirds.
You can pick up a copy of a specially printed leaflet on bird watching in Fremantle, and this is available at the Fremantle City Library and/or the Fremantle Visitor Centre.
So why not plan ahead for a day out in Fremantle with its many cafes and restaurants, picnic areas, and so much to see and do.
