Swan Estuary Swan
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2008488-0209-2M John Huisman and Bert and Babs Wells Babs and Bert and Huisman John RECYCLE Please return unwanted brochures to distribution points distribution to brochures unwanted return Please WA, Tourism , Transparencies Lochman – Photos vironment, our future our vironment, en Our vironment, our future our vironment, en Our A U S N T R R A E U S N A T T R R L E S A T I E L S A I E W vation A Conser and Environment W vation Conser and Environment T F Department of Department H T O F Department of Department E H O T E G N T O E G V N M E N R O E V M E N R Information guide Information www.subiaco.wa.gov.au Phone (08) 9237 9222 9237 (08) Phone Subiaco WA 6008 WA Subiaco wonders 241 Rokeby Road Rokeby 241 WA’s submerged submerged WA’s park City of Subiaco of City rine s…m a ore t M han just fish parks… Marine www.melvillecity.com.au Booragoon WA 6154 WA Booragoon 10 Almondbury Road Road Almondbury 10 City of Melville of City www.southperth.wa.gov.au Phone (08) 9474 0777 9474 (08) Phone South Perth WA 6151 WA Perth South Cnr Sandgate Street and South Terrace Terrace South and Street Sandgate Cnr Civic Centre Centre Civic City of South Perth South of City www.fish.wa.gov.au Fishwatch Fishwatch 1800 815 507 815 1800 A/H 0419 969 415 969 0419 A/H Fax (08) 9203 0110 9203 (08) Fax Ph (08) 9203 0111 9203 (08) Ph Hillarys WA 6025 WA Hillarys 39 Northside Drive Northside 39 Marine Research Laboratories Research Marine and Fisheries WA Hillarys District Office District Hillarys Department of Fisheries of Department www.naturebase.net Phone (08) 9405 0700 9405 (08) Phone Marine Park Marine Wanneroo WA 6065 WA Wanneroo 5 Dundebar Road Dundebar 5 Swan Coastal District Office District Coastal Swan Swan Estuary Swan Conservation and Department of Environment Environment of Department Further information Further Enjoying the marine park All three localities within the Swan Estuary Marine Park lie within 20 minutes drive from the centre of Perth. Depending on which area you are visiting, you can drive to the nearest car park and walk to the foreshore. The most popular activities are walking and cycling along the scenic riverside. There are dual use paths (for the shared use of pedestrians and cyclists) along the river foreshore. Pelican Point is a popular location for windsurfing. Birdwatching and nature appreciation is another important activity. Up to 10,000 waders visit these three areas every summer, coming from as far afield as Asia, Mongolia and Siberia. The birds move between the intertidal flats of the three areas of the marine park according to where feeding and roosting sites are available. Most birds are seen from August to the following March. Pelicans, ibis, egrets and other birds also reside in the estuary. The Swan Estuary Marine Park protects three biologically Different species of waders arrive at varying times between At Alfred Cove there are a number of vantage points for important areas of Perth’s beautiful Swan River. The Swan August and November. Because other wetlands are too full viewing more than 140 species of flying visitors and residents. Estuary Marine Park encompasses Alfred Cove, 200 hectares of water at this time of the year, the Swan Estuary Marine At Pelican Point, excellent views of the mudflats can be adjacent to the suburbs of Attadale and Applecross; Pelican Park (and the coast) are used as the first resting and feeding obtained from an observation platform reached from Australia Point, a 45 hectare area in Crawley; and Milyu, 95 hectares spots. The estuarine mudflats contain high concentrations of II Drive. At Milyu, the bird life can be seen from the beach or adjacent to the Como foreshore and Kwinana Freeway. food which replenish the energy of the exhausted birds after from the foreshore path. You can almost always see Australian their long flight south. Some of the birds will be sporting their pelicans here and black swans. There are also information These areas encompass mudflats, seagrass beds and intertidal breeding plumage when they arrive. Others will moult to their panels on the Milyu foreshore. vegetation such as sedges and saltmarsh, which provide breeding glory in February. Most waders will have left the many different habitats for a host of animals. The most The Swan Estuary Marine Park is zoned for General Use, which Perth region by late March. important of these, due to their international significance, means that people are allowed to fish anywhere in the marine are the migratory wading birds. They come from as far afield The semi-enclosed waters of Alfred Cove hide mussels dating park as long as they comply with Fisheries Department rules as Asia, Mongolia and Siberia. About 33 of these species are back 6000 years, as well as considerably younger, more juicy and regulations such as bag limits. Prawning from the shore protected under the Japan-Australia and China-Australia examples sought after by the 33 species of wading birds. The using drag nets is the most popular form of fishing in the Migratory Bird Agreements. Most notable among these are seagrass beds adjacent to the mudflats are a primary link marine park. If you intend to go prawning please respect the the tiny red-necked stints. Although only 30-40 grams, in the food chain for the animals on which waders depend environment, especially the important remnant vegetation these birds regularly fly thousands of kilometres from their for food, as well as an important nursery area for fish and along the shore (there is very little of it left in the metropolitan breeding areas in Arctic Siberia to the warm mudflats of the prawns. area!). It is vital to take all your rubbish with you, as birds and Swan Estuary. marine animals can die after ingesting or becoming entangled Milyu is the Aboriginal name for samphire, and the main in plastics or fishing line. The transequatorial waders are fascinating birds. The ability physical feature of the reserve is a small peninsula vegetated to fly great distances and to navigate with such pinpoint with sedges and samphire. Despite its proximity to the Windsurfing and kite surfing are highly disturbing to migratory accuracy has been the subject of much study and research, freeway, this area provides equally good feeding and resting waders and other shorebirds. To a small bird, for example, particularly in the northern hemisphere. It seems the urge to areas for both the waders and other waterbirds. the shadow cast by a kite looks like a predator. Windsurfers migrate is triggered by the changes in the length of daylight and kite surfers should therefore avoid entering the waters and it is further suggested that birds use the sun, stars and surrounding Pelican Point, which are delineated by in-water perhaps even the earth’s magnetic fields for navigation. markers. However, the actual mechanisms remain unknown. 2008488-0209-2M John Huisman and Bert and Babs Wells Babs and Bert and Huisman John RECYCLE Please return unwanted brochures to distribution points distribution to brochures unwanted return Please WA, Tourism , Transparencies Lochman – Photos vironment, our future our vironment, en Our vironment, our future our vironment, en Our A U S N T R R A E U S N A T T R R L E S A T I E L S A I E W vation A Conser and Environment W vation Conser and Environment T F Department of Department H T O F Department of Department E H O T E G N T O E G V N M E N R O E V M E N R Information guide Information www.subiaco.wa.gov.au Phone (08) 9237 9222 9237 (08) Phone Subiaco WA 6008 WA Subiaco wonders 241 Rokeby Road Rokeby 241 WA’s submerged submerged WA’s City of Subiaco of City parks… Marine www.melvillecity.com.au Booragoon WA 6154 WA Booragoon 10 Almondbury Road Road Almondbury 10 City of Melville of City www.southperth.wa.gov.au Phone (08) 9474 0777 9474 (08) Phone South Perth WA 6151 WA Perth South Cnr Sandgate Street and South Terrace Terrace South and Street Sandgate Cnr Civic Centre Centre Civic City of South Perth South of City www.fish.wa.gov.au Fishwatch Fishwatch 1800 815 507 815 1800 A/H 0419 969 415 969 0419 A/H Fax (08) 9203 0110 9203 (08) Fax Ph (08) 9203 0111 9203 (08) Ph Hillarys WA 6025 WA Hillarys 39 Northside Drive Northside 39 Marine Research Laboratories Research Marine and Fisheries WA Hillarys District Office District Hillarys Department of Fisheries of Department www.naturebase.net Phone (08) 9405 0700 9405 (08) Phone Marine Park Marine Wanneroo WA 6065 WA Wanneroo 5 Dundebar Road Dundebar 5 Swan Coastal District Office District Coastal Swan Swan Estuary Swan Conservation and Environment of Department Further information Further Enjoying the marine park All three localities within the Swan Estuary Marine Park lie within 20 minutes drive from the centre of Perth. Depending on which area you are visiting, you can drive to the nearest car park and walk to the foreshore. The most popular activities are walking and cycling along the scenic riverside. There are dual use paths (for the shared use of pedestrians and cyclists) along the river foreshore. Pelican Point is a popular location for windsurfing. Birdwatching and naturer iappreciationne parks… ism anothero important Ma re th activity.