- A nature trail for pleasure walkers, joggers, hikers & bird-watchers. Accessible for baby strollers, motorized scooters and wheelchairs. The trail is a photographer's paradise, from the Mill Pond through to the woodlands and the West Perth Wetlands.
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Text by Dave Brown (Mitchell), pictures courtesy of Mark Cunningham (London) and Gerry Kolkman (Mitchell); see bottom of page for individual credits. (µ indicates thumbnail picture on this page).
The West Perth Wetlands is an excellent location for birders of all ages and skill levels. The berms surrounding the wetland cells are readily accessible and make for an easy walk and clear viewing into all cells. The site provides all birders the opportunity to see a great variety of species. Even a beginner birder will be able to identify many of the geese, ducks, shorebirds, herons, raptors and other species that can be found at this site. Several species actually nest either in and around the wetland or in the neighbouring bush lot, This gives birders the chance to see young birds being fed and perhaps take their first flights as they fledge from the nest.
The waterfowl numbers are highest during their peak migration times: March-April and September-October. On a good day, there are often hundreds even thousands of geese and ducks "staging" in the wetland cells with several different species present.
Wood
Duck:The male of this species is certainly one of the most photographed waterfowl in North America... and for good reason. They're beautifully patterned around the face and body and sport several different colours. They've been seen nesting and raising young in this wetland site µ.
One of our smaller ducks and readily recognized (at least the male) by stiff tail feathers that are held pointed upwards along with a large white cheek patch and a chestnut coloured body.
A larger duck with a distinctive white forehead patch on the male...they are one of the more common ducks that stage in this region.
Other common species of waterfowl include...Tundra
Swan, Canada Goose, Mallard Duck, Black Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged
Teal. Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Duck. During
primetime migration periods you might also see the less common species
such as... Northern Pintail, Hooded Merganser, Redhead, Canvasback, Greater
Scaup, White-winged Scoter, Gadwall, Common Goldeneye µ, Long-tailed Duck.
The shorebird numbers are also highest during their peak migration times: March-May and July-August. Like the waterfowl, they use areas like these wetlands to rest and feed to recharge before moving on to their final destinations... usually hundreds and even thousands of miles away.
Lesser Yellowlegs:Certainly one of the easier species to spot, the Yellowlegs µ is aptly named for its long bright yellow to orange-yellow legs. As with most shorebirds they have a tapered looking body perched on top of long legs and a small looking head with a straight and fairly short bill.
This is our most common plover and even beginner birders will have no problem identifying its "Kill-deer Kill-deer Kill-deer" call as it flies overhead. The double black stripes on the breast and the orange-gold tail colour are distinctive field marks for ID'ing this species.
The smallest of our typical "peep" sandpipers (the "peep" nickname comes from the call that they and the other small sandpipers make). They usually arrive in small flocks and stick together to feed and rest. The Least Sandpiper is different from the other "peeps" because it has green coloured legs while the others have black legs. Keep in mind this rule only applies to the group of small sandpipers as many larger sandpipers have green, gray and other shades of leg colours.
Other common shorebirds you should be able to spot
include... Pectoral Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, Greater
Yellowlegs, Semi-palmated Sandpiper, Semi-palmated Plover, Common Snipe and
Short-billed Dowitcher, Dunlin and Black-bellied Plover. We’ve been lucky
enough at this site to see some more uncommon species such as Red Knot,
Stilt Sandpiper, Lesser Golden Plover, Red-necked Phalarope, Wilson’s
Phalarope, Baird’s Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone,
Sanderling, White-rumped Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper and Willet µ.
Visitors should always be able to spot our most common member of this family, the Great Blue Heron on a walk around the wetlands throughout the year.
This species is very tall with long legs and a large pointed bill and is usually found walking slowly around in shallow water hunting food, which includes small fish and frogs, They are blue and gray with a bold black and white stripping over the eye and a dark crown.
Other heron species that have also been spotted at this site include Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-heron and even Great Egret.
Birders should be able to spot at least a few familiar raptor species... American Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk and Northern Harrier, on any given visit. Peak migration of Raptors is in the Fall (Sep-Nov).
This is our smallest falcon, and can most often be seen either perched on the fencing surrounding the treatment plant or hovering while hunting for a meal. Their prey is typically insects such as dragonflies, but may include small mice and so on. The male has spectacular colouring of blue, white, orange and black while the female is much duller browns.
These hawks are recognizable by the telltale reddish orange tail that is visible when they fan it out while soaring overhead. The male and females look similar, with the female typically appearing larger (which is always the case in the raptor world). These birds like to dine on rodents and have exceptional eyesight to spot the least bit of movement in the grass. In 2006, a pair of Redtails successfully nested in the nearby bush lot, raising 2 youngsters. Listen for a high-pitched whistling scream from the large lone tree to the south of the wetlands, their favourite perch!
This species is also a fairly common sight and easily identified as they patrol just a few feet above the grassy areas surrounding the wetland. This species has an owl-like face that helps them hear even the faintest sound made small rodents in the tall grass below. The adult male is often referred to as the "Gray Ghost" with an overall gray wash and black wingtips. The female is a tawny brown with streaking underneath and the young birds are brown with chestnut colouration underneath.
If you're lucky enough you may catch a glimpse of one of the following raptor species as well... Merlin, Rough-legged Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Osprey, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk and possibly even a Peregrine Falcon hunting shorebirds.
The West Perth Wetlands plays host to many other species of birds besides these larger groups. The peak migration for passerines (small birds) is Apr-May and then Sep-Oct.
What follows is a short checklist of the species that have been recorded at this site:
Terns:
Owls:
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 Red-bellied Woodpecker |
 Cedar Waxwings |
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 Yellow Warbler |
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 Red-winged Blackbird |
Photo Credits:
Mark Cunningham
(London), taken July 2007: Caspian Tern, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser
Pair, Lesser Yellowlegs1, Lesser Yellowlegs2, Lesser Yellowlegs3, Monarch
Butterfly, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Red-winged Blackbird-female, Savannah
Sparrow, Short-billed Dowitcher, Solitary Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs,
Solitary Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs, Stilt Sandpiper,
Willett, Wood Duck male, Wood Ducks, Wood Duck pair
Gerry Kolkman (Mitchell): Cedar Waxwings, Great Horned Owl, Red-bellied
Woodpecker female, Yellow Warbler female
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