Perth (1 Viewer)

[lmans66]

Any good birds in Perth in late January or is the heat driving them away? If okay, where....?

I have some time when visiting a daughter in January and thought a train excursion from Melbourne to Perth might be in order.... I could do Darwin but I am afraid the humidity is pretty bad there....
Suggestions welcome.... Jim

 

[delia todd]

Hi Jim

There's loads of info on the Opus article for Perth: Perth area - BirdForum Opus

I think David Free is away at the moment, but if you send him a message I'm sure he'll reply as soon as he can. He lives in Perth and wrote virtually all of the article. I was there for a few days in the middle of November 2019 (got home just before Covid hit!!!)

 

[mjh73]

Any good birds in Perth in late January or is the heat driving them away? If okay, where....?

I have some time when visiting a daughter in January and thought a train excursion from Melbourne to Perth might be in order.... I could do Darwin but I am afraid the humidity is pretty bad there....
Suggestions welcome.... Jim

I'm a big train fan myself but Melbourne to Perth is a serious undertaking.....

 

[lmans66]

I'm a big train fan myself but Melbourne to Perth is a serious undertaking.....

2 nights...3 days. Seems doable...plane back. ...? Jim

 

[lmans66]

Hi Jim

There's loads of info on the Opus article for Perth: Perth area - BirdForum Opus

I think David Free is away at the moment, but if you send him a message I'm sure he'll reply as soon as he can. He lives in Perth and wrote virtually all of the article. I was there for a few days in the middle of November 2018 (got home just before Covid hit!!!)

Thanks...will read up on...appreciate you sharing! Jim

 

[delia todd]

2 nights...3 days. Seems doable...plane back. ...? Jim

Are you planning to travel on the Ghan? From Googling, think you might have to go to Adelaide and change there.

Adelaide is a beautiful city with loads of lovely nature reserves particularly Laratinga.

 

[YuShan]

In Perth city, Herdsman Lake is really good. It's in the middle of town.

 

[delia todd]

Yes it is. I had a grand morning there with David, his wife Pam and Mike Bouette, saw loads of birds. We walked right round the lake.

The reason I didn't highlight it in my post earlier is that it is/was an ephemeral lake and completely dries out in the summer. However I have a niggle at the back of my old brain that David may have told me that plans had been made to keep the water in it all year. Hope @davidfree will be back on line before too long to bring us up to date.

You can read about my visit to Perth starting at this page: Two Months of Lifers Down Under of the trip report linked to in my signature.

 

[lmans66]

Are you planning to travel on the Ghan? From Googling, think you might have to go to Adelaide and change there.

Adelaide is a beautiful city with loads of lovely nature reserves particularly Laratinga.

Let me look at Laratinga...appears to be a water treatment plant. Might be fun to visit as it is just next door to Melbourne and I haven't been to Adelaide. Can fly or take the train but not sure on the Ghan as that is an expensive train all in all but perhaps the only train going in. Don't know enough about the area ...Jim

 

[lmans66]

Yes it is. I had a grand morning there with David, his wife Pam and Mike Bouette, saw loads of birds. We walked right round the lake.

The reason I didn't highlight it in my post earlier is that it is/was an ephemeral lake and completely dries out in the summer. However I have a niggle at the back of my old brain that David may have told me that plans had been made to keep the water in it all year. Hope @davidfree will be back on line before too long to bring us up to date.

You can read about my visit to Perth starting at this page: Two Months of Lifers Down Under of the trip report linked to in my signature.

Was just googling the lake and it does seem to go dry for the summer...so not sure if that is a destination place. I know the last time I went birding in Australia (family there so usually do family stuff) was Tasmania ....beautiful place and I picked up all of the endemic species, so that was a huge plus. And, I could drive in Tasmania since there is no traffic and it didn't freak me out driving on the right hand side of the car and left hand side of the road

 

[delia todd]

Let me look at Laratinga...appears to be a water treatment plant. Might be fun to visit as it is just next door to Melbourne and I haven't been to Adelaide. Can fly or take the train but not sure on the Ghan as that is an expensive train all in all but perhaps the only train going in. Don't know enough about the area ...Jim

Ah! I think there might be a water treatment plant beside it, seem to have a memory of looking over something like that at one point. Here's the start of my report from there: Two Months of Lifers Down Under

 

[mjh73]

Are you planning to travel on the Ghan? From Googling, think you might have to go to Adelaide and change there.

Adelaide is a beautiful city with loads of lovely nature reserves particularly Laratinga.

Not to Perth he is not!

The Ghan runs Adelaide - Darwin

The Indian Pacific runs Sydney - Perth (via Adelaide)

The Overland runs Melbourne - Adelaide

So the journey would be Melbourne - Adelaide (The Overland) - Perth (Indian Pacific)

They are all run by Journey Beyond Rail , and The Ghan and the IP are very much rail cruises for the tourist market (I am a train nerd as well as a bird nerd!), The Overland not so much although it's still very comfortable it's not in the same league as the other two.

It's a full day Melbourne - Adelaide, and 2 days Adelaide - Perth.

 

[davidfree]

Any good birds in Perth in late January or is the heat driving them away? If okay, where....?

I have some time when visiting a daughter in January and thought a train excursion from Melbourne to Perth might be in order.... I could do Darwin but I am afraid the humidity is pretty bad there....
Suggestions welcome.... Jim

It can be very hot in January but the birds are used to it. Start early in the morning and you'll see plenty.
Lake Claremont is indeed ephemeral but water has remained year-round for the last couple of years, thanks to good winter rains. Delia is mistaken; It's Perry Lakes that now has pumped storm water so that there is water all year.
We did The Indian Pacific , Perth to Sydney, a few years ago. A great experience. However, they book up months ahead.

 

[delia todd]

Delia is mistaken;

.... as I often am. Guess I got confused, which often happens too LOL.

Thanks for responding to this thread David. It looks like you had another good trip, with that stunning Robin and the cute thornbills - just had a quick look as I'll be browsing the Gallery a bit later on.

 

[Sirpotato]

I live in Perth (south near Fremantle). End of January is very hot, but early morning and late evening is good. Lots of easily accessible places, but you may need a rental car - as others said Lake Herdsman is popular and around Cockburn there is wetlands. Lots of other places further out like Dryandra too - where you can see the numbats.