Kwinana Rockingham Mandurah Branch, 23 November 2025

The November field excursion was to Erskine Lakes in Mandurah. Erskine Lakes are situated within a green space now surrounded by housing. The lakes remain a haven for birdlife and, during spring, provide safe nesting habitat in the trees that border the lakes or on islands on the lakes. Large communities of Australasian Darters and Cattle Egrets nest in the trees while Grebes, Eurasian Coots and Dusky Moorhens nest on the lakes.

There were twelve members and one visitor, Michelle, attending on a pleasant, though windy, morning. Gillian Beadell collated a list of a good number of birds seen in the morning, which is provided below. There was not much in the way of Flora; lots of Paperbark trees, and Lynette spotted some Stinkwood (Jacksonia sternbergiana) in flower. Daniel’s list of invertebrates was surprisingly short, comprising the Ribbed Case Moth (Hyalarcta nigescens), Psylloids (Creiis periculosus) on a sickly Flooded Gum tree and Eucalyptus Leaf Blister Sawfly (Phylacteophaga frogatti).

After an early start, we stopped for our usual cup of tea and a chat before heading home.

Ailsa Rabone and Gillian Beadell

The bird list was as follows on Page 2: