Lake hide reveals wildlife diversity

The Wagin Lake bird hide has been completed and allows bird-watchers to admire the lake’s fauna from a secluded vantage point.

Save Wagin Lake community members Dennis Bishop, Graeme Harvey and the late Jean McGregor proposed the idea to Wagin Woodanilling Landcare Zone.

WWLZ applied for a grant to protect the lake and it is an ongoing project expected to be completed by the end of December.

WWLZ manager Gen Harvey said as well as the bird hide, signs would be erected at the main entry points to the lake to discourage vehicle use around the reserve.

“Historically there has been a lot of motorbike use on the lake so the signs will explain what animals are around the lake and why that can affect them.

There will also be some interpretative signage about the different species that are there,” she said.

Save Wagin Lake’s Dennis Bishop said the reason for building the bird hide was to attract tourists, bird-watchers and locals to the native bird breeding habitat.

“It will allow people to see and appreciate the living habitat that Wagin Lake is. For example, one day last year we counted 1200 swans,” he said.

Other bird life the lake supports include the banded stilt and the hooded plover.

Ms Harvey said a book would be placed at the bird hide site for people to record bird sightings, which would be uploaded to Birdlife Australia.

The Shire of Wagin contributed to the project by helping with the signs, regrading the road to the lake, and putting in a nature carpark for visitors.

Mr Bishop said he wanted to thank Jason Horton, who built the bird hide, the Shire of Wagin and the State Natural Resource Management Program, which granted the application.

Mr Bishop said Wagin Lake was originally the proposed site for the town.

“It is of environmental significance for the Wagin area, which is largely unknown among the wider community and tourists passing through the area,” he said.

The next stage of the project is set to go ahead next year.

It will include rehabilitating the reserve with vegetation and erecting barriers to further prevent motorbike access.