Fawthrop Lagoon
Walking around Fawthrop Lagoon
Starting on Cliff’s wankway which is behind the Vintage Car Museum on the corner of Percy and Glenelg streets walking in an anti clockwise direction, as you walk over Cliff’s Bridge listen on the left and you may hear the Little Grass Bird calling. On the right thwew are often birds such as the Buff-banded Rails, Stints, Sandpipers and Red-kneed and Black-fronted Dotterells. Blue wrens are a common sight along the trail in the open areas.
Multi layers of plants are found on the northern edges of the lagoon. These include Manna Gums, Wooly Tea-tree, Honey-myrtles, Drooping Sheaoak,Noonah and Blackwood Wattle all of which provide food for both birds and Koalas which live in the area. Always look up for koalas. As the path follows around the lagoon you will see a mature Silver Banksia . This is a source of food for the Yellow-taied Black Cockatoos which feed on the seeds in the Banksia cones. Along the ridge you may also be able to sight both Red and Little Wattle birds, Silvereyes, Blue Wrens, New Holland Honey Eaters and Crimson Rosellas.
Follow the path back as it turns to take you through the reedbeds. Here you will here the call of frogs. The area has Banjo Frogs, Brown Tree Frogs, STriped Marsh Frogs and Common Froglets. On you left you will find a small path that leads to an amazing view over the water and salt marsh beds. The open salt narsh area beyond the reeds supports Salt Grass, Creeping Brookweed, Thick-head Glasswort, Aystral Gypsywort, Austral Seabite, Showy Willow Herb,Common Reed, and Beaded Glasswort
On the Southern edge of the lagoon is a viewing platform. A rage of birds are able to be viewed fron this platform. Some of the species that are usually able to be ssen include Egrets, Ducks, Moorhens. Black Swans and Spoonbills. Pelicans are also sometime in this area. As you continue to wander along the canal pathway continue to look out for small birds such as Scubwrens, Superb Fairy-wrens amd Brown Thornbills as they flit across the water. There are two lagre concrete pipes which if you quietly aproach often have Skinks sunbathing on the warm surfaces.
On the southern side of the lagoon has a small island retreat for birds on your left. Here it is possible to see Shags and Elvers feeding on insects. On the right is the canal which leads to the harbour. Here is where you can view adult Eels swimming and small fish which use this area of the lagoon as a fish nursery and is an important home to aquatic insects, crabs and arthropods.
Continue on to your starting point.