Mandurah Samphire

Creery Wetlands and Samphire Cove - Home of the Quenda also known as the Southern Brown Bandicoot

Virtual Tour

 

Life in the Estuary

Knowing where to Grow
Vegetation forms distinct zones around the estuary. Features such as tolerance to salt, waterlogging, wind and preferred soil-type determine which species of plants will survive in a particular location.

 

In the Bushes
Insects are everywhere! Termites build mounds and make channels in old wood. Beetles, ants, earwigs and cockroaches live under bark. Caterpillars and other larvae chew holes in leaves. Aphids and other bugs feed on sap. Look for evidence on the ground and in bushes and trees.

Many bush birds visit the trees. Listen for the calls of Silvereyes, Inland Thornbills, Brown Honeyeaters, Mistletoe birds, Grey Currawongs and Australian Ringneck (Twenty-eight) Parrots.

 

In the Water
The shallow, productive waters of the estuary are teeming with fish and invertebrates. This wealth of food attracts not only people but many species of waterbirds. Spoonbills, egrets, ducks, stilts, terns, pelicans and cormorants live on the estuary throughout the year, diving, stalking, sifting or probing the mud for food. Sandpipers, stints and other migratory waders are summer visitors.

 

In the Mud
The mud is alive with tiny invertebrate animals, fungi, bacteria and algae. These organisms are small but vital links in the estuary ecosystem.

 

Samphire at Creery Wetlands and Samphire Cove at the Peel Inlet near Mandurah

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