January 17-18, 2024
Rowles Lagoon, Site 23, together with it’s associated smaller lakes is the largest Freshwater lake in the Goldfields where most lakes are salt. Because of this, it is home to 118 species of birds when it has water; unfortunately, like many areas, it is changing and currently has been dry for more than 4 months, traditionally it has rarely been dry.
While seeing only a small number of birds all round we were lucky enough to come across a family of Whistling Kites with a juvenile in the nest
There is a large camping area here with a toilet and tables managed by Parks and Wildlife (DBCA) with a mix of vegetation types. After our arrival we took a walk out onto the lagoon to the old abandoned steam boiler and water trough remains; it appears that water was once pumped from the lagoon to a dam which has been created just above the highest water mark.
The following morning, before the heat of the day set in (forecast for another 40+) we walked around the lagoon anti-clockwise, a distance of almost 4km.
