Piney lake

At Piney Lakes nature reserve I have seen a surprising amount of wildlife. The council are improving this area with native plantings and the building of the Environmental Education Center. Around the reserve I have seen a burton's legless lizard (but unfortunately my camera wasn't working) and a fraser's legless lizard. Here also is a gorgeous western bearded dragon showing off for me!

Western bearded dragon

Fraser's Legless lizard. Completely harmless!

This fraser's legless lizard and a burton's legless lizard were seen on the driveway entrance to Piney Lakes from Leach Highway. Be careful as you drive in here!

Bobtail chasing his girlfriend seen in the grass around Piney Lake.

South western Crevice ergnia sunning himself on the board walk at Piney Lake.

Around the lake trails and boardwalks I have seen lots of bobtail lizards, lots and lots of frogs such as these cuties below. Standing at the lakes edge at this time of year (Oct-Dec) at night is almost deafening with the sounds of frogs.

Moaning Frog (when this guy is worried he puffs himself up and makes the most amazing noises. Check out January's photo of the month!

This is a motorbike frog tadpole just finishing up one of his mates for lunch!

Unidentified frog, seen at Piney Lakes Nature Reserve

I have also seen a Boobook owl in the day down in the pine tree area and there are turtles in the lake. One night we also came across this scorpion on the path. I nearly stepped on it!

Once I even found a dead Western bearded dragon on the board walk. I hope it wasn't killed by someone's dog. Please keep your dogs on the lead where there is wildlife.

Unidentified Scorpion asserting his right to be on the path at Piney Lake!

Photo by Mary Heslan

Crusader bug, often seen on the bushes around Piney Lake

In August there was a lot of bracket and orange cup fungi around the board walk area, even though this area dries out.

I have also seen lots of moths, crickets, butterflies, dragonflies, crusader bugs and other insects.

Yellow dragonfly on the reeds around Piney Lake

There are a lot of paper bark trees through all these lakes, as many years ago this whole area was swamp land. There are also some banksias and woolly bush and lots of birds such as mud larks (nesting), crows, black face cuckoo shrikes, honeyeaters (including the noisy new holland honey eaters), wattles, and many other little birds all call this place home. It is really a delight to spend time here and I hope that you enjoy it as much as we have.

(Feb)

I had read there were Rainbow bee-eaters here at Piney Lakes and at the beginning of Feburary I finally saw around 8-10 Rainbow bee-eaters. Their young at this time of year would just be leaving home or learning how to hunt those tricky bees and insects with a parent.

Updates for April

These little frogs were hopping around in the rain one night at Piney lakes reserve. They are very small, less than 2cm long! I have not been able to identify them yet.

<<<<There is always an abundance of dragonflys around the edge of many of the lakes and they can be a variety of colours. These ones are blue, but sometimes you will see red or even red and blue! Go here for more on dragonflys.

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