Newport Lakes Park, Newport, Victoria

This 33 ha park was once a bluestone quarry and rubbish tip. It is now habitat for wildlife, the most visible being the waterbirds. Bush birds can also be heard and seen in the vegetation surrounding the lakes, particularly when the eucalypts are in flower.

May 2012

The images below were taken on a BirdLife Bayside outing to Newport Lakes and the nearby Jawbone Reserve in Altona and Williamstown.

  Purple Swamphen

She-Oak (Casuarina or Allocasuarina) with broadened ends of some of its normally fine branchlets.
The tiny, brown, tooth-like leaves are arranged in rows around the branchlets.

Eurasian Coot; a young bird that has not yet developed the distinctive white bill-shield. Instead of webbed feet, these birds have lobes on the sides of their three front toes.

Across the main southern lake, looking south east.
The four ducks in a row are Hardheads, which I think of as chocolate ducks. I don't eat chocolate...or ducks, but that's what they look like to me.

Rump, tail and ends of primary wing feathers of the above young Eurasian Coot.

Across the main northern lake, looking north east.
The pale square on the rock wall is a mosaic work of art. There are several in the park.

Line of rocks that stretches east-west between the north and south arms of the main lake.

A rather pretty duck resting on one orange foot on a rock in the lake.

  Black Swan.

Reflections of a rock wall in the stillest of pools.