Perth Voice Interactive

THE Eric Singleton bird sanctuary has reopened to the public after a $3 million project to restore the ailing wetlands.

An artificial wetland and the life work of late freeman of the city Eric Singleton, who worked there for 40 years, the wetland was in ecological decline and there’ve been low fauna numbers there lately.

In the 2013/2014 summer the wetland dried out completely and there were many bird deaths.

The joint project by Bayswater council and the Swan River Trust aims to restore the wetlands and make sure it’s healthy enough to improve the quality of water running through it and into the river.

The sanctuary used to rely on a bore but the water quality was getting bad with a build up of heavy metals and other nasties.

Now water from Bayswater Brook is diverted to run though, first going through a trap that removes pollutants before flowing into the wetland.

The healthier water should mean fewer algal blooms, bird deaths, mosquitoes and odours.

Now the heavy lifting’s done there’s a lot more tree planting planned to keep things green and lush.

The wetlands are home to the purple swan hen, dusky moorhen, willie wagtails, pelicans, dugites, western tree frogs, the dwarf skink and oblong turtles (the last of which had to be kept in safekeeping during the works. About 30 went missing, either stolen or eaten).

Since it’s reopened there’s also been some unwelcome animals: dogs. Owners have been letting their pooches run around but they’re not allowed in the sanctuary full stop, leashed or otherwise.

Voice photographer Matthew Dwyer came across a dog walker while he was down there who said he didn’t spot the (admittedly small) sign.

More are planned to make the don’t-let-your-dog-chase-these-stressed-out-birds policy more obvious.

by DAVID BELL