No. 46
Hello everyone
🌿A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved with Community Planting Day!
Our recent Community Planting Day at Point Waylen was a huge success. Seeing generations of locals on the foreshore, trowels in hand, reminded us exactly why we all worked so hard to protect this beautiful space. Despite starting with pouring rain, the weather morphed into a sunshiny day.
The City of Melville and Planet Ark did a great job in organising and running the event so smoothly.
Our FoMBS volunteers stayed busy at our Information Gazebo and also hosted two community birdwatching walks. Big thanks to our walk leaders - Lesley, Gareth and Brian, for sharing their expertise.
Backed by vital Federal and State government funding and championed by Sam Lim (Member for Tangney) and Lisa O’Malley (Member for Bicton), the Melville Bird Sanctuary is officially shifting from a long-held dream into a living haven for wildlife.
The Green Details 🌳
For those who asked about the revegetation, 40,000 plants have gone/are going into the ground over the duration of this project. DBCA and the City of Melville have put in approx 45 varieties of native plants to build a resilient, multi-layered ecosystem. These include saltmarsh, grasses, sedges, rushes, climbers, herbs, shrubs and trees, all of which will help to secure a safe home for our local birdlife.
Other Progress at Point Waylen
Alongside the City of Melville, DBCA and SERAG, our FoMBS group have been collaborating on the new Point Waylen Interpretation Plan. This Plan builds on the existing City of Melville Masterplan for the area. Expect to see some very exciting developments rolling out over the next 12 months. We will share more details in subsequent newsletters.
World Migratory Bird Day – Saturday 10 October 2026
To welcome our incredible migratory birds that travel thousands of kilometres to visit our wetlands each year, the City of Melville and SERAG are hosting a World Migratory Bird Day event at Point Waylen.
What: Educational activities and three guided birdwatching walks along with light refreshments
When: Saturday, 10 October 2026, 8am – 11am
Registration: Click here to register your attendance
Note: A few of us FoMBS committee members will be away for this one, but we hope to catch up with you at our next event in November (see below)
Birding for Mind and Wellbeing
Save the date below for our next special event exploring the relationship between birding and cognitive wellness.
The Details: Led by Dr Rochelle Steven, Conservation Scientist, Lecturer at Murdoch University and a well-respected, popular speaker from our 2024 and 2025 events, this session will feature an insightful talk followed by a 45-minute birdwatching walk at Point Waylen where we hope to spot several migratory bird species.
📅 When: Saturday, 21 November 2026, from ⏰9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.
📍Where: Troy Park Clubhouse (next door to Point Waylen).
We will provide a booking link as soon as the venue hire is fully confirmed!
CCWA Report: Back from the Brink
The Conservation Council of WA (CCWA) has launched a new report titled Back from the Brink: A Protection Agenda for Nature. The document calls for sweeping nature law reforms in Western Australia to halt further threatened species extinctions.
Highlighting real-life examples where policy is failing our unique biodiversity, the report puts forward 36 urgent recommendations for systemic change. You can read the core findings and access the full report directly via this link: https://www.ccwa.org.au/backfromthebrink
Youth Spotlight: The Stars are their Compass
We recently received an email from Hannah, a Year 10 student at Perth Modern School. For a school project, Hannah designed a beautiful environmental poster to raise community awareness about light pollution.
Her project encourages local households to make small changes to their outdoor lighting to help protect both native and migratory birds in the Melville Bird Sanctuary. It’s our privilege to share her poster with our community here. As well, these posters are in our Information Signs at Troy Park and Blackwall Reach Reserve.
Our Alfred Cove Ospreys
We’ve been keeping a close eye on our Osprey nest, wondering… will there be breeding attempts this year?
For the past six weeks, we’ve observed from a respectful distance as our female Osprey has spent time sitting in the nest. Then, on 15 September, we were thrilled to see the male arrive with a fish delivery! Needless to say, we got a little excited.
Could this be a promising sign?
Only time will tell. For now, we’ll continue watching quietly from a distance and, rest assured, we’ll be eager to share any good news with you.
Fingers crossed for our Alfred Cove Ospreys!
⚠️H5 bird flu reminder
If you see multiple sick or dead birds or other animals, please do not touch them or move any feathers or materials nearby. Keep your distance, record the location and what you can see, then report it to the 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
Finally, we appreciate your ongoing support and look forward to sharing more news and activities about the Melville Bird Sanctuary with you in the months ahead.
🙏 Finally, thank you for your continued support!
Best regards
Jenny Christenson & Tom Lubin
Co-founders: Friends of Melville Bird Sanctuary
240 Burke Drive, Attadale, 6156
Australia 6156
Web Site: www.melbirdsanc.com eMail: mailperson@melbirdsanc.com
Containers for Change
Please donate using this barcode.
Donations may also be made to our Westpac Bank Account.
Details as follows: Friends of Melville Bird Sanctuary, BSB 036-084 A/c 494777
Contact Melville City Rangers
MelSafe - 131 247 Anytime, day or night, to get help when you need it. MelSafe includes Rangers and the Community Safety Service.
Contact Wildcare Helpline (Parks & Wildlife - DBCA)
08 9474 9055
Contact WA Seabird Rescue
08 6102 8464