Herdsman Lake

A very wide range of species occur at Herdsman Lake. Wading birds are present in the summer (December to February) when the Lake is dry enough, and cuckoos are present only in winter and spring (July to November). Most other species are present year-round.

The best time of day for birding at Herdsman Lake is in the morning, preferably within 2 hours of sunrise. This is the time of day when birds are calling most, and most active.

A walk around the entire Lake, in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, will yield a high number of species. It is not unusual to see 55 to 65 species on a walk around the entire Lake, whilst one observer, in January of 2020, recorded 85 species. The conditions at this time were particularly good for nomadic passerines and wading birds. A walk around the entire Lake can take between 2 hours and 4 hours, depending on the pace you prefer.

Herdsman Lake is most easily accessible by car, however Transperth does also run bus services in the area.

There are no restrictions on access to Herdsman Lake, and can be accessed any day of the year, at any time of day (or night, for that matter). There are numerous carparks around the Lake, only one of which is sometimes closed, this being the Herdsman Lake Discovery Centre carpark located at the southern end of the Lake.

Bird banding is run every Saturday morning by Bill Rutherford, coordinator of the Herdsman Lake Bird Banding Group. Members of the public and birders can attend to watch the proceedings and learn more about bird banding. The bird banding takes place at the Herdsman Lake Settler's Cottage on the western side of the Lake. Species frequently banded include Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Weebill, Striated Pardalote and Silvereye.

For non-birding companions, Herdsman Lake is a very scenic area. Birders and non-birders alike would enjoy a walk around Herdsman Lake or a part of the Lake.

The Herdsman Lake Discovery Centre (operated by the Western Australian Gould League) is located at the southern end of Herdsman Lake. This Centre includes information boards and other resources which can be used to learn more about the Lake. The Centre is only opened for a limited time, with no set hours. School groups often come to the Centre, or it can be hired out for functions or similar.

There are no publicly accessible toilets or restrooms around Herdsman Lake. The closest public toilets are located a few minutes' walk south of the Herdsman Lake Discovery Centre, at the corner of Grantham Street and Selby Street (within Grantham Park).

The Herdsman Lake Discovery Centre maintains a boardwalk (which has been recently renovated in 2021). The approximately 400-metre long Olive Seymour Boardwalk takes you through paperbark trees, and allows an observer to get closer to Typha reeds where the Black-backed Bittern is resident.

There are two hides around the Lake. The first, the Baumea Bird Hide, is wooden and can accommodate up seven observers at any given time. There are some viewing slits through the wooden exterior, which can be difficult to use if you are not of a 'standard' adult height. The second, the Balgay Bird Hide, is similar in dimension to the Baumea Bird Hide, and can accommodate a similar number of observers. The same problem exists with the difficulty of using the viewing slits if you are not of a 'standard' adult height.