Winter in Carnarvon – Part 1, Burrowing Bees and Burrowing Frogs.

Carnarvon the regional centre for Western Australia’s Gascoyne Region, is often overlooked by tourists travelling to the nearby world class destinations of Shark Bay, Coral Bay and Exmouth.

The small town of 5000 sits confidently at the mouth of the Gascoyne River where it boasts an attractive waterfront known as The Fascine. I has to look this up, but fascine is latin for “bundle of sticks,” which were used to prevent erosion of the riverbank in times of flood.

Carnarvon lies South of the Tropic of Capricorn and therefore outside of the tropics. The climate is arid and hot over Summer but temperatures are somewhat moderated by the proximity to the Indian Ocean. Rainfall is predominantly in Winter.

The Gascoyne River is the longest in Western Australia, and in common with many rivers of the Northwest exists solely as subterranean flow for the majority of the time, only rising above the desert sands after heavy Winter rains or Summer cyclones.

Iconic Carnarvon – Murals, Palm Trees and Bountiful Bougainvillea

One Mile Jetty was once Carnarvon’s star attraction, but allowed to languish for too long without funding decay set in. When Cyclone Seroja barrelled through the region in 2018 it proved the final nail in the coffin for the jetty, washing away a large part of the structure. It is now sadly a shadow of it’s former self, and what remains is deemed unsafe and closed to foot traffic.

Plantations line the sandy banks of the Gascoyne River, drawing precious moisture from subterranean water flow, to produce an impressive 70% of Western Australia’s fruit and vegetables. Saturday morning markets in the Winter tourist season sell this delightfully fresh produce, as well as impressive local arts and crafts.

Carnarvon’s sizable indigenous population adds to the towns rich tapestry, while the Space and Technology Museum is a well presented tourist attraction describing the importance of this far-flung town in landing American astronauts on the moon in 1969.

Carnarvon is within striking distance of many outstanding attractions, including but not limited to, Wooramel Riverside Retreat, Shark Bay, The Ningaloo Reef, Quobba, Gnaraloo and Warroora Stations, mighty Mundatharrda (Kennedy Range) and stunning Burringurrah (Mt Augustus.)

Carnarvon is not known as a wildlife hub, but scratch beneath the surface and what is found is an impressive natural world of Burrowing Bees, Arid-adapted Frogs, bountiful Birdlife and Reptiles on a scale that far surpasses most other regions of Australia.

Carnarvon Fascine baking under an Indian Summer.

Frogs of Carnarvon

Arriving in Carnarvon late May, the baking heat from the scorching Western Australian Summer had yet to wane, and frogs seemed an impossible chance. Yet as the month ticked over into June, the change in season was severe as cold fronts began marching through the region.

On average the June rainfall for Carnarvon is 46mm, but in 2024 the June total was a staggering 104mm, enough to briefly shut the NorthWest Coastal Highway, and sufficient for the Gascoyne River to trickle above ground.

Eerie Weather blankets the Carnarvon Fascine.

While the rain put the skids on camping trips, it did provide the opportunity to find new frog species, for two of the Neobatrachus frog family call Carnarvon home. The literature states both of these species are Summer breeders responding to cyclonic rains.

Many years had passed since I had set out to search specifically for a new frog species, and so I was filled with a sense of anticipation as I drove deserted roads as the town population slept around me. The persistent drizzle dusting the car windscreen added to the intrigue.

The Carnarvon-Mullewa Road marches due West from Carnarvon through pastoral country. It is a landscape of low trees, and red sand dunes dotted with claypans. Creeping the car along at 25kph it wasn’t long before a small rotund form was illuminated under the the car headlights.

Closer inspection revealed a delightfully plump, and beautifully patterned Neobatrachus sutor, known commonly as the Shoemaker frog.

Shoemaker Frog.

Click on the link below to hear an audio call of the Shoemaker Frog, and the genesis of the common name will quickly become clear, sounding correspondingly like a hammer striking metal.

https://museum.wa.gov.au/explore/frogwatch/frogs/shoemaker-frog

The Shoemaker Frog is widely distributed from the Northwest Cape, South to the Wooramel River, and inland through the Northern Wheatbelt and arid interior of WA, occurring into adjacent areas of South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Proceeding along the Carnarvon-Mullewa Road the Shoemaker Frog sightings continued, until a slightly larger form revealed a different species. The frog was adorned with a “go faster” racing car stripe, a definite diagnostic feature of Neobatrachus wilsmorei, known rather delightfully as the Plonking Frog!

Plonking Frog.

This species is almost at the Northern end of it’s distribution at Carnarvon. It is not as widespread as the Shoemaker Frog but the distribution is mirrored into the Northern Wheatbelt, arid interior and down to the Northern Goldfields where the alternative common name of Goldfields Frog is applied.

During subsequent rain events, I found both species closer to town, with both Carnarvon Road and Babbage Island Road being reliable sites.

A final frog species seen at Carnarvon was the Little Red Tree Frog (Litoria rubella.) This species is commonly found around human dwellings, especially the sinks and toilet bowls of outback homesteads. Struggling to locate Litoria rubella a work colleague took pity on me and invited me around to her swimming pool, where therethey were in large numbers. Thanks Mel!!!

Little Red Tree Frog.

See here for a post of frogs of Southwestern Australia :-

South West Frogs – Western Australia – Motorbikes and Banjos.

Birds of Carnarvon

During warmer months, permanent pools in the Gascoyne River such as Rocky and Chinaman’s Pools are a magnet for birdlife. A visit to Chinaman’s Pool in late May revealed Egrets and Spoonbills foraging through mud at the waters edge.

High above an Australian Hobby was hunting through the riparian canopy of Red River Gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) looking for small birds, which form a substantial part of the diet.

Australian Hobby.

The permanant water provided by sewage ponds of Australia’s North are a magnet for birds, and Carnarvon’s sewage ponds near the suburb of Brockman were no exception. The most common bird was without doubt the White-plumed Honeyeater.

When observing White-plumed Honeyeaters, I know I am far from home and in Western Australia’s Mid-West or Pilbara, where it is undoubtedly the most common honeyeater. Star Finches and Rainbow Bee-eaters were other fabulous finds at Carnarvon’s Seawage Ponds.

White-plumed Honeyeater.

While One Mile Jetty might be defunct, it is still of use to local wildlife, evidenced by the stately Great Egret perched on the jetty in the picture below.

This species is a frequent visitor to mangoves that grow around the jetty ruins. The features that distinguish the Great Egret from others in the Egret family are the gape that surpassing the eye, and of course that immensely elongated neck of greater length than the body.

Click to access BirdwatchingGuideCarnarvonWA.pdf

Great Egret.

Burrowing Bees of Carnarvon

Perhaps the star attraction of the Carnarvon wildlife scene is one of Australia’s largest native bees, Dawson’s Burrowing Bee (Amegilla dawsoni.) This bee has no queen, produces no honey and as the name suggests spends the majority of the life cycle underground.

They are known as Mungurragurra (pronounced Moogadgurrah) in the local Yinggarda language, and are found solely in the Gascoyne and adjacent Mid-West regions of WA.

Burrowing Bee.

Although described as solitary bees, females tend to nest in close proximity, with a particular affection for bare patches of ground such as clay flats and vehicle tracks, where colonies can include thousands of burrows. The local shire mitigate damage to these colonies by placing signage on affected tracks to alert drivers.

Burrowing Bee Colony on Vehicle Track to Bush Bay.

For the majority of the year the bees exist as dormant larvae underground, but as their forage plants of Poverty Bush (Eremophila spp.) and Rough Bluebell (Trichodesma zeylanicum) bloom from July to September the adults emerge from underground.

Rough Bluebell.

As virgin females emerge from a burrow they are mobbed by males often resulting in a buzzing, tumbling ball of legs and wings. Once mated though females are fortunately no longer of interest, and can go about the business of feeding and preparing a burrow ready for the next hibernation.

Female Burrowing Bee at Burrow.

As humans we identify bees as danger, so at first to be surrounded by Burrowing Bees is a strange and intimidating experience. This docile species however has no intention to attack, and no sting to inflict anyway! To stand within a vibrant, burgeoning Burrowing Bee colony is an truly exiting experience, long remembered and highly recommended.

Flora of Carnarvon

Situated immediately North of the Southwest Botanical Province and affected by those same Winter rains, the brief flowering season of Carnarvon is an early one. It begins in July and peaks in August to avoid the Spring heat.

The first signs of the mass blooming event are the carpets of Everlastings that line the Northwest Coastal Highway, bringing much joy to those driving that long, straight stretch of road.

Billy Buttons lining the Northwest Coastal Highway.

Perhaps the most sought after of the local flora is the Green Birdflower (Crotalaria cunnunghamii.) The row of perfect origami-like birds on a stem, is a sight to behold.

The plant pictured below was found on the road verge of Babbage Island Rd, where White-plumed Honeyeaters were regularly seen taking advantage of this rich nectar source.

Green Birdflower.

The bountiful rain during the months of June and July ensured that the 2024 season in Carnarvon was magnificent.

The kaleidoscope of colour included Ermophilas, Grevilleas, pink Parakeelya, and the opalescent purples of Mulla-mulla and Bush Tomato. The clumps of delicate Shark Bay Daisies, the jazzy yellows of the Cassias and Wattles, brilliant Blue Bells and the stunning stately orange of Ashbyi’s Banksia.

Clockwise L-R – Cassia, Mulla-mulla, Bush Tomato, Shark Bay Daisies.

Thorny Devils of Carnarvon.

The sandy soils that surround Carnarvon are home to one of Australia’s most sought after reptiles, the magnificent Thorny Devil. Knowing this was torture as I waited patiently over the Winter months for these amazing reptiles to finish brumination.

Every Carnarvon local knows a secret spot for this much-loved reptile, and the general consensus is Thorny Devils are encountered less now then in recent times.

The basking habit of the Thorny Devil, often on tarmac roads, would certainly account for a plunge in sightings. During the covid pandemic, locked-down Western Australians finally realising the beauty of their own state, began to explore the Northwest in ever greater numbers.

This surge in road traffic would result in increased roadkill and decreased sightings, which I witnessed first hand driving the Minilya-Exmouth Road during the month of August, when Thorny Devil carcasses littered the road. Simple signage by local councils would alert drivers to the presence of these reptiles, and hopefully improve the hopeless situation.

The Thorny Devil pictured below was found basking on Blowholes Rd in late August, and was promptly moved to adjacent bush. Photographed against a brilliant backdrop of pink Parakeelya.

Thorny Devil.

Carnarvon is a town regularly demonised by the sensationalist and trashy commercial Australian TV Channels Seven and Nine as a crime hotspot. Nothing could be further from the truth. This friendly Northwest town is a delight to visit, especially in light of the rich wildlife and friendly locals.

As tourist numbers overwhelm the popular and famous resorts further North. It is a matter of time before tourists discover the charm of what has to be one of Western Australia’s best kept secrets.

Continued in:- Winter in Carnarvon – Part 2, Wooramel to Mundatharrda.

#QuollingAround