Wamberal Lagoon
Wamberal Lagoon, an intermittently closed intermediate saline coastal lagoon, is located on the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Wamberal Lagoon is located between the beachside settlements of Forresters Beach and Wamberal, and adjacent to the east coast, about north of Sydney.
Features and location
Fed by stormwater runoff that flows into Forresters Creek, the lagoon has a surface area of approximately and a catchment area of. When full, the Wamberal Lagoon covers an area of around. Its outflow is to the Tasman Sea of the South Pacific Ocean that is generally closed, and water levels inside the lagoon are not usually influenced by ocean tides.The lagoon and the surrounding land comprising form part of the Wamberal Lagoon Nature Reserve, a nature reserve created in 1981, that is under management of the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service.
Terrigal Lagoon and Avoca Lake are located to the south and are a short distance away.
Wamberal Lagoon Conservation Society
Formed in 1983 and still active, the Wamberal Lagoon Conservation Society was set up to promote conservation of the lagoon and its surrounds in the face of increasing urban development.The initial charter of the WLCS cited the terms of Section 49 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act:
Lands within a nature reserve shall be deemed to be dedicated for the purposes of:
- The care, propagation, preservation and conservation of wildlife;
- The care, preservation and conservation of natural environments and natural phenomena.
- The study of wildlife, natural environments and natural phenomena; and
- The promotion of the appreciation and enjoyment of wildlife, natural environments and natural phenomena.
In 2018 and 2019 the WLCS initiated a habitat-restoration project aimed at improving water quality in inflows to the lagoon, with the ultimate aim of reintroducing an endangered amphibian species that once was common in this area but has been extirpated.
The WLCS is working with management authorities to identify practicable methods to reduce pollutant input and to replace invasive weeds with native vegetation to enhance biodiversity.
As part of the habitat-restoration initiative, WLCS assembled a list of vertebrate species that have been recorded to occur within one kilometre of the lagoon, based on unpublished records by WLCS members as well as consultancy reports. That list confirms the highly biodiverse nature of the site, and hence the importance of its conservation. Species lists below.
AMPHIBIANS
| Family | Species | Common name |
| HYLIDAE | Litoria dentata | Bleating Tree Frog |
| HYLIDAE | Litoria fallax | Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog |
| HYLIDAE | Litoria peronii | Peron's Tree Frog |
| MYOBATRACHIDAE | Adelotus brevis | Tusked Frog |
| MYOBATRACHIDAE | Crinia signifera | Common Froglet |
| MYOBATRACHIDAE | Limnodynastes peronii | Striped Marsh Frog |
BIRDS
| Family | Species | Common name |
| ACANTHIZIDAE | Acanthiza pusilla | Brown Thornbill |
| ACANTHIZIDAE | Acanthiza lineata | Striated Thornbill |
| ACANTHIZIDAE | Acanthiza nana | Yellow Thornbill |
| ACANTHIZIDAE | Gerygone mouki | Brown Gerygone |
| ACANTHIZIDAE | Sericornis frontalis | White-Browed Scrubwren |
| ACCIPITRIDAE | Accipiter novaehollandiae | Grey Goshawk |
| ACCIPITRIDAE | Aviceda subcristata | Pacific Baza |
| ACCIPITRIDAE | Haliaeetus leucogaster | White-bellied Sea Eagle |
| ACCIPITRIDAE | Haliastur sphenurus | Whistling Kite |
| ACCIPITRIDAE | Milvus migrans | Black Kite |
| ACCIPITRIDAE | Pandion haliaetus | Osprey |
| ACROCEPHALIDAE | Acrocephalus australis | Australian Reed Warbler |
| ALCEDINIDAE | Dacelo novaeguineae | Kookaburra |
| ALCEDINIDAE | Todiramphus sanctus | Sacred Kingfisher |
| ANATIDAE | Anas platyrhynchos | Mallard Duck |
| ANATIDAE | Anas superciliosa | Pacific Black Duck |
| ANATIDAE | Anas castanea | Chestnut Teal |
| ANATIDAE | Anas gracilis | Grey Teal |
| ANATIDAE | Aythya australis | Hardhead |
| ANATIDAE | Biziura lobata | Musk Duck |
| ANATIDAE | Chenonetta jubata | Australian Wood Duck |
| ANATIDAE | Cygnus atratus | Black Swan |
| ANHINGIDAE | Anhinga novaehollandiae | Australasian Darter |
| APODIDAE | Hirundapus caudacutus | Spine-Tailed Swift |
| ARDEIDAE | Ardea modesta | Eastern Great Egret |
| ARDEIDAE | Ardea modesta | Eastern Great Egret |
| ARDEIDAE | Ardea intermedia | Intermediate Egret |
| ARDEIDAE | Ardea alba | Great Egret |
| ARDEIDAE | Butorides striatus | Striated Heron |
| ARDEIDAE | Egretta garzetta | Little Egret |
| ARDEIDAE | Egretta novaehollandiae | White-Faced Heron |
| ARDEIDAE | Egretta sacra | Eastern Reef Egret |
| ARDEIDAE | Ixobrychus flavicollis | Black Bittern |
| ARDEIDAE | Nycticorax caledonicus | Nankeen Night-Heron |
| ARTAMIDAE | Artamus leucorynchus | White-Breasted Woodswallow |
| ARTAMIDAE | Cracticus nigrogularis | Pied Butcherbird |
| ARTAMIDAE | Cracticus tibicen | Australian Magpie |
| ARTAMIDAE | Cracticus torquatus | Grey Butcherbird |
| ARTAMIDAE | Strepera graculina | Pied Currawong |
| CACATUIDAE | Cacatua galerita | Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo |
| CACATUIDAE | Cacatua sanguinea | Little Corella |
| CACATUIDAE | Cacatua tenuirostris | Long-Billed Corella |
| CACATUIDAE | Callocephalon fimbriatum | Gang-Gang Cockatoo |
| CACATUIDAE | Calyptorhynchus funereus | Yellow-Tailed Black-Cockatoo |
| CACATUIDAE | Eolophus roseicapillus | Galah |
| CAMPEPHAGIDAE | Coracina novaehollandiae | Black-Faced Cuckoo-Shrike |
| CENTROPODIDAE | Centropus phasianinus | Pheasant Coucal |
| CHARADRIIDAE | Pluvialis fulva | Pacific Golden Plover |
| CHARADRIIDAE | Vanellus miles | Masked Lapwing |
| CICONIIDAE | Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus | Black-Necked Stork |
| COLUMBIDAE | Columba livia | Rock Pigeon |
| COLUMBIDAE | Columba leucomela | White-Headed Pigeon |
| COLUMBIDAE | Geopelia humeralis | Bar-Shouldered Dove |
| COLUMBIDAE | Ocyphaps lophotes | Crested Pigeon |
| COLUMBIDAE | Phaps chalcoptera | Common Bronzewing |
| COLUMBIDAE | Streptopelia chinensis | Spotted Dove |
| CORACIIDAE | Eurystomus orientalis | Dollarbird |
| CORCORACIDAE | Corcorax melanorhamphos | White-Winged Chough |
| CORVIDAE | Corvus coronoides | Australian Raven |
| CUCULIDAE | Cacomantis flabelliformis | Fan-Tailed Cuckoo |
| CUCULIDAE | Eudynamys orientalis | Pacific Koel |
| CUCULIDAE | Scythrops novaehollandiae | Channel-Billed Cuckoo |
| DICRURIDAE | Dicrurus bracteatus | Spangled Drongo |
| ESTRILDIDAE | Neochmia temporalis | Red-Browed Finch |
| FALCONIDAE | Falco cenchroides | Nankeen Kestrel |
| HIRUNDINIDAE | Hirundo neoxena | Welcome Swallow |
| LARIDAE | Chlidonias hybrida | Whiskered Tern |
| LARIDAE | Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae | Silver Gull |
| LARIDAE | Sterna fuscata | Sooty Tern |
| LARIDAE | Sterna hirundo | Common Tern |
| LARIDAE | Sterna striata | White-fronted Tern |
| LARIDAE | Thalasseus bergii | Crested Tern |
| MALURIDAE | Malurus lamberti | Variegated Fairy-Wren |
| MALURIDAE | Malurus cyaneus | Superb Fairy-Wren |
| MEGAPODIIDAE | Alectura lathami | Australian Brush-Turkey |
| MELIPHAGIDAE | Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris | Eastern Spinebill |
| MELIPHAGIDAE | Anthochaera chrysoptera | Little Wattlebird |
| MELIPHAGIDAE | Anthochaera carunculata | Red Wattlebird |
| MELIPHAGIDAE | Caligavis chrysops | Yellow-Faced Honeyeater |
| MELIPHAGIDAE | Manorina melanophrys | Bell Miner |
| MELIPHAGIDAE | Manorina melanocephala | Noisy Miner |
| MELIPHAGIDAE | Meliphaga lewinii | Lewin's Honeyeater |
| MELIPHAGIDAE | Melithreptus lunatus | White-Naped Honeyeater |
| MELIPHAGIDAE | Phylidonyris niger | White-Cheeked Honeyeater |
| MELIPHAGIDAE | Phylidonyris novaehollandiae | New Holland Honeyeater |
| MONARCHIDAE | Grallina cyanoleuca | Magpie-Lark |
| NECTARINIIDAE | Dicaeum hirundinaceum | Mistletoebird |
| OCEANITIDAE | Pelagodroma marina | White-Faced Storm-Petrel |
| ORIOLIDAE | Oriolus sagittatus | Olive-Backed Oriole |
| ORIOLIDAE | Sphecotheres vieilloti | Australasian Figbird |
| PACHYCEPHALIDAE | Colluricincla harmonica | Grey Shrike-Thrush |
| PACHYCEPHALIDAE | Pachycephala pectoralis | Golden Whistler |
| PARDALOTIDAE | Pardalotus punctatus | Spotted Pardalote |
| PELECANIDAE | Pelecanus conspicillatus | Australian pelican |
| PETROICIDAE | Eopsaltria australis | Eastern Yellow Robin |
| PHAETHONTIDAE | Phaethon rubricauda | Red-Tailed Tropicbird |
| PHALACROCORACIDAE | Phalacrocorax sulcirostris | Little Black Cormorant |
| PHALACROCORACIDAE | Phalacrocorax varius | Pied Cormorant |
| PHALACROCORACIDAE | Phalacrocrorax carbo | Great Cormorant |
| PODARGIDAE | Podargus strigoides | Tawny Frogmouth |
| PODICIPEDIDAE | Tachybaptus novaehollandiae | Australasian Grebe |
| PROCELLARIIDAE | Ardenna grisea | Sooty Shearwater |
| PROCELLARIIDAE | Ardenna pacificus | Wedge-tailed Shearwater |
| PROCELLARIIDAE | Ardenna tenuirostris | Short-tailed Shearwater |
| PROCELLARIIDAE | Pachyptila turtur | Fairy Prion |
| PROCELLARIIDAE | Pterodroma macroptera | Great-Winged Petrel |
| PROCELLARIIDAE | Puffinus assimilis | Little Shearwater |
| PSITTACIDAE | Alisterus scapularis | Australian King-Parrot |
| PSITTACIDAE | Glossopsitta concinna | Musk Lorikeet |
| PSITTACIDAE | Parvipsitta pusilla | Little Lorikeet |
| PSITTACIDAE | Platycercus eximius | Eastern Rosella |
| PSITTACIDAE | Platycercus elegans | Crimson Rosella |
| PSITTACIDAE | Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus | Scaly-Breasted Lorikeet |
| PSITTACIDAE | Trichoglossus haematodus | Rainbow Lorikeet |
| PSOPHODIDAE | Psophodes olivaceus | Eastern Whipbird |
| PTILONORHYNCHIDAE | Ptilonorhynchus violaceus | Satin Bowerbird |
| PYCNONOTIDAE | Pycnonotus jocosus | Red-Whiskered Bulbul |
| RALLIDAE | Fulica atra | Eurasian Coot |
| RALLIDAE | Gallinula tenebrosa | Dusky Moorhen |
| RALLIDAE | Gallirallus philippensis | Banded Rail |
| RALLIDAE | Porphyrio porphyrio | Purple Swamphen |
| RHIPIDURIDAE | Rhipidura rufifrons | Rufous Fantail |
| RHIPIDURIDAE | Rhipidura albiscapa | Grey Fantail |
| RHIPIDURIDAE | Rhipidura leucophrys | Willie Wagtail |
| SCOLOPACIDAE | Calidris ruficollis | Red-necked Stint |
| SCOLOPACIDAE | Callidris ferruginea | Curew Sandpiper |
| SCOLOPACIDAE | Gallinago hardwickii | Latham's Snipe |
| SCOLOPACIDAE | Limosa lapponica | Bar-Tailed Godwit |
| SPHENISCIDAE | Eudyptula minor | Little Penguin |
| STERCORARIIDAE | Stercorarius parasiticus | Arctic Jaeger |
| STRIGIDAE | Ninox novaeseelandiae | Southern Boobook |
| STRIGIDAE | Ninox strenua | Powerful Owl |
| STURNIDAE | Acridotheres tristis | Common Myna |
| STURNIDAE | Sturnus vulgaris | Common Starling |
| SULIDAE | Morus serrator | Australasian Gannet |
| THRESKIORNITHIDAE | Oplatalea regia | Royal Spoonbill |
| THRESKIORNITHIDAE | Threskiornis molucca | Australian White Ibis |
| TIMALIIDAE | Zosterops lateralis | Silvereye |
| TYTONIDAE | Tyto javanica | Eastern Barn Owl |
FISH
| Family | Species | Common name |
| AMBASSIDAE | Ambassus jacksoniensis | Port Jackson Glassfish |
| ANGUILLIDAE | Anguilla australis | Short-finned Eel |
| ANGUILLIDAE | Anguilla reinhardtii | Long-finned Eel |
| ANTENNARIIDAE | Antennarius striatus | Striated Frogfish |
| ARRIPIDAE | Arripis trutta | Eastern Australian Salmon |
| ATHERINIDAE | Atherinosoma microstoma | Smallmouth Hardyhead |
| ATHERINIDAE | Leptatherina presbyteroides | Silver Side |
| CALLIONYMIDAE | Repomucenus calcaratus | Spotted Stinkfish |
| CARANGIDAE | Pseudocaranx dentex | White Trevally |
| CLUPEIDAE | Herklotsichthys castelnaui | Southern Herring |
| ELEOTRIDAE | Philypnodon grandiceps | Flathead Gudgeon |
| GERREIDAE | Gerres subfasciatus | Silver Biddy |
| GERREIDAE | Girella tricuspida | Luderick |
| GOBIIDAE | Acentrogobius bifrenatus | Bridled Goby |
| GOBIIDAE | Afuragobius tamarensis | Tamar River Goby |
| GOBIIDAE | Callogobius sp. | Goby |
| GOBIIDAE | Favonigobius exquisitis | Exquisite Sand-goby |
| GOBIIDAE | Favonigobius lateralis | Goby |
| GOBIIDAE | Gobiopterus semivestita | Goby |
| GOBIIDAE | Parkraemeria ornata | Goby |
| GOBIIDAE | Pseudogobius olorum | Pseudogobius olorum |
| GONORHYNCHIDAE | Gonorhynchus greyi | Beaked Salmon |
| HEMIRHAMPHIDAE | Hyporhamphus regularis | Eastern River Garfish |
| ISONIDAE | Iso rhothophilus | Surf Sardine |
| LABRIDAE | Achoerodus viridis | Eastern Blue Groper |
| LABRIDAE | Coris sandeyeri | Eastern King Wrasse |
| MUGILIDAE | Liza argentea | Flat-tail Mullet |
| MUGILIDAE | Mugil cephalus | Sea Mullet |
| MUGILIDAE | Myxis elongatus | Sand Grey Mullet |
| PARALICHTHYIDAE | Pseudorhombus jenynsii | Small-toothed Flounder |
| PERCICHTHYIDAE | Macquaria colonorum | Estuary Perch |
| PLATYCEPHALIDAE | Platycephalus fuscus | Dusky Flathead |
| POECILIIDAE | Gambusia holbrooki | Eastern Gambusia |
| POMATOMIDAE | Pomatomus saltatrix | Tailor |
| PSEUDOMUGILIDAE | Pseudomugil signifer | Pacific Blue Eye |
| RHOMBOSOLEIDAE | Ammotretis rostratus | Long-nosed Flounder |
| SILLAGINIDAE | Sillago ciliata | Sand Whiting |
| SPARIDAE | Acanthopagrus australis | Yellowfin Bream |
| SPARIDAE | Rhabdosargus sarba | Tarwhine |
| SYGNATHIDAE | Urocampus carinirostris | Hairy Pipefish |
| TERAPONTIDAE | Terapon jarbua | Crescent Perch |
| TETRAODONTIDAE | Tetractenos glaber | Smooth toadfish |
| TETRAODONTIDAE | Tetractenos hamiltoni | Common Toadfish |
| TETRAROGIDAE | Centropogon australis | Fortescue |
| TRIGLIDAE | Chelidonichthys kumu | Red Gurnard |
MAMMALS
| Family | Species | Common name |
| BALAENIDAE | Eubalaena australis | Southern Right Whale |
| CANIDAE | Vulpes vulpes | Fox |
| DASYURIDAE | Antechinus stuartii | Brown Antechinus |
| FELIDAE | Felis catus | Cat |
| LEPORIDAE | Oryctolagus cuniculus | Rabbit |
| MACROPODIDAE | Wallabia bicolor | Swamp Wallaby |
| MINIOPTERIDAE | Miniopterus australis | Little Bentwing-Bat |
| MINIOPTERIDAE | Miniopterus schreibersii | Bent-Wing Bat |
| MOLOSSIDAE | Austronomus australis | White-Striped Freetail-Bat |
| MOLOSSIDAE | Mormopterus ridei | Ride's Free-Tailed Bat |
| MURIDAE | Rattus fuscipes | Bush Rat |
| MURIDAE | Rattus lutreolus | Swamp Rat |
| MURIDAE | Rattus rattus | Ship Rat |
| OTARIIDAE | Arctocephalus tropicalis | Subantarctic Fur-seal |
| PERAMELIDAE | Isoodon macrourus | Northern Brown Bandicoot |
| PHALANGERIDAE | Trichosurus vulpecula | Australian Brushtail Possum |
| PHOCIDAE | Hydrurga leptonyx | Leopard Seal |
| PSEUDOCHEIRIDAE | Pseudocheirus peregrinus | Common Ringtail Possum |
| PTEROPODIDAE | Pteropus poliocephalus | Grey-Headed Flying-Fox |
| TACHYGLOSSIDAE | Tachyglossus aculeatus | Short-Beaked Echidna |
| VESPERTILIONIDAE | Chalinolobus gouldii | Gould's Wattled Bat |
| VESPERTILIONIDAE | Chalinolobus morio | Chocolate Wattled Bat |
| VESPERTILIONIDAE | Nyctophilus gouldi | Gould's Long-Eared Bat |
| VESPERTILIONIDAE | Vespadelus darlingtoni | Large Forest Bat |
| VESPERTILIONIDAE | Vespadelus pumilus | Eastern Forest Bat |
| VESPERTILIONIDAE | Vespadelus vulturnus | Little Forest Bat |
| VOMBATIDAE | Vombatus ursinus | Bare-Nosed Wombat |
REPTILES
| Family | Species | Common name |
| AGAMIDAE | Amphibolurus muricatus | Jacky Lizard |
| AGAMIDAE | Intellagama lesueurii | Water Dragon |
| AGAMIDAE | Rankinia diemensis | Mountain Dragon |
| COLUBRIDAE | Dendrelaphis punctulatus | Green Tree Snake |
| ELAPIDAE | Cacophis krefftii | Southern Dwarf Crowned Snake |
| ELAPIDAE | Cacophis squamulosus | Golden Crowned Snake |
| ELAPIDAE | Demansia psammophis | Yellow-Faced Whip Snake |
| ELAPIDAE | Hemiaspis signata | Hemiaspis signata |
| ELAPIDAE | Pseudechis porphyriacus | Red-Bellied Black Snake |
| GEKKONIDAE | Phyllurus platurus | Leaf-tailed Gecko |
| PYGOPODIDAE | Pygopus lepidopodus | Common Scaly-Foot |
| PYTHONIDAE | Morelia spilota | Diamond Python |
| SCINCIDAE | Bellatorias major | Land Mullet |
| SCINCIDAE | Ctenotus robustus | Robust Ctenotus |
| SCINCIDAE | Eulamprus quoyii | Eastern Water Skink |
| SCINCIDAE | Lampropholis delicata | Dark-Flecked Garden Sunskink |
| SCINCIDAE | Lampropholis guichenoti | Pale-Flecked Garden Sunskink |
| SCINCIDAE | Saiphos equalis | Three-toed Skink |
| SCINCIDAE | Saproscincus mustelinum | Weasel Skink |
| SCINCIDAE | Tiliqua scincoides | Eastern Blue-Tongue |
| TYPHLOPIDAE | Ramphotyphlops nigrescens | Common Blind Snake |