Barely five kilometres from central Perth, Herdsman Lake is a large freshwater wetland ringed by paperbark and reed, and one of the best places in the city to see waterbirds. A path circles the lake for walkers and cyclists, and hides and a wildlife centre look out over water alive with ducks, swans, herons and, in the reeds, the elusive little bittern. Once threatened by drainage, the lake is now a protected regional park and a green refuge amid the suburbs. Rich in birdlife and easy to reach, it is Perth's wetland on the doorstep.