Inaugural Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve Lyrebird Survey
Saturday 17th July and Saturday 21st August.
The first survey was run under interesting conditions. With a forecast of hail, thunderstorms and strong winds 12 intrepid souls met at the gates to the Reserve at 8.00am ready to do battle with the elements. To our surprise the weather turned out to be mild and still. As all walking tracks had been recently opened after the January 2003 bushfires we were able to split up into groups and walk the Gibraltar, Devils Gap, Fishing Gap, Ashbrook and Camel Back trails. At this time of the year Lyrebirds are normally very vocal and hence July is a good time to obtain a measure of their abundance. The weather soon turned and before long all parties were able to enjoy a good fall of snow that lay on the ground down to about 900 m.
Two of the groups recorded a total of seven calling Lyrebirds. All calls were heard from the Gibraltar and the Devils Gap trails, both of which occur on the eastern side of the Reserve. The birds continued to call during the snow storm so despite the weather we were able to obtain a good measure of their present numbers and distribution since the bushfires.
In addition to the Lyrebirds, 26 species were recorded of which the most frequent included the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Laughing Kookaburra, White-throated Treecreeper, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Thornbill and Grey Shrike-thrush. Interesting observations included the Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Eastern Spinebill and the Diamond Firetail.
On Saturday 21st August most of us returned to Tidbinbilla for a repeat survey. While we were assembling at the entrance gate we were entertained by the unusual spectacle of a flock of 16 White-winged Chough climbing to about 300m above the valley floor before circling and then rapidly descending.
Shortly after starting this second survey a strong westerly wind sprang up. For those on the east side of the valley the consequent noisy conditions did not help our cause but the teams on the Ashbrook Creek and Camel Back trails were not so troubled. However, it seems that we drew a blank all the same. Well almost. The Gibraltar Rocks team heard a muffled snatch of Superb Lyrebird song, in a minor lull between wind gusts! The bird seemed to be calling from the same general area where we had heard a lyrebird in song the previous month. On this occasion, however, we did find a display mound, albeit a poorly defined one but we could not find the 'obvious' display mound reported to us by the Tidbinbilla staff. It turns out that we had been searching about 75 m too far to the N and this apparently well-used mound, very near the track, must have been close to the one we did stumble upon!
All other teams drew a blank but I think everyone enjoyed their walk anyway. Flame Robins were certainly conspicuous with about 25-30 moving about all morning over the grassland areas near the site of the old Visitor Information Centre. We also recorded a male Scarlet Robin courtship feeding a female and two Rose Robins in our combined total of 29 detected species.
We would like to thank all those who contributed to the surveys and in particular to Monica for turning up to work early to open the gates for us in July.
Participants: Steve Holliday; Pru Buckley; Harvey Perkins; Martin Butterfield; David McDonald; Chris Davey; PJF and others.
Chris Davey & Peter Fullagar
Two of the groups recorded a total of seven calling Lyrebirds. All calls were heard from the Gibraltar and the Devils Gap trails, both of which occur on the eastern side of the Reserve. The birds continued to call during the snow storm so despite the weather we were able to obtain a good measure of their present numbers and distribution since the bushfires.
In addition to the Lyrebirds, 26 species were recorded of which the most frequent included the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Laughing Kookaburra, White-throated Treecreeper, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Thornbill and Grey Shrike-thrush. Interesting observations included the Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Eastern Spinebill and the Diamond Firetail.
On Saturday 21st August most of us returned to Tidbinbilla for a repeat survey. While we were assembling at the entrance gate we were entertained by the unusual spectacle of a flock of 16 White-winged Chough climbing to about 300m above the valley floor before circling and then rapidly descending.
Shortly after starting this second survey a strong westerly wind sprang up. For those on the east side of the valley the consequent noisy conditions did not help our cause but the teams on the Ashbrook Creek and Camel Back trails were not so troubled. However, it seems that we drew a blank all the same. Well almost. The Gibraltar Rocks team heard a muffled snatch of Superb Lyrebird song, in a minor lull between wind gusts! The bird seemed to be calling from the same general area where we had heard a lyrebird in song the previous month. On this occasion, however, we did find a display mound, albeit a poorly defined one but we could not find the 'obvious' display mound reported to us by the Tidbinbilla staff. It turns out that we had been searching about 75 m too far to the N and this apparently well-used mound, very near the track, must have been close to the one we did stumble upon!
All other teams drew a blank but I think everyone enjoyed their walk anyway. Flame Robins were certainly conspicuous with about 25-30 moving about all morning over the grassland areas near the site of the old Visitor Information Centre. We also recorded a male Scarlet Robin courtship feeding a female and two Rose Robins in our combined total of 29 detected species.
We would like to thank all those who contributed to the surveys and in particular to Monica for turning up to work early to open the gates for us in July.
Participants: Steve Holliday; Pru Buckley; Harvey Perkins; Martin Butterfield; David McDonald; Chris Davey; PJF and others.
Chris Davey & Peter Fullagar
Looking for Lyrebirds on the Fishing Gap Trail, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, July 2004
Lyrebird display mound, Gibraltar Rocks Trail, August 2004
