3rd Winter Survey

Superb Lyrebird survey at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve

24th June 2006

The third annual survey of the Superb Lyrebird at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve was run under perfect conditions; a typical winter’s day in the ACT with a cold, foggy start that soon produced a clear, still morning. Nine COG members met at the gates at 7.30am and were soon dispatched to survey the Gibraltar Rocks, Devil’s Gap, Fishing Gap, Ashbrook Creek and Camel Back trails. In addition, the Lyrebird trail, although not officially open to the public since the 2003 bushfires and now impossible to find without prior knowledge and a lot of luck, was surveyed for the first time.

Not counting the single bird reported from the Lyrebird trail there were 12 individuals recorded. With experience gained from the previous two surveys we have been able to re-evaluate past sightings and now estimate that there were six individuals reported in 2004 and 14 individuals reported in 2005.

During the survey 26 species were recorded, funnily enough the same number as the two previous surveys. The species recorded from along the trails included the Brown Quail, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Crimson Rosella, Laughing Kookaburra, Superb Lyrebird, White-throated Treecreeper, Superb Fairy-wren, Spotted and Striated Pardalote, White-browed Scrubwren, Weebill, Brown and Striated Thornbill, Red Wattlebird, White-eared Honeyeater, Eastern Spinebill, Scarlet, Flame and Eastern Yellow Robin, Golden Whistler, Grey-Shrike-thrush, Grey Fantail, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, White-winged Chough and Red-browed Finch.

Interestingly, over the three trails on the western side of the Tidbinbilla valley an average of six species per trail was recorded whilst there were 12 species per trail recorded from the three eastern trails.

Many thanks to the participants and to the staff at Tidbinbilla for allowing us early access into the Reserve.

Participants:

Pru Buckley
Steve Holliday
Jenny Bounds
Lia Batterson
Julie McGuiness
Sue Lashko
Peter Fullagar
Barbara Allan
Chris Davey