2nd Winter Survey

Superb Lyrebird survey atTidbinbilla Nature Reserve

25 June 2005

The second annual survey of the Superb Lyrebird at the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve was run under perfect conditions on Saturday 25 June. Seventeen COG members and friends met at the gates by 8.00 and were dispatched to assess the number of lyrebirds that could be seen or heard along the Gibraltar Rocks, Devils Gap and Fishing Gap walking trails, along the Ashbrook Creek fire trail and part-way along the Camel-back trail. The areas covered were the same as last year when 7 birds were reported, all from the dryer, eastern side of the valley. In contrast this year there were 13 birds reported, most of which were recorded from the wetter southern and western side of the valley. A repeat survey was conducted on 6 July. This time the Gibraltar Rocks trail was not repeated. Nine birds were reported and this number was similar to the 11 birds reported from the same trails 12 days earlier. Twenty-six bird species were recorded during the surveys including independent sightings of Brown Quail.

On 13 June after much physical effort David McDonald and Chris Davey were able to relocate the Lyrebird walking trail. This trail had not been re-opened since the January 2003 fires but had previously been a favourite walk for David’s popular lyrebird outings. Before the fire lyrebirds and their mounds were commonly seen but on this occasion there was no sign of either.

Many thanks to the participants and to the staff at Tidbinbilla for opening the gates early and for giving CD a push to start a car with a flat battery!

Participants:

Jenny Bounds
Sue Lashko
Lia Batterson
Julie McGuiness
Ian Frazer
John Cumming
Rosemary Bell
Peter Fullagar
Pru Buckley
Steve Holliday
Janet and Ester Gallanto
Anne I'ons
Paul Edstein
Chris Davey
Shaun Bagley
Barbara Allan

The following maps show the location of each of transect. Blue figure indicate Latitude and Longitude; the umber lines follow the ridges dividing the main catchments and the five transects along sections of recognized trails have been indicated in red. The maps are shown in order, clockwise, around the Tidbinbilla valley, starting in the north.

Gibraltar Rocks transect

Devils Gap transect

Fishing Gap transect

Ashbrook creek transect

Camel-back transect

On this lower map there are yellow dots within a pale yellow ellipse, indicating, respectively, the approximate centres of nine territories within a general study area. These features were described in detail by Norman Robinson and Harry Frith when reporting the results from their work on Superb Lyrebirds at Tidbinbilla in the early 1960s (Robinson & Frith, 1981)