Killarney Lyrebird Experience

25/04/2023

Hello fellow bird-nerds and forest-lovers. There is a one-off workshop on the iconic and cryptic Albert's Lyrebird planned for the 7th May at Wilsons Creek (northern NSW, not the Wilsons Creek near carneys Creek, Qld). It is open to everyone and will have lots of information on ecology and behaviour. The focus will be on song, dance and most importantly "how to find them". To find the birds involves surveying knowledge, with the idea that participants at the survey may be interested in surveying their own properties and/or joining a small group of intrepid volunteers who are planning to survey Springbrook N.P and Uralba Reserve this breeding season (Winter). Please share to others who may be interested in discovering this beguiling species. (Tickets are limited and may be purchased on Eventbrite).

21/02/2023

When big trees fall…
A massive Yellow Carabeen fell during a recent storm – snapped off at 10 metres above the ground with the remaining 40 metres of trunk falling across Spring Creek Road. Age of the tree? Most likely 800+ years old.
There are always winners and losers in the game of scrambling towards sunlight in a rainforest. This old tree lost on the day it fell, the Black Booyong seedlings that have stayed dormant for years at the base of the Carabeen won. The Mountain Silky Oak (Prickly Ash, White Beefwood) lost – it was in the path of the crashing Carabeen. Some of you will know the particular Mountain Silky Oak tree – it was the one whose bough lent across the road and was often festooned with beautiful white, fragrant flowers. The nearby vines are winners – they will certainly out compete any tree seedlings in the short-term as they don’t need to lay down a trunk to support their weight – the trees do that for them. And with rising carbon dioxide levels this “no-need” for a massive support structure gives vines a huge advantage.
So the Carabeen lies on the forest floor with a vacancy in the canopy waiting to be filled. How long until the natural equilibrium between vine and forest giant is restored? You guessed it – up to 800 years! Minimum 150.
Even small disturbances like this forest giant falling take a long, long time … that is why a road built through a rainforest (such as the Daintree) is so disruptive and causes such a huge insult on rainforest floral biodiversity. None of us need to travel to the Daintree to witness this loss of balance to canopy equilibrium – just drive along Spring Creek Road at The Falls and look at the vines smothering the rainforest giants on the northern edge of Carabeen Nature Refuge. The road allows perpetual flooding of sunlight which never allows the equilibrium to be restored.
The Carabeen in question fell across our access track. Tony used his chainsaw to cut and manoeuvre pieces to the side. None of the timber will be removed for hobby or commercial purposes. Fallen timber in a rainforest has its own value for providing food for fungi and cellulose-digesting invertebrates. Land mullets will seek shelter under its frame and I dare say we will sit upon the trunk, cuppa in hand, marvelling at the beauty of the forest.

06/02/2023

A homage to LBBS – the affectionate abbreviation for “little brown birds”. Cheerful little souls that drive birdwatchers to distraction 🧐

Is it a Brown Gerygone, or a Scrubwren? No – definitely a Thornbill. Striated, Yellow or Brown? Not sure, too fast, best to take a photo. Click. Gotcha – definitely a Brown Thornbill. Hello.

30/01/2023

This little fella was feeding in the rainforest leaf litter only a few metres from the side of Spring Creek Road. Everyone knows the amazing fact that they are an egg-laying mammal - but a quick peek at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary website revealed a whole more about their amazing ecology; a lifespan in the wild of 45 years, maximum speed 2.3km/hr, 15 cm long tongue capable of handling 40,000 termites a day, and great news for the environment, they shift 200 cubic metres of soil each year.

18/01/2023

10/01/2023

More raptors in the forest - this time a Grey Goshawk. What is it doing? Nest building is usually in Spring when the nest is built about 15 m above the ground. It is a stick platform 50 - 60 cm wide, 35 cm deep and lined with green leaves. So the log the bird is moving is unlikely to be flooring for a new build or a reno project. And it looks a tad too large for successful lift-off.
Hunting? Grey Goshawks are usually stealth hunters of small prey such as birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and arthropods. Their plan of attack is to wait patiently on a branch next to a trunk and then dive at lightening speed, knock over their prey and then quickly return for the kill. They also pull Ringtail Possums from their drays and I have no doubt a Lyrebird wandering on the forest floor would also be on the menu. However, moving the log is likely a search tactic for arthropods.
The bird activity we can be certain about in this video is the frantic alarm call of the Scrubwren in the vine thicket, alerting his nearest and dearest of the presence of real and present danger!

(Please share the video to other bird watchers and Mother Nature enthusiasts as recordings like this are a very rare treat).

13/12/2022

Land mullets are now out and about in the forest basking on their favourite sun-log. Bellatorias major is the largest skink, and a favourite to find. Usually it is just a rustle in the undergrowth that tells us they are nearby but this adult obliged for a up-close-and-personal photo. They give birth to live young in late Summer with juveniles often hanging around with parents until the next year when they go off to create their own territory and find a mate.

06/12/2022

Figs fruiting usually means one thing - figbirds - but not here.... Yesterday at a friend's place with subtropical rainforest the Australasian Figbirds were feasting on fruits of the Moreton Bay Fig. Here at The Falls (1000m elevation) the fig trees are Strangler Figs, and we have yet to see or hear fig birds which are common in lowland rainforest. When the Strangler Figs fruit the Topknot pigeons, rather than Figbirds, arrive en masse showering the ground below with fruit. That is the easiest way to find the Topknots - listening for the telltale sign of a fig waterfall.

30/11/2022

We wondering who the "culprit" was ... a pademelon was killed, beheaded and eviscerated. So up when a trail camera to see who knew about it ... a young Wedge tail appeared shortly afterwards. The bird stripped the ribcage and demolished the front legs, before flying in for the take away menu (hind limbs and tail).

28/10/2022

An addendum to the Golden Whistler post... this is the female, much more demure than the male in song and colouring. The easiest way to identify her from other "little brown birds" is the yellow of the vent area. She had just caught a Caper White butterfly and ate it quickly - I guess no nestlings needing to be fed nearby. Caper White butterflies tend to live west of the Great Dividing Range but every 6 - 10 years they migrate en masse over the range to coastal SE Qld. No en masse migration happening at the moment in the forest so it was a westerly wind that bought this butterfly as a tasty morsel.

23/10/2022

From little things big things grow .... in August the first conference solely focussed on Albert's Lyrebird ecology and behaviour was held at Binna Burra. Invited attendees were people (some academics and others citizen scientists) who all have "skin in the game" with Alberts.

It was a weekend talk-fest on all things lyrebirds (I was in seventh heaven) ... and from that Alberts Lyrebird Research & Conservancy was born. It is a group of fellow Alberts enthusiasts who are dedicated to research and advocacy for the species.

The group has a YouTube channel (same name as the group) with a website to follow. Workshops open to everyone are planned for next year, most probably in northern New South Wales.

Like to know more ?... subscribe to the YouTube channel for great videos of Alberts song, dance and behaviour, and watch out for the release of the website. On the website there should be a Project/News page detailing activities which everyone is welcome to join.

20/10/2022

Spring has certainly sprung, and although the Albert's Lyrebird is considered the best songbird in the world, this little fella (the male Golden Whistler) is not far behind. No mimicry but the quality and variety of his whistle is literally music to the ears. Right now they are in full song in the forests of the Border Ranges 😍