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Rufous Scrub-bird Monitoring Program 2001
Border Ranges Survey 1 – 1-2/12/2001
Following the success of the first Rufous Scrub-bird surveys at
Barrington Tops NP, surveys for Rufous Scrub-birds were conducted in the
Border Ranges National Park on the weekend of the 1st-2nd December,
2001. The RSB surveys were focussed on the eastern section of the Border
Ranges, which included Bar Mountain, Paddys Mountain, The Pinnacle, &
Brindle Creek. This section was mostly sub-tropical and warm-temperate
rainforest with some of the higher altitudes comprising cool temperate
rainforest. Prior to 1983, most of the Park (then Wiangaree State Forest) had
been logged. Similar to Barrington Tops, some rain during the fortnight prior to
the surveys provided favourable, humid, moist conditions for Rufous Scrub-birds.
On the Saturday (1/12/01), the weather was mild to warm (25-30° C) with clear skies and nil wind. On the Sunday (2/12/01),
the weather in the early morning was 100% cloud cover with light drizzle, but by
mid-morning the cloud cleared and the weather was mild to hot (30° C+) and a light northwesterly wind.
A team of 8 volunteer bird-watchers traveled to the
Border Ranges to participate in the surveys. The group comprised bird-watchers
from the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Murwillumbah, Lismore and Broken Head, with
the majority of these surveyors having previously participated in the 1999 &
2000 RSB surveys. A total of 14 male Rufous Scrub-birds were detected
across 140 survey sites during the survey. The majority of these birds
were detected in identical locations to previous surveys, with some of these
birds not necessarily calling during the survey time. There were, however, some
new territories identified, particularly in areas adjacent to creek lines. At
some sites located adjacent to roads, both male and female Rufous Scrub-birds
were seen and heard.
Some of the other birds observed during the weekend included
Grey Fantails, Rufous Fantails, Black-faced Monarchs, Spectacled Monarchs,
Brown Gerygones, Brown Thornbills, Striated Thornbills, White-browed Scrubwrens,
Yellow Throated Scrubwrens, Golden Whistlers, Albert’s Lyrebirds, Logrunners,
Brush Turkeys, Eastern Yellow Robins, Rose Robins, Pale-headed Robins,
White-throated Treecreepers, Russet-tailed Thrushes, Southern Boobooks, Eastern
Whipbirds, Grey Shrike-thrushes, Cicadabirds, Fan-Tailed Cuckoos, Shining
Bronze-Cuckoos, Lewin’s Honeyeaters, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, White-naped
Honeyeaters, Eastern Spinebills, King Parrots, Crimson Rosellas, Paradise
Riflebirds, Spangled Drongos, & Noisy Pittas. The abundance of
fruiting rainforest trees attracted large numbers of rainforest pigeons with
Brown Cuckoo-Doves, Topknot Pigeons, White-headed Pigeons, Wonga
Pigeons, Superb Fruit-Doves (5+), Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves (flocks of 10+),
& Wompoo Fruit-Doves all being recorded.
The survey group was John & Lyla Hansen, Syd Curtis, Bruce
& Judy Blackford, Andy Reimanis, Helen Manning, and David Charley. A BIG
THANK YOU to these people who participated in the first of two RSB surveys
in the Border Ranges.
Peter Ekert
NPWS Rufous Scrub-bird Survey Co-ordinator
(Barrington Tops & Border Ranges)
The Wetlands Centre
PO Box 292
WALLSEND NSW 2287
Ph. 02 49516466
Mob. 0410566104 Fax. 02 49501875
m("wetlands.org.au","pekert");">
www.wetlandscentre.org.au
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