birding-aus

A chorus line of Albert's [SEQ]

To: Birding Aus <>
Subject: A chorus line of Albert's [SEQ]
From: Laurie Knight <>
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2010 18:34:27 +1000
Peter Shute was up from Melbourne and keen to go birding around Mt Tambourine. Despite a dismal weather forecast for today, we rocked up to the Witches Falls area around 9 am. Normally the carpark would be half full by that time, but there were no cars at all when we arrived. We set off along the track and within minutes, Peter (who was in the lead) said there was a bird on the track. I was about to say it would be one of the ubiquitous turkeys, but no, it was a male Albert's Lyrebird. That was the fastest Albert's tick for anyone I've been birding with.

Instead of instantly disappearing as Albert's are want to do, it loitered for 10 seconds before vanishing. We walked on 100 metres, and there was another one. And another one. Then there were two or three together. All up, we saw Alberts for about a kilometre along the track. At times we could see them less than 10 metres away scratching in the rich soil beside the track, and I managed to get my first ever good photograph of an Albert's. There was a fair bit of calling going on, but not a full breeding recital. They did, however, make a diverse range of calls and Peter got to hear the classic gronking call.

I have never seen so many 'tame' Albert's in one place. Perhaps the fact that the track runs 20 metres from a host of back fences has something to do with it.

The bottom line, is that if you want to see an Albert's, go to Witches Falls on a wet morning. The rain may bring the leeches out, but it sure keeps the wombles away.

Regards, Laurie.

PS We got some nice close-up shots of Log Runners on the Curtis Falls track and I was surprised to find a large colony of Flying Foxes camped over the creek. I can't remember seeing them on Mt Tambourine previously.
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