birding-aus

Re Alberts adventure

To: "" <>
Subject: Re Alberts adventure
From: Mike Fitzgerald <>
Date: Tue, 5 May 2020 23:25:47 +0000
Sounds like a mini-epic! 

I was up at Border Ranges pre-dawn on Monday last (4/5) hoping to record display behaviour but they were not displaying, just a few territorial/whistle-song calls at dawn and a bit of gronking song but no actual full display at display sites. Should start soon. The earliest I have recorded Alberts displaying at Uralba is 13 May and the earliest dawn calling near the breeding territory is April 8. They haven't started displaying yet at Killarney yet according to a friend of mine there. Expect they will start in the next fortnight and go through till at least August or later if it is like other years.
I have copies of some of Syds recordings and a lecture, which are all gold! happy to share if you like.

Cheers

Mike Fitzgerald



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Subject: Birding-Aus Digest, Vol 79, Issue 4
 
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Today's Topics:

   1. Albert's adventure (Michael Hunter)


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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 5 May 2020 12:19:41 +1000
From: Michael Hunter <>
To: "" <>
Subject: Albert's adventure
Message-ID: <>
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset=us-ascii


    Some years ago in search of Alberts and other luscious birding , we stayed at O'Rielly's and did a long cliff top walk in search of Alberts in particular.  Eventually after about ten km had good views, but not displaying.

     Decided to take an alternative less direct creek side return walk, but a couple of km. short of home,  nightfall fell like a blanket with zero visibility in the depths of the forest. No torch, the track virtually invisible and at that point a cliff on the right, so we decided to stay put. Laid down but too cold to sleep, only summer walking clothes, had to do calisthenics every few minutes to avoid freezing.
    Only company was fireflies dancing in the bush.

        Eventually it Dawned and we walked back meeting surprised early rising hikers on their way out.

       Now always carry a functional torch, poncho and chocolate in case of stupidity/misadventure  henceforth. Two way radio in The Centre.

       Laurie's tail tale has prompted a trip to Witches Falls once the border to the Borders opens up. 

       But is there a display season?

        How can we access Syd Curtis'
Study on the Alberts?


                      Best

                           Michael


     

   

    

 

Sent from my iPhone

> On 5 May 2020, at 2:00 am, wrote:
>
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> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Birding-Aus digest..."
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> Today's Topics:
>
>   1. A Tail of Two Alberts (Laurie Knight)
>   2. Re: A Tail of Two Alberts (Roaminoz -)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 4 May 2020 15:53:12 +1000
> From: Laurie Knight <>
> To:
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] A Tail of Two Alberts
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain;    charset=utf-8
>
> The social distancing restrictions in Queensland were relaxed to the point that people can legally travel 50 km for recreational purposes, so it was time to pop out for some quality rainforest time.
>
> Mt Tambourine is within 50 km from home and easy to get to by 7:30 am [before the hordes arrive].  Witches Falls is one of the best places in Australia to have a close encounter with the Alberts Lyrebirds (the population there was closely studied by Syd Curtus during the last century.)
>
> This morning I had the joy of close views of not one but two dancing males.  Both were in the breaking wave posture and the second was strutting his stuff in the clear less than 10 metres from the track.  That was within comfortable range for the phone camera and you could see the central tail feathers that break ranks and stand up straight while the others cascade over the performer?s head.
>
> There were no gronking calls in the birds? dance routine.  The dominant calls were drawn from bowerbirds, rosellas and catbirds.  Interestingly, there was an unusual element in both routines - protracted passages that sounded like a cross between popping bubble wrap and a crackling fire.  Perhaps that sound was based on the frog calls at a nearby intermittent wetland or it may have been a piece of local culture handed down over the generations.
>
> I?m sure Syd would have loved it.
>
> Regards, Laurie.
>
> PS, there were four Glossy Blacks feeding close to the lookout at the Knoll picnic site.
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 4 May 2020 06:48:45 +0000
> From: Roaminoz - <>
> To: Laurie Knight <>,
>    "" <>
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] A Tail of Two Alberts
> Message-ID:
>    <>
>   
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"
>
> Lucky you Laurie ... I am yet to see both our Aussie Lyrebirds in the bush.   I'm about 200 ks from Witches Falls .. but I have made  note when Corvid disappears, guess where I am going.
> Jude
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Birding-Aus <> on behalf of Laurie Knight <>
> Sent: Monday, 4 May 2020 3:53 PM
> To: <>
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] A Tail of Two Alberts
>
> The social distancing restrictions in Queensland were relaxed to the point that people can legally travel 50 km for recreational purposes, so it was time to pop out for some quality rainforest time.
>
> Mt Tambourine is within 50 km from home and easy to get to by 7:30 am [before the hordes arrive].  Witches Falls is one of the best places in Australia to have a close encounter with the Alberts Lyrebirds (the population there was closely studied by Syd Curtus during the last century.)
>
> This morning I had the joy of close views of not one but two dancing males.  Both were in the breaking wave posture and the second was strutting his stuff in the clear less than 10 metres from the track.  That was within comfortable range for the phone camera and you could see the central tail feathers that break ranks and stand up straight while the others cascade over the performer?s head.
>
> There were no gronking calls in the birds? dance routine.  The dominant calls were drawn from bowerbirds, rosellas and catbirds.  Interestingly, there was an unusual element in both routines - protracted passages that sounded like a cross between popping bubble wrap and a crackling fire.  Perhaps that sound was based on the frog calls at a nearby intermittent wetland or it may have been a piece of local culture handed down over the generations.
>
> I?m sure Syd would have loved it.
>
> Regards, Laurie.
>
> PS, there were four Glossy Blacks feeding close to the lookout at the Knoll picnic site.
>
>
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