Fires

[Philip Veerman <>]

Fine, Martin but there are loose concepts in your sentence: seem & expected. It is all relative. I reckon valid to be concerned for lyrebirds, even if they are maybe less impacted than many other fauna, who can’t escape. Clearly some can and will outrun some fire conditions, just as with kangaroos. That people will see lyrebirds after fires is also sort of predictable. They will be displaced and easy to find with all the forest burned. Those probably few that survive (those on the edges maybe) may be able to find some food among the ash for a while, though I wonder how long food availability will last, until there is some regeneration of systems. Surely in this damage, those lyrebirds left are also surely far increased vulnerability to predation. COG did survey lyrebird habitat after 2003. I did mention on this line about the presence of lyrebirds along Bullen range in the years before & after 2003 fire. There was a long absence (at least as notable from hearing them along the Kambah Pool track). It also depends a lot on the size of area burned, as to their ability to re-establish. What is really bad this time is the extent of geography impacted.

 

Philip

 

From: Martin Butterfield [
Sent: Tuesday, 21 January, 2020 5:50 PM
To: Les Main
Cc:
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Fires

 

Bushfires don't seem to fuss Lyrebirds as much as might be expected.  I recall someone saying they swaw one in the Bullen Range the day after the 2003 Canberra fires and people are reported them in Mallacoota now.

 

Martin Butterfield

http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/

 

 

On Tue, 21 Jan 2020 at 16:00, Les Main <> wrote:

Just thought I would post this image taken this morning.

COG members that came on the Tumut outing last year will remember this as the exact spot 2 Lyrebirds were flushed and flew straight over our heads.

It used to be thick understorey and closed canopy. It is the "Old Mountain Road Walk" Kosciuszko NP. I did hear a Currawong calling this morning but I don’t think we will see Lyrebirds for a very long time.

The Kosciuszko NP has burnt from Blowering to Kiandra and beyond on both sides of the highway, and was heading to the Brindabellas and the ACT. It is the "Dunns Road" fire. I  believe it is now under control.

Very disheartening but lucky it has been stopped.

(this is my first ever post, I hope it works)

 

Les Main

 

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