Nest box monitoring weekends at Lurg

Not bird related but if you like the cute and cuddlies you may be interested.  Incidentally, this project is about revegetating for Regent Honeyeaters as well as cute and cuddlies.

Please reply directly to Ray Thomas (), not me.

Cheers

David Geering
Regent Honeyeater Recovery Coordinator
Department of Environment & Conservation
P.O. Box 2111
Dubbo  NSW  2830
Ph: 02 6883 5335 or Freecall 1800 621 056
Fax: 02 6884 9382
.......................................................................................................................................................................
Nest Boxes for Endangered Species

17/18 April and 1/2 May, 2004

Perhaps you'd like to see some of the beautiful little creatures we are working to protect up here at Lurg. Our nest box program has been in operation for several years now, and we'd like to invite you to join us as we do our annual monitoring work.

We have 150 nest boxes already in place, with Sugar Gliders and Squirrel Gliders nesting in nearly 70% of them. It's helping the wildlife for sure, and it's also a first rate opportunity for people to enjoy some close contact with nature.

We'll also be placing some new boxes out in likely looking habitat. The regrowth forests of Lurg have very few natural hollows so our nest boxes are crucial habitat for last year's offspring when they leave home to make room for next year's babies.

After dark we'll be spotlighting to see the wildlife on their own terms as they forage through the tree tops. With binoculars at the ready we always get startling views of the nightlife, and last year we saw the rare Squirrel Gliders each time we went out.

Do come and join us. It should be a good opportunity for you and your friends to meet some new people and have some fun together while doing something concrete for our environment.

Ray Thomas
ph (03) 57 611 515


Nest Box Monitoring Weekends                         17/18 April and 1/2 May, 2004.

We've been nest box checking and spotlighting recently with Green Corps, and it's been very successful indeed! We waited patiently under a nest box in the lead up to sunset, and finally saw 3 Squirrel Gliders coming out for their night shift. We watched them grooming for several minutes just above us, and one flew right over our heads. Spotlighting further afield revealed another Squirrel Glider who promptly headed for home and dived in his hollow branch to get out of the limelight.

So, the critters are out in force, we all enjoyed the experience, and I would love you and your friends to come and enjoy these beautiful little animals on our nest box checking weekends in Autumn.

Why bother about nest boxes?
It's pretty simple really; much of the regrowth bush in Lurg is still too young to have hollow branches, so the wildlife don't have enough holes for shelter and breeding. Rare species like Squirrel Gliders and Brush Tailed Phascogales need all the help they can get!

Why check them every year?
Regular checking is important so that we can find the extent of local populations, the habitats they prefer, the breeding success of particular colonies, and barriers to their movement across the landscape. We also need to remove any unwanted species like feral bees that could use our boxes to breed up and rob precious bush nectar that the native wildlife desperately need.

How do we use the results?
Results from several years have given conclusive evidence that gliders need the fertile soils along creeks to breed successfully. We also see that major breaks in tree cover along roads are critical barriers to glider populations. Our records show that isolated 'islands' of habitat are empty, because the gliders have been hunted out and they haven't replaced themselves! Solid information like this makes it possible to know what needs doing and also where to act in order to make the most difference with our efforts.

Orienteering for Biodiversity
A special feature of these weekends will be a chance for the budding (or experienced) bush navigators amongst you to find as many nest boxes as you can in an orienteering style event. The 150 nest boxes are all mapped carefully on 1:25.000 contour maps, with AMG references and brief location descriptions. So it should be a goer for a small team to find the boxes and check out who's living in them.

GPS fixes
One side-benefit I can foresee is the possibility of recording the exact box locations with a GPS unit, so that in future anybody can find the boxes even if they can't read a map very well. That of course makes future nest box checking days much more productive because people won't spend half the weekend just trying to find the boxes. So if you can get hold of a GPS unit, please bring it with you.

Meeting:        10.00 am        Natural Resources and Environment offices, Benalla
                  5.30 pm        Old Lurg School for BYO picnic tea followed by spotlighting

Activities:        Checking nest boxes to see the wildlife at home
        Removing feral bees if necessary
        Placing new nest boxes in the bush
        Mapping new sites accurately onto the master map
        BYO picnic tea at the old Lurg School House
        Stag-watching at dusk to see gliders emerging from nest boxes
        Spotlighting walk after dark to view possums and gliders in their element

Equipment:        BYO extension ladder if you possibly can (6 metre reach)
        BYO roof rack & ropes to carry ladder so that groups can be more independent
        BYO GPS unit if you can to record box locations for easy access in future

Meals:         BYO lunch and drinks, as we are out in the field for the day
        BYO picnic tea at the Old Lurg School (Saturday only)

Visitor Accomm:        Free accommodation at the Benalla Scout Hall if required
        Hot showers, kitchen facilities and mattresses available
        BYO sleeping bag, pillow
        BYO tent if you'd prefer to sleep outside

Numbers Expected:        Please let me know how many people to expect, so I can make arrangements.

Contact:        Ray Thomas
        ph (03) 57 611 515
        


This message is intended for the addressee named and may contain
confidential information. 

If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and then delete the message. Views expressed in this message may be those of the individual sender, and are not necessarily the views of the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation.