There's a warm fire waiting
as the volunteers arrive.
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Each
winter, with the assistance of Parks Victoria, three surveys
are conducted in Sherbrooke Forest to estimate the size of the male lyrebird population.
We encourage volunteers to join us in this effort and many
locals and visitors to the Dandenongs come along for this
unique experience.
Volunteers gather at Grants Picnic Ground in Kallista before dawn on
the morning of each survey. A short talk is given to explain
the objectives of the survey and the methods to be used.
To familiarise participants, a recording of the male
lyrebird's territorial calls is played.
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| Teams headed by experienced members are formed and then allocated
a numbered post somewhere in the forest.
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Teams are formed with experienced members acting as leaders. Some of our
team members have been doing this for years!
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Each Team is given a survey
sheet to record the locations of the birds they find.
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After
arriving at their stations, the groups wait until dawn
breaks, listening for the first calls of the mature male
lyrebirds. Although lyrebirds are famous mimics, the
first calls the males make in the morning are distinctive
and easy to identify.
When
the team hears a male lyrebird calling, they note on the
forms provided to the team leaders the start and finish times of the calls, the compass bearing
and approximate distance.
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| The
teams return to Grants Picnic Ground where the completed
forms are collected. The bearings and distances are
plotted on a map, and the intersections indicate the
position of the lyrebird.
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Bill Incoll enters the
information gathered into a computer for later analysis.
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Park Rangers Anthony and
Trevor cook a delicious breakfast for the volunteers.
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When
the teams return to Grants Picnic Ground, they find a reward
awaits them. Parks Victoria rangers provide a
delicious breakfast and a most welcome hot drink in front of
a warm fire.
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Come
and Join Us!
We
welcome volunteers to enjoy this unique experience. There
is no obligation to attend all survey mornings. Being
involved in this important survey is a great way to learn
more about lyrebirds and their conservation within Sherbrooke Forest.
Dress
warmly and bring a torch, compass, watch and a pen.
For more information on the group or to book a
place at the Dawn Surveys, email Jan Incoll:
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