Superb Lyrebirds, Sherbrooke

What better way to break the winter birding hiatus I seem to experience than to immerse myself in the tall forest and wet gullies of Sherbrooke Forest in the Dandenong Ranges National Park. This is on the outer eastern fringe of the city of Melbourne and is well known for its Superb lyrebirds.

The conditions are tricky with dull light and dense vegetation. The photos can be a poor record of a wonderful experience! Lyrebirds have amazing mimicry skills. You cannot tick-off any bird relying on its call at Sherbrooke as you may well be listening to a male lyrebird.  

Here a male tries to intimidate another male with a barrage of calls and display - I endeavoured to catch some of this on video ....

The mimicry in this short grab includes calls of Golden whistler and what I think may be introduced species Common myna and European Blackbird. There happens to be an actual White-throated treecreeper calling above me. Today I also heard excellent mimicry of Yellow-tailed black cockatoo, Red wattlebird and Laughing kookaburra (one lyrebird mimicking the call of two duelling kookaburras!).

The video also shows a female foraging at the side of the Sherbrooke Falls trail. Each time I have seen a Lyrebird foraging in my recent visits, there has been a White-browed scrubwren getting in on the action.

iPhone shot showing a very tolerant female Superb lyrebird, Sherbrooke Falls

Female Superb lyrebird

Ugggh! Those muddy feet!

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!