To contribute to an Easter Health Check of the Bendigo Box-Ironbark Key Biodiversity Area (‘KBA’), we are setting up a series of bird monitoring sites across the Muckleford Forest and the Gowar section of the Maldon Historic Reserve.
The Bendigo Box-Ironbark KBA is 50,578 ha, and includes all the box-ironbark woodland remnants that are significant for Swift Parrots in the Bendigo region of central Victoria (as defined by Kennedy and Tzaros 2005). This is situated between the Maryborough-Dunolly and the Rushworth Box-Ironbark Region IBAs. Other bird species of interest: endangered Regent Honeyeater, other declining woodland birds including Brown Treecreeper, Speckled Warbler, Hooded Robin, Grey-crowned Babbler, Crested Bellbird and Gilbert’s Whistler; and occasional records of migrant Black Honeyeater and Pink Robin.
We’ll post information and resources here, and progressively and we would welcome people joining our group and taking on one or more sites for regular monitoring. Read more about KBAs here.
Here are some bird survey resources created by Tanya Loos of Connecting Country:
Bird monitoring: the standard survey methods (2 pages)
Bird monitoring record sheet (1 page)
Geoff Nevill has created a Muckleford KBA Bird Survey Checklist (Print version) of the birds most likely to be seen. We also have a Muckleford KBA Bird Survey Checklist (Fill in and submit) as a way of recording and uploading our results to Connecting Country and Birdlife Australia’s BirdData system.
Ten transects have been set up: several have been monitored by Connecting Country for some years, and some are new. Each person or pair has taken on one or more sites, and we have decided to survey our sites quarterly – into a week either side of the solstice and equinox. Winter solstice surveys are now underway! Our list of sites is below.
Want to get involved? Email us at mucklefordffg@bigpond.com
MKBA 1 Quince Tree
MKBA2 – Box Track
MKBA3 – Mia Mia Track
MKBA4 – Mia Mia Track
MKBA5 – Demo Track
MKBA6 – Donkey Farm Track
MKBA7 – Smith’s Reef Track
MKBA8 – Off Pullans Rd
MKBA9 – Off Red White and Blue Track
MKBA10 – Mia Mia Track
Muckleford Forest 