Historic tape recording

Using the link below (it's an mp3 file) you can listen to the short tape that Richard Jordan sent to the Newbeys in late 1982. The tape, of Eastern Ground Parrots, at Barren Grounds in New South Wales, has calls of adult birds (against the wind or sea), and at the end, calls of young chicks recorded by a microphone right next to a nest. Richard also described how to conduct surveys - pre-sunrise and after sunset. Now we knew what to listen for, and when. For the first time listening surveys were to be conducted in Western Australia and in particular in the Fitzgerald River National Park and the bushland to the north of the then border of the park which was under threat of being released as farmland.

The first two attempts to find Ground Parrots by listening for them in December 1982 and February 1983 were inconclusive. However the sighting and feeding record of 26 February (First feeding record,January 17)gave a location to try next time. This was done successfully on 12 May 1983 (see previous posting, January 25) when it was found (thanks to a piece of chocolate)that the WA birds are likely to call a bit later than those with which Richard was familiar. He had said the calling would continue until 30 minutes after sunset. In fact in WA, evening calling often does not begin until 40 minutes after sunset.

http://home.exetel.com.au/wgp/Groundparr/OldRec.MP3