Birdwatching in Sydney
with the Cumberland Bird Observers' Club

Chris Saville (holding camera) and Andy Doldissen interviewing a CBOC member

The Cumberland Bird Observers Club is proud to present Australia’s first birdwatching TV series “Let’s Go Birdwatching”.

Created and hosted by the club’s publicity officer, Andrew Patrick, this four-part series looks at birds and birdwatching throughout the greater Sydney region.

Each episode is themed around different types of birds starting with backyard birds and moving on to waterbirds, seabirds and finally bush birds.

The series is not a wildlife documentary but is more of an instructional guide for beginners. Each episode includes excellent footage of many of Sydney’s birds accompanied by information and identification pointers.

There are segments about binoculars, telescopes, field guides, birdwatching hints and tips plus a discussion about some of Sydney’s birdwatching hotspots. Many of these segments are presented by club member Aimee Freimanis. There are also segments about attracting birds to your garden presented by long-time birdscaper Dr Tony Saunders.

Such a project, made entirely with volunteer labour, would not have been possible without the generous help of many people. Of particular note are the film crew Chris Saville, Andy Doldissen and Tony Peri. Extra special thanks goes to Chris as he had the onerous task of post-production and editing. The CBOC extends its heartfelt gratitude to all those who assisted with this project.

The program was broadcast by TVS, Channel 31, Sydney's new community TV station in June/July 2007. It has since been repeated a number of times and been shown in Melbourne and Perth.

Let's Go Birdwatching DVD now for sale The club's TV show "Let's Go Birdwatching" is now available as a DVD. The two-disc set is available for $20.00, which includes postage anywhere in Australia. If you are interested in securing a copy, please send a cheque or money order made out to the Cumberland Bird Observers Club to Cumberland Bird Observers Club Attn: Treasurer PO Box 550 Baulkham Hills, NSW 1755

Host and series creator: Andrew Patrick Andrew Patrick is a prominent member of the Cumberland Bird Observers Club and has led outings for the club since 1999. He has been a professional bird guide since 2003 and has a particular interest in teaching beginners and members of the public the practicalities of birdwatching as well as showing them the beauty of Australian birds. Andrew enjoys participating in conservation projects. He has helped reintroduce Gouldian Finches at Mareeba Wetlands, planted trees for Regent Honeyeaters in the Capertee Valley, searched for Gould's Petrel nests on Cabbage Tree Island, surveyed Ground Parrots at Barren Grounds Nature Reserve and monitored nest behaviour of Little Terns at Nowra. He regularly submits bird survey data to the Cumberland Bird Observers Club's bird observation database. As well as travelling extensively around Australia, Andrew's zest for birds has also taken him to New Zealand, Antarctica and, more recently, South Korea to survey migrating shorebirds.

Presenter: Aimee Freimanis Aimee Freimanis has an undergraduate science degree and is completing her Masters in Environmental Management at Macquarie University. Her interest in the environment and conservation led her to join both Birds Australia and the Cumberland Bird Observers Club in 1996 where she worked as a volunteer Conservation Officer for both agencies. She was employed by the Sydney Office of Birds Australia on a diversity of bird monitoring and management projects between 1999 and 2003 and was the consultant for the Bird Hazard Management at Sydney Airport project. Aimee has also prepared Environmental Management Plans and Flora & Fauna Assessments for government and private consultants. She has presented scientific papers at conferences in the United States and Canada on bird hazard management and currently works as an Environmental Education Officer for Local Government in NSW. Aimee continues to pursue her interest and enjoyment of birds, by birdwatching for leisure at home and on holiday.

Presenter: Dr Tony Saunders Dr Tony Saunders has been birdscaping gardens for 25 years and teaching birdscaping to community education groups for 20 years. He has been a regular presenter at bird clubs, plant groups, conservation societies, wildlife care groups, variety and social clubs as well as ABC radio. He has also lectured for the University of the Third Age and Community Education, University of Western Sydney on the subject of attracting wildlife, particularly birds, to gardens. Tony works as a consultant to Greening Australia, Landcare, Local Councils and Bushcare groups on bird survey techniques and managing habitat for birds. He has been a consultant to the Sydney Olympic Park Authority on management of waterbird and bushbird habitat. He has taught part time at the University of Western Sydney in the areas of environmental sciences and ecology. Tony managed the club's Bird Database for the County for 12 years and was a regional organiser for Sydney and the Blue Mountains for the National Bird Atlas for Birds Australia. He was NSW Facilitator and represented NSW/ACT on the Steering Committee for the National Atlas, and was a consultant to the Birds In Back Yards Project for Birds Australia. He has also represented Birds Australia on the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's Wildlife Issues Advisory Panel. He has completed a PhD in honeyeater ecology, spent the last 20 years studying the relationship between birds and their foods, particularly plants and has published several papers and articles on various aspects of bird ecology. His prime interest is creation and rehabilitation of bird habitat.

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