Birdwatching in Sydney
with the Cumberland Bird Observers' Club

Nankeen Kestrel Photo:O Levy

Meetings usually consist of "bird of the night" where we learn identification tips, guest speakers (some from overseas), then time to socialise over a free cup of coffee, tea or orange juice. There is also time to borrow from the book and video libraries, browse through the shop (where the books are less than the recommended retail price) and you can enter your bird sightings in the interesting observations book.

If you don't have a car, give us a call and we can try to arrange someone to pick you up. Meetings last until about 9.30pm or 10pm.

Don't be shy - come along and say g'day.

Meetings for 2008
third Tuesday of every month at 8pm at the Castle Hill Community Centre

January 15	Members' Night An opportunity to tell us your birding tales and show your photos. If you would like to make a short presentation ring Keith on 4575 1514 at least a week before the night.
February 19	The Regent Honeyeater: Going, going ... gone? David Geering will present us with an informative and thought provoking talk about one of our most endangered birds. David has been studying and protecting Regent Honeyeaters for almost 20 years.
March 18	Mistletoe Research John Rawsthorne - Charles Sturt University (CSU) honours student. John recently won a scholarship from the eminent Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists in recognition of his project on the importance of birds in spreading mistletoes in the Australian landscape. His supervisor Dr David Watson from the CSU School of Environmental Sciences asserts that the mistletoe is an important indicator of the health of Australian bush, and John’s research project will help discover how this occurs.
April 15	Hunter Estuary shorebirds and the trouble with mangroves Chris Herbert - Monthly wader counts carried out by the Hunter Bird Observers Club over the last 9 years has confirmed that shorebirds numbers in the Hunter Estuary continue to be in steep decline. While there are undoubtedly problems along the flyway a large part of the problem can be attributed to local habitat degradation. In particular mangrove proliferation, resulting in saltmarsh loss, is now serious problem affecting habitat degradation. It is suggested that increased tidal range within the estuary, caused by harbour and channel deepening by dredging, is considered the main driving force for the ecological changes occurring in the Hunter Estuary.
May 20	Birds of The Cumberland Plain Creek Lines Michael Paul - On the Cumberland Plain of western Sydney, there is an extensive network of slow flowing or intermittent tributary creeks meandering through both agricultural and urban landscapes. Narrow strips of bushland fringe many of these creek lines. Survey results will be presented that show such strips contain a diverse suite of bushland-dependent birds, including many that are of conservation significance to western Sydney.
June 17	From Waterfalls to Glacier Trevor Waller - Trevor will talk about his travels in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsular from a birder's point of view.
July 15	Annual Social Evening Rather than one guest speaker tonight will offer various items of interest including club ambassador Steve Abbot. Steve is a writer, comedian and musician who has been in the entertainment industry for 27 years and best known for playing the character of the 'Sandman' on Triple J for 10 years. Apart from his work and his passion for cricket, Steve is also an enthusiastic birdwatcher.
August 19	An Introduction to Cocos (Keeling) and Christmas Islands Bob Way - Bob is one of the club's globe trotters and tonight he takes us to Australia's very 'twitchy' Indian Ocean islands.
September 16
October 21
November 18
December 18	Christmas Party Quizzes, games and finger food. Come along and enjoy this social evening. Please bring a half plate of food, drinks supplied by the club.

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