CUMBERLAND BIRD OBSERVERS CLUB
Birdwatching in Sydney since 1979
Affiliated with BirdLife Australia
Every 1st and 4th Saturday of each month
CUMBERLAND PLAIN RESTORATION PROGRAM - BIRDING AND BUSHCARE
The Cumberland Plain Restoration program is run by Greater Sydney Landcare. It occurs on the 4th Saturday of every month and involves a 2-hour birding segment followed by a 2-hour session where attendees help clear a patch of native bushland of invasive weeds.
The morning takes place in a Cumberland Plain ecosystem which is the historic native habitat of Cumberland county. Now with less than 9% of the original Cumberland Plain Woodland remaining, projects like these are extremely imperative in order to secure a future for Sydney’s native biodiversity.
Attendees can expect to learn about the aviculture of the Cumberland Plains as well as the native vegetation that our native birds need in order to thrive. Land management practices are used in the Bushcare part of the morning and it informs volunteers about the invasive vegetation that threatens the ecosystem, and how its spread can be curtailed.
You can find further information about the program at: https://greatersydneylandcare.org/landcare-sos-cumberland-plain-restoration-program/.
You can find out about specific events and register for them at: https://www.facebook.com/SOSCumberlandplainwoodland.
One Saturday morning a month
PARRAMATTA RIVER SHOREBIRD COUNTS
The Parramatta River Shorebird Surveys are carried out by a group of shorebird enthusiasts. We count on a Saturday morning every month on a high tide and usually around 9am.
There are four locations: Waterbird Refuge, Mason Park, Hen and Chicken Bay and Rodd Point. The Waterbird Refuge is the best place to see a variety of birds. If you are new to birding or are not familiar with shorebirds, Gerry Duane invites you to join him at Mason Park and you will be given an orientation. Shorebirds are declining nationally, but we still have a wintering flock of approximately 65 Bar-tailed Godwits at Hen and Chicken Bay. Photographic opportunities are excellent, and we sometimes survey at Long Reef, near Narrabeen. All are welcome and it is not necessary to be a member of any organisation.
Dates for 2024: Weekends of 22-24 March and 27-29 September
GRENFELL KBA BIRD SURVEYS
Elisabeth Karplus from Birding NSW organises twice-yearly surveys of 30 sites within the Grenfell KBA. CBOC members are welcome to participate in these surveys.
The survey itself will take place on Saturday morning. The weekend also generally includes a meal together on Friday evening, a barbecue on the Saturday evening and then a walk at Company Dam on Sunday morning.
Contact
Elisabeth Karplus | emhodson@exemail.com.au
Contact
Sue Proust | sueproust@bigpond.com
Dates for 2024: 17-18 February, 6-7 April, 27-28 July, 19-20 October
COWRA WOODLAND BIRD SURVEYS
The Cowra Woodland Birds Program seeks to address concerns that woodland birds appear to be declining in rural landscapes in the Cowra district. Its activities involve bird surveys and monitoring of the gathered data, as well as habitat restoration and conservation. The program runs quarterly bird surveys on 94 sites in the district to provide data which can assist the conservation of the local birds and their habitat. For more information, refer to our our Conservation actions.
CBOC members have been participating in these surveys for many years. The surveys are done on both the Saturday and Sunday mornings, with social functions on the Friday and Saturday nights.
Dates for 2024: Fridays from 8am - 22 March, 26 April, 31 May, 28 June, 26 July, 30 August, 27 September, 25 October, 29 November
RICHMOND WOODLANDS KBA SURVEYS
The Richmond Woodlands Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) is a significant area for woodland birds in western Sydney. It includes Scheyville National Park, Windsor Downs Nature Reserve, Castlereagh Nature Reserve and Agnes Banks Nature Reserve.
Each of these areas, and some other nearby areas are surveyed several times a year. CBOC members are welcome to join these surveys and/or request to be included on the Richmond Woodlands KBA newsletter.
Contact
Ian Bailey | ibails@bigpond.net.au
Contact
Birdlife rep | southernnsw@birdlife.org.au
Dates for 2024: Weekend of 3-5 May
REGENT HONEYEATER TREE PLANTING
CBOC members have been participating for over 25 years in the Regent Honeyeater tree planting project in the Capertee Valley near Lithgow. The project has carried out tree-plantings twice a year on properties in the valley. Tree and shrub seedlings are planted to create or enhance habitat for the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater and other woodland species. In that time the project has planted a total area of 226 hectares, on 52 properties, with 133,000 trees and shrubs.
This tree planting project is part of the the Capertee Valley Regent Honeyeater Recovery Project which is run by BirdLife Southern NSW. For more information, refer to our our Conservation actions.
Dates for 2024: Tuesdays - Tuesdays for 9 weeks from 10 Sept
SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK SPRING SURVEYS
Every year Cumberland Bird Observers Club partners with the Sydney Olympic Park Authority to carry out the Spring Bird Census. CBOC members survey over 45 sites around Sydney Olympic Park and Bicentennial Park. Surveys start in September, continue for eight weeks, and are conducted on Tuesday mornings. Even if you are unable to commit to the full 8 weeks, your help on some survey days will be useful and appreciated. An information and training session is held on the Tuesday morning the week before the first survey.
For more information, refer to our Conservation actions.
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Saturday 21 September 2024
BIGNET MEETING
The Canberra Ornithologists Group (aka Canberra Birds) wishes to advise BIGnet members that they will host the BIGnet meeting in Canberra on Saturday 21 September, at ‘Wildbark’ in Throsby/Gungahlin ACT. This is the relatively new visitors centre/centre for threatened species, (associated with Mulligans Flat Sanctuary), established by the Woodlands and Wetlands Trust. ( https://www.wildbark.org/ ).
The BIGnet meeting will be a one day event, including a general business meeting in the morning and a Forum/presentations on a theme in the afternoon.
Tuesday 18 to Thursday 20 November 2025
AUSTRALIAN ORNITHOLOGICAL CONFERENCE - PERTH, WA
the 2025 Australasian Ornithological Conference will be held in Perth from 18-20 November 2025.
