May 23, 2018
The June 2018 newsletter and May Bulletin 131 are now online
The August Newsletter will be uploaded on 31 July.
April 21, 2018
Share your bird pictures
Lots of wonderful photos were taken on the Grenfell Survey weekend but that is not the only weekend in the year when beautiful/curious birds are captured in wonderful poses.
Why not share your wonderful bird pictures? Just send them to info@birdingnsw.org.au and we will put them up in the gallery. Medium sized pictures are preferred. High resolution is better but we will take all pix.
Your picture is likely to pique interest so why not add a couple of words about where it was taken?
Puffin – Iceland 2016 Photo by Leigh Hall
A Crowned Crane in Olakira, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, in July 2016.
Why not have a look now at some of the pictures already submitted?
March 20, 2018
Birding NSW Office of Conservation writes on Government Plans to reserve land.
RE: The Bells Line of Road Castlereagh Corridor and Outer Sydney Orbital.
(BLoR and OSO)
RE: Government Plans to reserve land.
Following pleas from concerned residents in the Grose Wold, Gross Vale and Kurrajong areas close to the Bells Line of Road and others at Cobbitty-Camden in the Macarthur areas affected by the idea of an OSO, we write to object to any further destruction of natural Australian ecosystems.
We are most conscious of the reduction of bird life in regions where infrastructure is built. Close to the proposed OSO and BLoR will be the Western Sydney Airport, a development that will mean the destruction of thousands of trees and remaining Cumberland Plain Woodlands.
Not only birds, but a great variety of wildlife is at risk, many species are listed under the Threatened Species Conservation Act as being endangered. We are also conscious of the serious threat to the Blue Mountains National Park which contains so much of the iconic bushland so well loved and sought after by our International Tourists.
Birds are the beacons of biodiversity health as they are the easiest creatures to find. Modern technology has provided databases that are constantly updated and a check just now on the eBird database reveals bird species up to May 2018 for the districts of:
Kurrajong Hills 135 species.
Grose Vale 74
Castlereagh 152
Bents Basin 134
Cobbitty 149 (which includes my own survey lists of just under 100 surveys)
Nepean River Camden 119.
Included amongst those numbers are a range of bird groups with diverse food requirements starting with diurnal and nocturnal birds of prey at the top of the chain, through honeyeaters and insectivore to seed-eaters at the bottom clearly indicating that the ecosystems are at least reasonable.
On behalf of the Executive Committee and over 400 members of Birding NSW, this Office asks that the Transport department of the NSW Government re-considers its plans for major expressways and rail lines that will destroy so much of our irreplaceable bushland.
Sincerely
Ian Bailey, OLO
Office of Conservation, Birding NSW.
November 28, 2017
Minutes of the 2017 AGM
The 2017 AGM was held on Tuesday 5 December 2017 in the Mitchell Theatre of the Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street Sydney at 19:30
Read or download the draft minutes of the 2016 AGM here.
November 8, 2017
Annual Photo Competition Prizes awarded
Birding NSW 2017 Photographic Competition Results:
The winning photo taken by Alfred Schulte:
The top ten:
1) Eastern Grass Owl Alfred Schulte First prize
2) Peregrine Falcon Michael Hanvey Second prize
3) Dusky Grasswren Christine Schulte Group of Birds winner
4) Marbled Frogmouth Alfred Schulte
5) Bar-tailed Godwit Michael Hanvey
6) Willie Wagtail Maria Mazo Lavin Birds in Flight winner
7) Ruddy Turnstone Michael Hanvey
8) Bell Miner David Turner Single Bird winner
9) Australian Ringneck Michael Hanvey
10) Barking Owl Alfred Schulte
A truly wonderful array of images delighted the audience at the announcement of the top ten photos in this year’s photo competition. It was more than enough reason to go out but for those who could not the slideshow can be viewed here for a limited time. (Page down for successive photos.)
Congratulations to all the entrants and especially to the prize winners.