BUY A TICKET AND WIN BINOCULARS

Nature Lodge Optics in Berry have donated a pair of Swarovski 8x30cl valued at $1350. Everyone who buys a ticket to the Evening with Sean Dooley on Friday night or All About Birds on Saturday event will go into the draw for this prize. Also, all participants of the Bird Haven Festival event will receive a 10% discount at our Berry Store. Just say "Bird Haven Festival". Anyone who likes and shares the Nature Lodge Optics Facebook Page, will be in the draw to receive a Swarovski Hat worth $30.

Friday 18th October

An evening with Sean Dooley

Shoalhaven Heads Bowling and Recreation Club.
From 6pm to 9.30pm

A chance to get to know other Festival-goers in an informal atmosphere, under the excellent care of everyone’s favourite birder, Sean Dooley joined by Robyn Williams, science journalist, presenter of ABC Radio National’s The Science Show and “National Living Treasure “.

Price includes light dinner and twittering entertainment. Drinks available at club prices.

Raffle tickets available on Fri and Saturday.

BirdLife Shoalhaven’s is raising funds to install interpretative bird signs at some of Shoalhaven’s best bird walks. This builds on last year’s raffle, which helped pay for new bird signs at Lake Wollumboola.

We now want to install signs at the bird walks at Bangalee Reserve, Ben’s Walk, Narrawallee Inlet and Burrill Lake. These signs will feature photographs from some of BirdLife Shoalhaven’s great photographers.

Shoalhaven Council has committed to do the installation and design new map signs for the walks. All proceeds from the raffle will go towards this exciting project.

If you would like to make a separate donation for the project, please email shoalhaven@birdlife.org.au

Saturday 19th October

Events all day

UP WITH THE BIRDS

1. UP WITH THE BIRDS YOGA: 7AM, Shoalhaven Heads Surf Club, McIntosh St. $15 for adults, $10 concession. Not suitable for children. BOOK NOW

Join us for an early morning beach yoga class inspired by our feathered friends. We’ll meet at the surf club and walk along Seven Mile Beach, stopping to warm up with some gentle shoulder and hip opening poses like ‘Eagle’ and ‘Pigeon’ before spreading our wings to build flexibility, balance and strength with more advanced poses such as ‘Stork’ and ‘crow’. Suitable for all ages and levels of experience.

2. GET TO KNOW SHOREBIRDS: 7AM, Shoalhaven Heads Community Centre, 111 Shoalhaven Heads Rd. Free Event. Limited Numbers in group.   

Want to know the difference between a Bar-tailed Godwit and an Eastern Curlew? A Terek Sandpiper and a Common Redshank? Join Birdlife Australia’s Shorebirds expert Dan Lees and locals Carla Jackett and Kim Touzel for a lecture and discussion about shorebirds, plus some spotting and identification. 

3. Get out and about for a spot of self-directed bird spotting. Take your binoculars and scopes and please keep your distance from birds as they are easily startled by noise and sudden movements. “Ask us About Birds” helpers will be around the Shoalhaven Heads Bird Airport (end of River Road) in case you have any questions.

4. ENJOY BREAKFAST AT THE INTERNATIONAL BIRD AIRPORT
The Shoalhaven Heads Lions Club will be running a fund raising BBQ at the Airport Park at the end of River Road. Great place to meet up with other Festival-goers and discuss your sightings. 7-9am.

 

ALL ABOUT BIRDS

Expert Talks

Shoalhaven Heads Bowling and Recreation Club. From 9.30am to 4pm

A packed program of talks by experts:

  • Tim Low (Where Song Began)
  • Jacqueline Nguyen, avian paleontologist
  • Peggy McDonald, raptor rehabilitator
  • Fiona Blandford, Act for Birds organiser  
  • Prof Richard Fuller, shorebird expert
  • Nicholas Carlile, seabird researcher

Ticket includes morning tea and lunch.  

FEATHERED FEAST

Far Meadow Table, Coolangatta Rd, Far Meadow. From 7.00pm

Price $75 for three course meal with welcome drink

Experience the flavours of your surrounds and enjoy the best of the season at a dinner designed around the food that birds eat. A carefully selected beer and wine menu available to purchase with your meal. Numbers strictly limited.

Menu:

– Beetroot & fennel salad with candied sunflower seeds, orange & honey dressing, sourdough croutons

– Seed & nut crusted snapper, domino potatoes, spring vegetables, mint & lemon butter

– Crisp pastry nest with salted caramel ‘eggs’, vanilla bean ice cream and poached berries

All dietary requirements can be catered for (vegetarian, gluten free etc). Please let us know at the time of booking.

Sunday 20th October

Festival Day

IT’S FESTIVAL DAY!

GET TO KNOW SHOREBIRDS: 7AM, Shoalhaven Heads Community Centre, 111 Shoalhaven Heads Rd. Free Event. Limited Numbers in group.

Want to know the difference between a Bar-tailed Godwit and an Eastern Curlew? A Terek Sandpiper and a Common Redshank? Join Birdlife Australia’s Shorebirds expert Dan Lees and locals Carla Jackett and Kim Touzel for a lecture and discussion about shorebirds, plus some spotting and identification. 

THE FESTIVAL BEGINS! 9AM:

Shoalhaven Heads Community Centre

Birds are fabulous and we are throwing them a party.

Join us for a free community day to include the launch of Bird Week and Aussie Backyard Bird Count. Hear some mini-talks from bird experts or interact with the Australian Museum’s ‘Museum in a Box’ which is filled with information about birds beaks, feet, eggs and nests and how they are one of the last dinosaurs.  Book places at the children’s activities workshops  and other workshops or wander through the bird-themed market where you can buy everything from yummy food to bird baths.

ACT FOR BIRDS WORKSHOP: 10AM-11AM, Shoalhaven Heads Community Centre – 111 Shoalhaven Heads Rd. Free Event. Limited Numbers in group. 

Australia’s nature laws are failing to protect our unique birds and landscapes. The very laws designed to protect our precious natural environment are insufficient and continue to be undermined by loopholes and exemptions. Join Fiona Blandford and Andrew Hunter from BirdLife Australia to find out how you can push for strong nature laws and independent institutions that will protect the birds and places we love.

 

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE: WHERE SONG BEGAN

In the historic Coolangatta Village Great Hall, Coolangatta Winery, 3pm to 5.30pm

$35 per person

‘Where Song Began’ is a musical celebration of Australia’s birds and how they shaped the world. Inspired by leading ornithologist Tim Low’s award-winning book, this performance explores the Australian origins of songbirds, ‘the birds that can sing’. Audiences are encouraged to contemplate the origin of birdsong and the importance of Australia’s rich and colourful bird history. The program includes music spanning 300 years, enhanced by a film of evocative visual projections and an immersive soundscape. Enjoy this critically acclaimed work by Simone Slattery and Anthony Albrecht, based on Tim Low’s book.

Tim Lowe

We are thrilled that Tim Low, the author of the bestselling book, Where Song Began, is a keynote speaker at this year’s festival.

Sean Dooley

Don’t miss the fun of our opening night, with everyone’s favourite birder Sean Dooley. Author of The Big Twitch, editor of Australian Birdlife magazine, and former holder of the Australian Big Year twitching record, Sean is an entertaining speaker with boundless enthusiasm for birding and life. Don’t miss it.

Dr Jackie Nguyen

We are delighted that Dr Jackie Nguyen, an avian palaeontologist at the Australian Museum, is returning to the Festival after her widely praised talk last year.