Birding Bruny Island - Day Tour

Friday 19th, Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st: 8:30am - 5:00pm (Monday if enough interest)

Meet at Adventure Bay Hall carpark

$190 pp. Bookings required. Min 6 people 

A day tour of Bruny Island with a specialist Inala tour guide at a special festival only price will give you a fantastic opportunity to explore
the many diverse habitats of Bruny Island (including a visit to the Inala Private Reserve ) and discover a fantastic selection of birds.  You will learn
about their calls, their identifying marks, their behaviours etc. The Inala guides know Bruny Island intimately and are overflowing with information
about the flora, fauna, history, geology and seasonal rhythms of this remarkable island.

You will be travelling in an Inala vehicle throughout the day.
BYO lunch (Snacks and cold drinks provided). BOOK HERE

Bruny Island Seabird Cruise

Friday 19th October, 10.30am meeting - 11am departure - Bruny Island Cruises, 1005 Adventure Bay Road, Adventure Bay

$135 adult, child (3-16 yrs) $85. Bookings required. Max 43

The Bird Festival joins forces with multi-award-winning Bruny Island Cruises exploring the edge of the majestic Southern Ocean and Bruny Island’s abundant coastal sea life. This specialist birding cruise will commence along the Bruny Island coastline, showcasing amazing scenery and offering a unique guided experience with Bird Festival expert seabird specialists: Paul Brooks and Dr Eric Woehler, who are passionate about birds.  Expect to see inshore seabirds – gannets, shearwaters, gulls and terns – and we hope to see some of the oceanic species - albatrosses, petrels and prions – and hear about them through the lens of our expert guides as they seek out the best possible birding experiences.  Expect also to see abundant coastal wildlife such as seals, dolphins and maybe even whales migrating back to their summer feeding grounds.

Meet at Bruny Island Cruises office, 1005 Adventure Bay Rd ( please note they have moved to their new location right at the end of the Adventure Bay Rd
since last festival)
Bring warm & wet weather clothing, snacks and drink.

Pennicott Wilderness Journeys / Bruny Cruises  are a generous Gold Sponsor of the Bruny Island Bird Festival 

Penguin & Shearwater Colony Tour

Friday 19th, Saturday 20th, Sunday 21st - 7.15pm for 7:30pm departure,

Board buses at Festival Head Quarters, Adventure Bay Hall

$15 adult, Children under 12 and with an adult $5. Bookings required. Max 20 per day

Join an Inala bird guide and Dr Eric Woehler of BirdLife Tasmania to visit the Little Penguin colony at The Neck.  Learn about and hopefully see Little Penguins as they make their way from the ocean back to their burrows after dark. You will also see the beautiful Short-tailed Shearwaters who breed at this site after their epic migration journey across the oceans from the Antarctic to the Arctic.

Wear weather appropriate clothing. Bring your own torch, red cellophane will be provided. NB: No flash photography.

Note: The colony area may be under construction up to and possibly during the festival.  We have been granted special permission for access for these festival tours, and this may mean a walk of several hundred metres on flat ground.

Tour 2 - 2.5hr  duration. 

Pre & Post Festival Tours

Inala is a partner of the Festival and is offering these small group shortened version of their classic Endemics Tour at a very special Bruny Bird Festival Price

TOUR 1: Pre Bruny Bird Festival 13-17 October 2018 PRE TOUR FULLY BOOKED
PELAGIC on 14th Oct  - LIMITED PELAGIC ONLY PLACES ($140 pp See details on Inala site)

TOUR 2:  Post Bruny Bird Festival 23-27 October 2018 

(Both tours following same itinerary )

Lead by an experienced Inala ornithologist, this small-group, inclusive 4 night tour offers a snapshot of the best of Tasmanian birding and includes a Southern Ocean seabird pelagic boat trip, flight to the South-west World Heritage Area and time on Bruny Island. The trip will focus on the 12 Tasmanian endemic bird species, breeding endemics and numerous other specialties including Southern Ocean Seabirds.  There will also be the opportunity to search for nocturnal marsupials now occurring only in Tasmania, as well as other marine and land mammals.  Expected bird count to be over 100, and highlights include the endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote, the critically endangered Swift Parrot and Orange-bellied Parrot, Little Penguin, Eastern Ground Parrot, and several species of albatross and petrel. Target mammals include Eastern Quoll and Bruny’s famous white Bennett’s Wallabies.
 
ITINERARY OUTLINE - IDENTICAL FOR BOTH TOURS: 
( Meals: B- breakfast, L-lunch and D-dinner ) 
Day 1. Hobart to Eaglehawk Neck. Accom: Eaglehawk Neck. Meals: LD.
Day 2. Pelagic birding trip to continental shelf. Accom: Bruny. Meals: BLD.
Day 3. Orange-bellied Parrot flight to SW Wilderness. Accom: Bruny. Meals: BLD.
Day 4. Bruny Island.  Accom: Bruny Island. Meals: BLD.
Day 5. Bruny Island to Hobart. Accom: none. Meals B. 

Price:$2,800 per person twin share ($175 / $390 single supplement)

For all further details and to book these tours, please view the Inala Nature Tours website and contact the friendly team at Inala on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (6293 1217)

Please note: You cannot book these tours through the the festival booking page.

Workshop - The Art and Craft of Bird Photography with Chris Tzaros

Friday 19th, 1:00pm  - Lunawanna Memorial Hall, Lighthouse Rd, Lunawanna

$100 adult $60 teen (10 - 17 yo) Bookings required. Max 20

Glean tips on photographing birds from an expert. Sessions will include a workshop presentation including a general introduction to digital photography, equipment, basic technical aspects of bird photography, field techniques, camera settings and photo editing/processing.

Car pool or walk to likely bird spots. In the field, you can experiment with technical aspects and Chris will demonstrate field techniques. Afterwards, you can discuss/review your images and have more time for Q and A. Bring photography equipment

Afterwards, you can discuss/review your images and have more time for Q and A.Bring photography equipment BOOK HERE

( Chris is a very generous supporter of the Bruny Island Bird Festival and a great deal of the images on the website and advertising belong to Chris )

Workshop - The big dead birds of Australia

Friday 19th, 1:00- 1:30pm  - Festival HQ

When we think of fossils, we typically think of dinosaurs and giant mammals. However, Australia was also home to more than 90 known extinct bird species. These include some of the largest and weirdest birds to roam the Earth, such as the massive Thunderbirds (which include the demon duck of doom), the egg-burying megapodes and the dwarf emus of the Bass Strait islands. This workshop is being run by Matthew Fielding will include an introduction to some of these birds and an interactive identification activity. 

Suit all ages.

Cost: Free (Donations appreciated)

Seabirds and Plastics interactive workshop

Friday 19th,  2:00- 3:30pm - Adventure Bay Festival HQ

Postgraduate students Peter Puskic and Megan Grant are investigating the impacts of plastic ingestion on seabirds. This workshop will aim to show the confronting reality of this situation. After an introductory presentation, participants will get hands on to investigate plastics regurgitated by or found within seabirds and within their nests and will separate these contents into organic and anthropogenic categories. These will then each be weighed and a catalogued allowing participants to assist with this scientific research. You will learn about the impact these anthropogenic debris may be having on the birds health and their environment. We will discover how scientists can use these plastic remains to uncover dietary and ecosystem health data from these birds and what this means for the future of our oceans.

Free (Donations appreciated) Bookings required

Suitable for 12 year-olds and upward, anyone younger must be accompanied by an adult

Louise Crossley Memorial Lecture - Dr Bob Brown

Sunday 21st Oct, 6.30pm  - Adventure Bay Hall 

A very special event to honour the enormous contributions Louise made to many environmental issues but in particular towards the protection of the Swift Parrot on Bruny Island.

Bob Brown needs no introduction.  He is a leading figure in many conservation action campaigns around Australia. Like Louise he has always been a passionate and generous supporter of the Bruny Island environment and the Bird Festival.  Bob had a close collaborative and personal relationship with Louise Crossley and graciously accepted the invitation to speak for her memorial lecture.
The lecture will include audio visual elements and will be on the topic of Apathy, arrogance and armageddon, an intriguing title…

In complement to the lecture, there will also be beautiful live music.

Drinks and nibbles by festival sponsor Hotel Bruny & Bruny Cider.

Entry: $25 adult, $20 concession $10 child 8-14 Max 50 - Booking required.
Proceeds from the evening will be dedicated to Swift Parrot conservation. BOOK HERE

Expert speakers Series - Adventure Bay starting 9am Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
(Location: Friday & Sunday - Bruny Bowls Club, Saturday St Pauls Church near to Adventure Bay Hall )

The lectures are a core feature of the Bird Festival and the topics cover an incredible breadth of subjects across the birding world.  We have our biggest festival lineup yet and we are once again showcasing a remarkable collection of knowledge and passion from the cream of Tasmania’s scientists, photographers, rangers, artists, journalists, guides, academics, students and environmental champions. 
For more detailed descriptions see Speakers series page

The lectures are available for free, thanks to the very generous contribution of time and expertise by the presenters.

Donations will be welcomed at the door.  Please be there 5 minutes before the start time.
Booking is not compulsary, however, we do appreciate knowing possible numbers in advance, so you can let us know on the booking form which lectures you may like to attend.

Friday 19th Oct 

Saturday 20th Oct 

Sunday 21st Oct  

Welcome Gathering BBQ & Festival Opening

Friday 19th from 5:00pm

Festival marquee, Adventure Bay Hall area
Cost: $15 for great food. Licensed event - no BYO. Bookings essential

Join us for the first evening of the Bird Festival and a community welcome barbeque.  This is a lovely time to mill around and banter with a gathering throng of fellow bird and nature lovers.  We shall begin with a ‘Welcome to Country’, followed by a brief speech to officially open the festival and welcome you all.  A relaxed and informal BBQ will follow before the Orange Bellied Parrot event commences in the Adventure Bay hall

Time: From 5pm for the opening, 5.30 for the BBQ and bird count, 6.30pm for the start of the film BOOK HERE

Film - "The Desperate Plight of the Orange Bellied Parrot"

Friday 19 Oct, 6.30pm  - Adventure Bay Hall 

This timely documentary by photographer David Neilson tells the story of this critically endangered bird and the efforts by a number of people to save this species from extinction. There are less than 50 of these beautiful small parrots living in the wild. They breed over the summer at Port Davey in South West Tasmania and then cross Bass Strait to spend the winter on the mainland coast. Filming from close quarters has enabled various aspects of the Orange-bellied Parrot’s behaviour to be shown on film for the first time. Scientists working on the recovery efforts are interviewed along with footage of their field work. The future prospects of this species so close to the edge of extinction are also canvassed.

Film runs approx 1hr.
Following Q & A session approx 30mins with David Neilson (Filmaker and OBP volunteer), Shannon Troy (OBP Tasmania Program) & Mark Holdsworth (OBP Expert)

$15 adult $10 child. BOOK HERE
(Half the entry fee is kindly donated to BIEN and OBP conservation by David and Karen )

Nightly Bird Count at Adventure Bay Hall  5.30pm - Dr Catherine Young

Before each evening's event, come together as a merry group to record what birds we have all seen during the day on Bruny.  Join the rapid fire Bruny Bird name shout-out led by one of our fantastic birding volunteers to mark the days tally on a giant chart.

As with all such counts, what seems so straightforward can lead to pistols at dawn! So as a guideline, more than one person must have been present for a sighting to be valid.  If only one person was present or a rare bird ID is contested by others, then photographic evidence will help your cause greatly! The results will be for communal enjoyment, not a scientific record.

A Great Breakfast at Great Bay

Friday 19th, Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st October. 7.30am- 8.30am

Location: Eden Home Farm, 1771 Bruny Island Main Rd, Great Bay

Feeling peckish? Join the flock at Eden Home Farm, for a farm style breakfast to kick of your day of birding magic. The breakfast location is the starting point for several guided walks exploring this private Great Bay bird haven (separate booking required), yet even if you are not continuing on to one of these walks, you are very welcome to make this a tasty start to your day.

The breakfast is being hosted by Richard Clarke and Anna Bluck of Bruny Island Game Meats.

Directions: 1771 Bruny Island Main Road, Great Bay. The entrance to the property is midway between the Bruny Island Cheese Co. and Get Shucked. Look out for the Bird festival flag and the sign to Eden Home Farm and follow the signs to the top paddock. Plenty of parking available.

Cost: $15 per adult ($10 per child 12yr and under ) Booking required.

Family Fun Day

Saturday 20th, Adventure Bay Hall area

Saturday is chock full of events suitable for the whole family.  You can join a birding and nature walk and come along to a discovery workshops.  Visit the Creativity Tent to take part in birdy art, science and crafting activities.  Snuggle down in a bean bag in the Book Nook where local authors will be reading from their own fantastic bird themed books and where you can discover a selection of other wonderful nature themed books to read yourself

Face painting, mask making, a mini birdathon ( see under Twitchathons), discovery ranger activities, scavenger hunts. We will post more detail of these and other actvities as arramgements are confimed, so stay posted.....

Book Nook Events

•  10am - Jennifer Cossins will read her new book A-Z of Australian Animals
  Jennifer is a Tasmanian artist and writer who publishes her unique illustrative work through her own company Red Parka
  Her work endeavours to make people smile and laugh and teach them something new while encouraging and fostering love and care for the natural world around us.
  A born and bred Tasmanian, Jennifer has her own store in Hobart where Red Parka has become a local institution for contemporary and original art and design.
  
  Red Parka is also a generous Silver Sponsor of the festival 
  
  

• 10.30am - Sonia Strong - author and illustrator of the much loved ‘Tassie the Turbo Chook, finds her feet’ and ‘The Boobook’s Nook’ will read both her books.
  
  

• 12 pm - Alex Dudley uses poetry to communicate facts about the ecology and natural history of our unique Australian wildlife.  His poems are entertaining, witty, memorable, and full of amazing information about the animals. His new book ‘Faunaverse - Tasmanian Wildlife in Poetry’; is to be launched in Hobart by his publishers on Sunday 21st and we are delighted that we will get a preview reading at the Festival
  
  

 
keep posted for other fabulous happenings in the Book Nook.

Discovery Ranger - Claire Mason
The Dangerous and Interesting Lives of Seabirds  

Saturday 19th
10am-2pm Information Table (Outside Adventure Bay HQ)

11:30am-12pm Activity: The adventurous life of a seabird (The Beach across the road from the Hall)

Come and say g'day to Ranger Claire between 10am-2pm on Saturday to learn about the fascinating lives of seabirds.
We are very lucky in Tassie to have some of the most impressive species of seabirds in our backyard, so come and meet your interesting neighbours: the Little Penguin, the Short-tailed Shearwater and the Shy Albatross! How does the tiny Short-tailed Shearwater travel all the way to the North Pole every year? How can the magnificent Shy Albatross, with a 2.5-meter wingspan, not touch land for years on end? And how do Little Penguins swim so well when they have feathers?! 

Join Claire on the beach at 11:30 am to experience the 40+ year lifespan of a seabird in just 30 minutes! Seabirds are one of the most threatened groups of animals in the world. Will you be able to make it to your 40th birthday with dangerous threats coming at you from land and sea?

Cost: Free ( Donations appreciated) No bookings required

Claire Mason is a Penguin and Shearwater guide for the Parks and Wildlife Service on Bruny Island and is currently studying her PhD on the Shy albatross!  With thanks to Parks and Wildlife Tasmania for providing a discovery ranger for the Bruny Island Bird Festival

BirdLife Tasmania Stall Event - 'Make a shorebird nest'

Saturday 20th, 12-1pm   

Birdlife Tasmania Stall - Festival HQ

Cost Free - No booking required - Suitable for all ages

Visit the BirdLife Tasmania stall during the festival family day and make your own shorebird scrape from a combination of natural and crafting items. Shorebird expert Amanda Blakney will be present to guide participants through this fun activity. All materials provided.

Hooded Plover and Pied Oystercatcher - Tiger Track stamps are also available at the stall, so don't forget your Tiger Track book.

Childrens Nature Walk with Alex Dudley author of Faunaverse

Saturday 20th, 1:00 -2:00pm) - Meet at the book nook at Adventure Bay Hall

Join one of the most experienced natural history interpreters in Australia for a short Nature Walk in the habitats hear the Adventure Bay Hall.   Alex Dudley worked as a Discovery Ranger for Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife for 25 seasons, and in Kakadu for 8. He is a Zoologist and although his expertise is reptiles & amphibians, he is also great with Tasmanian birds. So if it slithers by, hops past or flaps overhead, he will be able to tell you all about it, and may even have a story or a poem about it up his sleeve.

Free - Donations appreciated ( All ages welcome, children must be accompanied ) 

Hands-on show and tell: Claws, Beaks, and Wings: the weaponry of birds

Saturday 20th, 3 -4pm - Venue near Adventure Bay Hall TBA

Rarely do you get to see the majesty of a giant raptor up close and see the shapes, colours and textures of the feathers, the incredible size of the talons, the ferocious strength of the beak... This is a wonderful opportunity to experience an examination and dissection of a fatally electrocuted Wedge-tailed Eagle by local Vets Dr Andrew Nicholson and Dr Jacquie Bice, accompanied by an illuminating explanation from Raptor Specialist and Tasmanian legend Nick Mooney. He will explain how and why the bones and muscles of the birds move the way they do and how different species, ages and even genders of birds can have very different adaptations and specialisations.

Free, Booking not required, Donations appreciated

Children under the age of 10 should be accompanied and parents should note there is a bird dissection involved

How well do you know your Collared Sparrowhawk  from your Brown Goshawk and your Masked Owl  from your Barn Owl?

Saturday 20th October 4pm - 4.30pm (Following on from the Claws Beaks and Wings workshop)

Join Raptor Specialist Nick Mooney as he displays some study skins of all species and discusses the points of ID and various individual traits of these birds to help you in your future bird watching.

Location: Adventure Bay HQ

Cost - Donation Requested - No Booking Required - Children under 12 should be accompanied

Community Market & Information day. 

Sunday 21st, 10am - 2:30pm,

Festival Marquee and surrounds, Adventure Bay Hall

This Sunday Market is a highlight community event, with a wonderful selection of stalls selling a diverse array of bird and nature inspired items.   A fantastic event to support local artisans, stock up on gifts for the wildlife lovers in your life and to buy unique items that are often created specifically for this event.

There will also be food and drink stalls present, and a selection of stalls from various conservation and birding projects and organisations

The Big Bird Quiz  - with Quizmaster extraordinaire Sean Dooley, editor of Australian Birdlife magazine.

Saturday 20th, 6:00pm -  8pm
Venue Bruny Island Bowls Club (Adventure Bay)
Quiz until 8pm, chat and music may go until later

Flock to our Big Bird Quiz and join in the merriment.   Sean Dooley, author, comedian, conservationist, editor of Australian BirdLife magazine and self-confessed tragic bird nerd will host this fantastic evening.

Each round of the quiz has been written by a different member of the community or someone who is kindly contributing to the festival.  Letting you know the topics would allow you to study ahead of time, so we are keeping them under wraps, but be reassured that we are covering a lot of diverse fields and that knowing very little about birds is no impediment to your chances of scoring well and having a great night.   That said, attending a selection of the Festival lectures, walks and workshops may help you greatly with many of the topics and answers.

When you book your place, tell us if you have a team already or if you would like to join other solo quiz players on the night.

Cost:  Adult - $15 Accompanied Child - $5

Teams: Minimum 2 people, Maximum 5 people

• A maximum of two Festival speaker / guide / presenters allowed per team.
• Terrible bird pun team name compulsory

Licenced event - no BYO.   Booking required. 

Bruny School 2019 Calendar Launch 

Sunday 21st - 12pm, Festival HQ / Adventure Bay Hall 

Join us for the launch of the 2019 Bruny School Calendar.  The images in the yearly calendar are chosen from a community competition as voted on by the Bruny school children and the wider community.  Often there are many lovely birds and wildlife photographs as part of the selection.  At the launch of this year's calendar, each of the included photographers will receive their certificates.  We decide to launch the calendar at the Bird Festival so those from further afield could join us for this lovely social and friendly element of Bruny life, help us to support the local school and take away a slice of Bruny to hang on your wall all year round.

All welcome, no booking required

Departure Breakfast at Adventure Bay Hall

Monday 22nd, 8:30am
$10 Adult - Child free

Join us for a final community breakfast at the Festival HQ.  Over the course of the Bruny Bird Festival you will hopefully have made many new friendships.  This breakfast is a lovely chance to swap contact details and plan future birding days out with your new like minded lovers of nature..  
Many festival volunteers, speakers, and guides involved in the festival will be here if you have been hoping for a chance to catch up with someone or ask just one more question...

You are welcome to bring along your own breakfast supplies for us to cook - no charge. 

Festival Art Exhibition  

Daily:  10am -5pm, Adventure Bay Hall

We are honoured once again to be exhibiting some of Tasmania’s finest artists at our Bird Festival Art Exhibition. This year the exhibition will be at Festival HQ (Adventure Bay Hall) featuring a selection of paintings, photographs and sculptures inspired by the birds of Bruny Island.

Take part in the people’s choice award and choose your personal favourite. To enter your own work see separate web page - Art Exhibition.

Most of the artworks will be for sale, along with a selection of cards and prints, guaranteed to please any bird enthusiast.

Free entry, donations appreciated, no booking required

Art Exhibition Offical Opening by cartoonist First Dog on the Moon

Saturday 20th, 2:00pm - Adventure Bay Hall

Walkley award winning, Guardian cartoonist First Dog on the Moon  will be officially opening the Bruny Island Bird Festival Art Exhibition.   First Dog has championed many Australian conservation projects including bringing attention to the plight of the Swift Parrot and the Orange Bellied Parrots and has done so with joyful marsupial art, satirical humour and heart breaking pathos.  
Having recently moved South and become a Tasmanian, we are so delighted to have First Dog as part of our festival.  Some of his fantastic and hilarious bird-themed artwork will be on display at the Art Exhibition and he shall be officially opening the Exhibition after he has presented a short lecture as part of the speaker series.  We are hoping that Brenda the Civil Disobedience Penguin may also be able to join us, but she may have multiple rallies to attend that day.

Join us for the opening, meet the man behind the dog, enjoy the wonderful selection of Tasmanian artworks on display and partake of some delicious drinks and nibbles provided by festival sponsors Hotel Bruny and Bruny Cider.

Free, Donations appreciated, bookings requested BOOK HERE

Artist in Residence - Katherine Cooper   

Friday 19th, Saturday 20th, Sunday 21st, 9:30am - 4:00pm

International award-winning nature artist and passionate environmentalist Katherine Cooper will be Artist-in-residence throughout the festival.  Watch as she creates a wildlife painting live and if she isn't too absorbed in her work, you can ask her questions about her work and her craft. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet one of Tasmania's leading artists and watch the magic happen.  On the walls around the building of Festival sponsor Bruny Cruises, you can see other examples of her beautiful and atmospheric work.

Free, Donations appreciated, bookings not required

Printmaking workshop with Rhyll Plant 

Sunday 21st Two sessions: 9.30am - 12.00, 1:00pm - 3:30pm
Location : Inala

Workshop cost $50 for one session - max 6 participants per session. Adults only (15yr and over).

Rhyll Plant is passionate about printmaking and the art of natural science.

Researching for a visual arts master’s degree based on her career as a scientific illustrator included exploring traditional methods of printing directly from specimens. Much experimenting over many delightful hours in her studio has led Rhyll to devise new techniques of creating unique images on paper by printing from inked delicate grasses and even fluffy feathers.

Rhyll runs entertaining workshops to share her ideas and all you need to bring is enthusiasm. What better souvenir from Bruny Island, than printing a bird’s nest, eggs and all!

All materials + Tea and coffee provided

Bring along a selection of flattened dried leaves, plants, feathers etc. to use for printing.  (Some will be available if you have none of your own) Bring an apron if you wish and don't wear your very best clothes in case of ink smudges.

Grand opening of Inala’s Photographic Bird Hide

As part of the Bruny Island Bird Festival, please join us as we launch a unique and exciting new addition to the Inala Conservation Reserve on South Bruny Island.
Join owner and manager Dr Tonia Cochran and photographer, wildlife ecologist and good friend of Inala, Chris Tzaros, for the cutting of the opening ribbon.

Date: Monday 22nd October
Time: 10.30am
Location: Meet at Inala Nature Tours ( 320 Cloudy Bay Road )
No bookings required

After the opening and short speeches, you are welcome to explore inside the hide and if we haven't all made too much hullabaloo, there will hopefully be some beautiful birds to view.

Gatepost Bird Sculptures

All days, Island wide

Be sure to watch out for the artful and whimsical creations adorning islander's gateposts.
Collect a map at the Festival HQ in Adventure Bay Hall.

See separate web page for map of locations - Gatepost sculptures.

Winner announced at the Friday night BBQ

Bruny Island Birdathon 12 hrs long between 5am to 5pm - Organiser Karen Dick

Saturday 20th, 5.00am - 5pm

The Bruny Island Birdathon is your chance to challenge yourself to how many of the 150 + Bruny Species you can see in one 12 hr period.  A very enjoyable way to experience the birdlife with your friends with a healthy frisson of competition.

A clear set of guidelines will be provided once you sign up and you can communicate directly with the organiser for any questions you may have, however this is at its heart a community event and intended to be enjoyable and inclusive.   If you are planning on taking part in the BirdLife Tasmanian Twitchathon in the week following the Bruny Bird Festival, this could be your warm up event to stretch your wings.

Min team size 2 max team size 6

Entry cost - $40 per team

Prizes to be won.

Sign up online and then check in and pick up your information pack on Friday 19th at Adventure Bay Hall so you can begin in any location you like to begin the next morning.

Family Birding Bimble

Saturday 20th - any three hours between 5:00am and 5:00pm

We all know birding with children can be challenging, but by no means impossible. The Bruny Island Family Birding Bimble is your chance to challenge yourself and your family to how many Bruny bird you can see in one 3 hr period while within a 10 vicinity of play equipment on the island.   A very enjoyable way to experience the birdlife with your family whilst enjoying the play parks of the island.

A clear set of guidelines will be provided once you sign up and you can communicate directly with the organiser for any questions you may have, however this is at its heart a community event and intended to be enjoyable and inclusive.   If you are planning on taking part in the BirdLife Tasmanian Twitchathon in the week following the Bruny Bird Festival, this could be your warm up event to stretch your wings.

Min team size 2;  Max team size - one family

Entry cost - $20 per team

Prizes to be won.

Sign up online and then check in and pick up your information pack on Friday 19th October at Adventure Bay Hall so you can begin in any location you like to begin the next morning. (Or you can check in on the Saturday from 9am  if you do not plan on starting your 3hrs of bimbling earlier than 9am )

 FRIDAY NIGHT

Film - "The Desperate Plight of the Orange Bellied Parrot"

Filmed, produced and edited by David Neilson and Karen Alexander of Snowgum Press.
Followed by a  panel session.

Friday 19 Oct, 6.30pm  - Adventure Bay Hall 

This timely documentary by photographer David Neilson tells the story of this critically endangered bird and the efforts by a number of people to save this species from extinction. There are less than 50 of these beautiful small parrots living in the wild. They breed over the summer at Port Davey in South West Tasmania and then cross Bass Strait to spend the winter on the mainland coast. Filming from close quarters has enabled various aspects of the Orange-bellied Parrot’s behaviour to be shown on film for the first time. Scientists working on the recovery efforts are interviewed along with footage of their field work. The future prospects of this species so close to the edge of extinction are also canvassed.

Film runs approx 1hr.
Following Q & A session approx 30mins with David Neilson (Filmaker and OBP volunteer), Shannon Troy (OBP Tasmania Program) & Mark Holdsworth (OBP Expert)

$15 adult $10 child. BOOK HERE
(Half the entry fee is kindly donated to BIEN and OBP conservation by David and Karen )

SATURDAY NIGHT

The Big Bird Quiz  - with Quizmaster extraordinaire Sean Dooley, editor of Australian Birdlife magazine.

Saturday 20th, 6:00pm -  8pm
Venue Bruny Island Bowls Club (Adventure Bay)
Quiz until 8pm, chat and music may go until later

Flock to our Big Bird Quiz and join in the merriment.   Sean Dooley, author, comedian, conservationist, editor of Australian BirdLife magazine and self-confessed tragic bird nerd will host this fantastic evening.

Each round of the quiz has been written by a different member of the community or someone who is kindly contributing to the festival.  Letting you know the topics would allow you to study ahead of time, so we are keeping them under wraps, but be reassured that we are covering a lot of diverse fields and that knowing very little about birds is no impediment to your chances of scoring well and having a great night.   That said, attending a selection of the Festival lectures, walks and workshops may help you greatly with many of the topics and answers.

When you book your place, tell us if you have a team already or if you would like to join other solo quiz players on the night.

Cost:  Adult - $15 Accompanied Child - $5

Teams: Minimum 2 people, Maximum 5 people

• A maximum of two Festival speaker / guide / presenters allowed per team.
• Terrible bird pun team name compulsory

Licenced event - no BYO.  Booking required.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Louise Crossley Memorial Lecture - Dr Bob Brown

Sunday 21st Oct, 6.30pm  - Adventure Bay Hall 

A very special event to honour the enormous contributions Louise made to many environmental issues but in particular towards the protection of the Swift Parrot on Bruny Island.

Bob Brown needs no introduction.  He is a leading figure in many conservation action campaigns around Australia. Like Louise he has always been a passionate and generous supporter of the Bruny Island environment and the Bird Festival.  Bob had a close collaborative and personal relationship with Louise Crossley and graciously accepted the invitation to speak for her memorial lecture.
The lecture will include audio visual elements and will be on the topic of Apathy, arrogance and armageddon, an intriguing title…

In complement to the lecture, there will also be beautiful live music.

Drinks and nibbles by festival sponsor Hotel Bruny & Bruny Cider.

Entry: $25 adult, $20 concession $10 child 8-14 Max 50 - Booking required.
Proceeds from the evening will be dedicated to Swift Parrot conservation.