HBOC runs an annual program of events for members, including monthly indoor meetings and birding outings, regular club camps, organised bird surveys and much more.

It is necessary to register for all events you are attending in person, particularly as some locations have restrictions on numbers.

Upcoming Events

The following table provides a summary of upcoming Club events this month. For access to the full calendar of events please scroll down to the relevant section and follow the link:

 

EVENT DATE INFORMATION MEETING PLACE & TIME CONTACT DETAILS
Field Outing Tue 5 Mar Stockton Sand Spit 07:00 at SSS car park (under the bridge) Ann Lindsey 0455 515 774
Club Meeting Wed 13 Mar Dr Chris Hatton
exploring the story of Bar-tailed Godwits through creative learningB of E – Tawny frogmouth by Darren Foster
18:30 supper for a 19:00 start at Hunter Wetlands Centre, Shortland Marg Clarke 0412 616 030
Field Outing Sun 17 Mar Mount Vincent Meet- 0730 end of Emily Road, Mt Vincent Leader- Dave Stuart

0436 488 291

Club Camp Fri 29 Mar – Mon 1 Apr Durridgere SCA Meet- Durridgerie
Details to be confirmed
Leader- Dave Stuart
0436 488 291
Term 1- School holidays – 15th April- 26th April 2024
Mid-week Outing
Tue 2nd April Werakata-Pelaw Main Meet – 0730 at McDonalds, Kurri Kurri LeaderPaul Fuller

0478 737 957

Field Outing Sun 21st Apr Tabbil Forest PP Meet – TBA Leader -TBA
Night Bird Outing Wed TBA Meet – TBA Leader -TBA
Mid-week Outing Tue 7th May  Seaham/ Green Wattle Creek Meet- at 8am at Seaham Park on Seaham Rd (toilets) to carpool and convoy to Green Wattle Creek at Butterwick. Leader- Dinah Stehr
 0402 091 951
Field Outing Sun 19th May Craven (Private property
(Kristy Peters)
Meet-.
506 Woods Road, Craven
Leader- Kristy Peters
0438 328 049
Mid-week Outing- Tue- 4th June Belmont State Park Meet – TBC Leader- Jim Stone
0492 820 213
Long Weekend Camp 7-10th June

Kings Birthday

Myall Shores (Bombah

Point)

MeetMyall Shores, Bombah Point LeaderDave Stuart

0436 488 291

New Members Day Sun 16th Jun Hunter Wetlands Centre, Shortland Meet – 9.30am Hunter Wetlands Centre, Shortland Registrations –
M Clarke
0412 616 030

secretary@hboc.org.au

 

Monthly Club Meetings

The monthly Club Meetings are held at the Hunter Wetlands Centre, Shortland the second Wednesday of each month, except for January during summer holidays. Concurrent Zoom meetings are also held for those that cannot attend, to maximise accessibility. The meeting starts at 19:00, with a pre-meeting social supper at 18:30.

The format of the meetings includes a presentation from a Main Speaker, a “Bird of the Evening” presentation and an open forum for the sharing of recent bird observations. Upcoming activities and other important Club notices are also announced. In February the Bird of the Evening presentation is replaced by the Club’s AGM.

Please register your in-person attendance for a Club Meeting in advance with the Club Secretary, Marg Clarke on 0412 616 030 or at secretary@hboc.org.au

Monthly Club Meetings Calendar TBA

Club Management Committee Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month from 18:30 at the Hunter Wetlands Centre, Shortland. All members are welcome to attend – please contact the Club Secretary in advance to notify the Management Committee of your intention to attend.

 

Monthly Field Outings

The monthly Sunday and Tuesday outings invite members to discover an exciting birding location within the Hunter Region and are held on the morning of the third Sunday of each month and first Tuesday of each month.

The format of the outings typically includes an easy to moderate walk and depending on the duration may include stops for morning tea and/or lunch (BYO). It is an opportunity to be guided around a location by the leader of the outing, who will be familiar with birding at this location. It also enables regular attendees an opportunity to socialise with other members and for members who are relatively new to birding to learn field skills and identification tips from those with more experience.

Please register your attendance for a Field Outing in advance by SMS or email with the relevant outing leader.

Sunday Field Outings Calendar TBA

Tuesday Field Outings Calendar TBA

 

HBOC Fledglings

The Club offers four activities per year especially designed for children aged 5 to 12, to introduce them to birdwatching in a fun and interesting way. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

The outings for 2024 have been carefully planned to be within easy access for families living in Newcastle and Maitland. Each outing will explore a natural habitat (bush, beach, wetland) with enough walking to be an achievable challenge to the children, and to give opportunities for them to look at birds, bugs, bark or in fact anything that captures their attention.

HBOC Fledglings Calendar TBA

 

Club Camps

The Club organises regular camps over the weekends of public holidays, plus a mid-week camp. The camps typically try and avoid busy and expensive commercial campsites, instead taking advantage of National Park facilities and relationships with private land owners. There is typically a small fee to cover expenses associated with the toilet tent, which the Club facilitates. For those that prefer their creature comforts, there are often accommodation alternatives on site or nearby.

The format of the camps is largely informal, with groups of people doing their own thing, looking for birds in and around the camping location environs. However, more formal excursions and survey efforts are sometimes organised for those who are interested. The day will usually finish with a “happy hour” around the camp fire, in which members will share their observations from the day and socialise together. The Club camps are a great way to meet new people and old friends, experience birding locations that may be off-limits to the public and sometimes venture beyond the Hunter Region. As with the field outings, the camps are an opportunity for members who are relatively new to birding to learn field skills and identification tips from those with more experience.

Please register your attendance for a Club Camp in advance by SMS or email with the relevant camp organiser.

Club Camps Calendar TBA

 

Regular Surveys

The Club organises regular bird surveys, most notably those of the shorebirds and waterbirds in the Hunter Estuary, which are done monthly. Several other sites are also surveyed monthly, and there are various targeted surveys (for a particular species or a particular area) that occur a few times per year. All HBOC members are welcome to join any of the Club’s surveys; however for some of them there is limited space and you may have to be on a waiting list. To register interest in volunteering to assist with undertaking regular surveys and/or to register interest in tagging along for a single survey, please contact the relevant survey organiser, as listed in the Regular Surveys Calendar:

Regular Surveys Calendar

Hands-on Conservation

Tom Clarke organises regular volunteer work groups to help with hands-on conservation efforts across the Hunter Estuary, with a particular focus on mangrove removal from inter-tidal mudflats, which are important for migratory shorebird conservation. Please contact Tom on 0418 411 785 if you are keen to help out.

Hands-on Conservation Calendar TBA