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:
Appletree Flat Camp
Oct 4-7 (we can stay until the morning of the 8th).
Arrive anytime after lunch on Friday 4 October. To get to Appletree Flat go just through Jerry’s Plains, instead of taking the main road sweeping to the right go straight ahead and follow Queen Street which becomes Jones Reserve Road to Appletree Flat Road. Turn left here and go to the very end of this road, it takes a few bends.
There will be an HBOC sign on the left at Commission Road (ignore the no entry sign). Take this track for about 1 km to another sign which leads to the camping ground. There is good birding here and options to hike up to the top of the escarpment with fantastic views and maybe a rock warbler or two.
| EVENT | DATE | INFORMATION | MEETING PLACE & TIME | CONTACT DETAILS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Term 3 School Holidays 30th September- 11th October 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 2024 |
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| Mid Week Outing | Tue 1st Oct | Private Property Cardiff | 12 Knight Street Cardiff South at 7am. Enter property at the top of Knight St through the white gates | Leader- Peter Vaughan 0409 547 040 |
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| Long W/E Camp | Labour Day 5th– 7th Oct |
Camp- Wongalee Appletree Flat-Private Property | Meet-See Top of Page |
Leader- Keith Eastwood To register, please text 0417 384 509 |
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| Field Outing | Sun 20th Oct | Nabiac | Wang Wauk rest stop at 8 am | Leader- Cindy Dearing cindydearing58@gmail.com |
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| November 2024 |
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| Mid Week Outing | Tue 5th Nov | Ash Island | Meet– 0700 at car park immediately (L) over Ash Island bridge at Hexham. Explore Ash Is walking tracks. | Leader- Greg Little 0414 562 169 |
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| Field Outing | Sun 17th Nov | Galgabba | Meet-To Be Confirmed | Leader- Jess Logan-Warner 0419 551 776 |
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| December 2024 |
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| Mid Week Outing | Tue 3rd Dec | Earthcare Park/Morpeth Common | Meet – 0730 Beryl Humble Oval car park, Metford Road, Tenambit. | Leader- Marg Clarke 0412 616 030 |
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| Term 4- School Holidays 23rd December- 30th January 2025 |
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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:
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