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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 |
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Club Camp | Fri 29 Mar – Mon 1 Apr | Durridgere SCA | Meet- Durridgerie Details to be confirmed |
Leader- Dave Stuart 0436 488 291 |
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Term 1- School holidays – 15th April- 26th April 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mid-week Outing |
Tue 2nd April | Werakata-Pelaw Main | Meet – 0730 at McDonalds, Kurri Kurri | Leader– Paul Fuller
0478 737 957 |
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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 |
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Field Outing | Sun 19th May | Craven (Private property (Kristy Peters) |
Meet-. 506 Woods Road, Craven |
Leader- Kristy Peters 0438 328 049 |
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Mid-week Outing- | Tue- 4th June | Belmont State Park | Meet – TBC | Leader- Jim Stone 0492 820 213 |
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Long Weekend Camp– | 7-10th June
Kings Birthday |
Myall Shores (Bombah
Point) |
Meet – Myall Shores, Bombah Point | Leader– Dave Stuart
0436 488 291 |
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New Members Day | Sun 16th Jun | Hunter Wetlands Centre, Shortland | Meet – 9.30am Hunter Wetlands Centre, Shortland | Registrations – M Clarke0412 616 030 |
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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