Festival Cairns Birding

Birding Festival, big-day bird race, Cairns, Australia, bird-fun, birdwatching.

August 27, 2013


Spring birding action usually starts with the shorebirds' arrival, sometimes en masse, near the end of the second week of August. The arrival of the Torresian Pigeon, usually in the last week of August or the first week of September, is keenly anticipated by the general public.

The Birding Festival programme will include -

▪ stationary bird watching, daily   
- at 1600 on the Esplanade boardwalk opposite the RSL at the start of Florence St, with John Seale and others of the 4 o'clock club.

- or meet with Colin Waddell, sitting on the Esplanade opposite the Tradewinds Hotel from mid-morning until about 1600 hrs.

▪ active bird walks
along the Esplanade, almost daily, 0630 with Andy Anderson or Doug Armstrong, meet opp the RSL, start of Florence St;

- or meet with the world-famous John Crowhurst, the roving Esplanade Ambassador, between 1000 and 1500;

Botanic Gardens / Centenary Lakes0830, with John or Brian, meet outside the Botanic Gardens Office on Collins Ave;

Cattana Wetlands, 0830, meet in car park off roundabout on Dunne St, between Yorkey's Knob and McGregor Rd roundabout;

- Yorkey's Knob, 0830, meet at the west end of Wattle St just past the entrance to the golf club;

Redden Is, 0830, meet at the end of Cinderella St, Machan's Beach;

Crystal Cascades, 0830, meet in the carpark at the end of Redlynch Intake Rd 

Goldsborough Valley, 0830, t/o at Gordonvale toward the Tablelands and go about 5 k; the Goldsborough Valley Rd starts at the Mulgrave River bridge. Meet at the end of the bitumen on the Goldsboough Valley Rd;  

- Centenary Lakes1st Sept only, 0630, with the bird club, Birding Cairns, on Greenslopes St, opposite the phone booth.

▪ a Pied Pigeon Day, and competition, first to see new migrants
 Beach Thicknee competition, first to see one during the festival 
▪ evening entertainment - slides and lectures
▪ a bird photo competition, to be taken during the festival  
▪ a junior bird photo competition for under 16yrs, to be taken at any time during the year $100 cash prizes ! 
▪ a Big Day bird race
 competition prizes


Sponsors from past years -
   



David Anderson

Major book prize sponsor 2012-13-14
John Crowhurst



FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
Fri 23
0630-0730 Esplanade bird walk with Andy or Doug, meet opp the RSL;
1600 Esplanade bird-watching with the 4 o'clock club.

Sat 24
0630-0730 Esplanade bird walk with Andy or Doug, meet opp the RSL;
0800-1030 Birds From the Bus - get picked up and watch & photograph birds around the town from the vehicle; ring Andy on 4031 8803 for a seat; 
0830 Goldsborough Valley, 0830 bird walk with John S. 
1600 Esplanade bird-watching with the 4 o'clock club.
1800 Festival Cairns parade.

Sun 25
0630-0730 Esplanade bird walk with Andy A, meet opp the RSL;
0830 Gardens-Lakes bird walk with John or Brian;
1600 Esplanade bird-watching with the 4 o'clock club.

Mon 26
0630-0730 Esplanade bird walk with Andy A, meet opp the RSL;
0830 Yorkey's Knob, bird walk with John S;
1600 Esplanade bird-watching with the 4 o'clock club.
1830 Evening talk, at Pine Creek Pictures, 247 McLeod St; World Avifaunal Boundaries, and Birds of North America, with Andy Anderson. 

Tue 27 
0630-0730 Esplanade bird walk with Andy or Doug, meet opp the RSL;
0830 Gardens Lakes bird walk with John or Brian;
1600 Esplanade bird-watching with the 4 o'clock club;

Wed 28 
0630-0730 Esplanade bird walk with Andy or Doug, meet opp the RSL;
0830 Crystal Cascades bird walk with John S;
1600 Esplanade bird-watching with the 4 o'clock club.
1830 Evening talk, at Pine Creek Pictures, 247 McLeod St; Birds of Europe, with Darren Phillips.  

Thu 29
0630-0730 Esplanade bird walk with Andy or Doug, meet opp the RSL;
0830 Redden Is. bird walk with John S;
1600 Esplanade bird-watching with the 4 o'clock club;

Fri 30
0630-0730 Esplanade bird walk with Andy or Doug, meet opp the RSL;
0830 Cattana Wetlands bird walk with John S;
1600 Esplanade bird-watching with the 4 o'clock club.
1830-1930 Evening talk, at Cominos House, Greenslopes St; World Avifaunal Boundaries Pt II, and Birds of Mexico .          

Sat 31 Torresian Pigeon Day
Big Day bird races, midnight to midnight or less if you prefer; see below for rules. 

Sun 1 Sep
0630-0930 The monthly Cairns Birds Lakes Walk. 
Meet on Greenslopes St, opp the phonebox.

1600 Esplanade bird-watching with prizes to -
▪ the first to have seen a Beach Thicknee during the festival;
▪ the first to have seen a newly arrived Pied Fruit Pigeon this season; 
Big Day winners. 

Big Day BirRace rules  
  • teams of 2 or more must be registered with Birding Cairns (txt to 04 5239 7275 or ring 0740318803) before the competition starts at 2400 hrs on Aug 3oth = 0000hrs on Aug 31st.
  • all species to be identified by sight or sound by a majority of team members and found on Cairns Area List 
  • BirRace teams may start and finish at any time during the calendar day
  • all teams must keep in normal voice contact at all times
  • driving teams may have a non-participating driver
  • there shall be no advice whatsoever ON THE DAY to team members from the public, including a non-participating driver, by sign, voice, mobile phone, etc.
  • no artificial objects may be used to attract birds.
  • teams must use surface travel only (walking, biking, driving) during the 24 hrs and count only the species within a day's surface travel of Cairns (e.g. Georgetown with a mostly new suite of species is less than 5 hrs drive the west of Cairns and and the Golden-shouldered Parrot at Artemis Station is about the same distance to the north)
  • the competition is on the calendar day of Aug 31st, i.e. it finishes at midnight Aug 31st.
  • final numbers could be sent by text to 04 5239 7275 and/or completed entries to be presented to the judges before 1600 hrs at the Esplanade on 2nd Sep
  • any violation of these conditions will result in disqualification
  • the judges decision will be final
Results will be announced at the Esplanade 1st Sep, at 1600

Cairns Area List is grouped into families and includes all species recorded including accidentals. It is divided into non-passerines, which make about half the bird species in the world, and passerines or songbirds, which make up the other half.
These birds have been recorded within a day's surface travel of Cairns (418 species).


Bird Photo Competition - rules
MAJOR SPONSOR
John Crowhurst

        Photos -
  • to be taken within a day's surface travel of Cairns (as for the Big Day),
  • must be of a native species,
  • to be taken between Aug 16-31st,
  • emailed pictures should have a maximum width of 1000 pixels, to be sent to aabirdo@gmail.com by midnight 31st Aug. 
  • Results will be announced at the Esplanade 1st Sep.
Junior Bird Photo Competition - rules 
MAJOR SPONSOR
        Photos -
  • to be taken within a day's surface travel of Cairns (as for the Big Day),
  • must be of a native species,
  • to be taken at any time of the year,
  • emailed pictures should have a maximum width of 1000 pixels, to be sent to aabirdo@gmail.com by midnight 31st Aug. 
  • Results will be announced at the Esplanade 1st Sep.
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Birding Festivals are held in many municipalities around the world and almost always encouraged by and organised under the umbrella of the local council with the aim of promoting the municipality and surrounding districts.

In the Cairns area it is estimated that 2000 to 3000 bird watchers visit each year and that 90% of these are serious birders from overseas who nearly all have Cairns as their primary Australian destination because nearly half of Australia's land birds can be seen within one day's travel of Cairns City.

It is anticipated that many non-birding partners of avid birders will take the opportunities provided by Festival Cairns (which also runs for 2+ weeks) to attend alternative events.

Some migration facts that participants may want to remember -

Wader arrivals - 2006 10 August; 2009 14th August; 2010 15th August, 2012 8th August.

TOPigeon arrivals - 2002 26 August; 2004 10 August; 2009 14th August; 2010 15th August, 2011 ?? August, 2012 4th August. 

In this century however, as the climate has gradually warmed and more palm fruit is available into the winter, some PIPs have been over-wintering in the Cairns area. The local birders keep track of these small (4-10) over-wintering populations so new migrants are usually relatively easy to identify; but if the trend to a warmer climate continues, migrant individuals may get harder to isolate from a growing number of non-migrants.