2024 Festival Program 'At a glance'

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2024 Festival Program Details
(program may change with new items added)

Welcome to our 2024 Bruny Island Bird Festival Program, bursting at the seams with bird related events.
Our community celebration of birdlife and nature is now in its 7th anniversary and we are proud of how it has become such a joyful and well loved Australian birding event.

We have done our very best to allow you to be able to attend a very diverse selection of activities over the 3 days, however you may have to plan carefully to fit in everything you wish to do.
Remember there are many events that do not require a booking, and due to the generosity of our presenters and sponsors, they are often free or 'donation only' to attend.

The festival is diverse, inclusive and welcoming to all, no matter what your level of birding knowledge and interest may be. We look forward to welcoming you to our very special Bruny Island Bird Festival on this unique and beautiful island.

*Ticket prices are inclusive of GST and there will be a 2.5% 'service fee' added to your total at check out.

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A Festival favourite guided by a passionate bird lover and Bruny Islander. Bruny Bird Festival founder Bob Graham takes you on a gentle walk from the Adventure Bay shoreline through a selection of different habitats into beautiful tall forest. Your guide will help you see, hear and understand the range of bird species to be sighted in each different ecotone.

Adult: $12, Child under 12: free
Maximum 12 bookings
Location: Adventure Bay - Meet at Adventure Bay Hall.

Beach to Bush Walk with Bob Graham
Friday15th 8:30-10am SOLD OUT
Saturday16th 8:30-10am SOLD OUT
Sunday17th 8:30-10am SOLD OUT
Ticket Required

Birding Bruny Island - Inala Day Tour

Friday 15th: 8:30am - 5:00pm SOLD OUT
Saturday 16th: 8:30am - 5:00pm two places left!
Sunday 17th: 8:30am - 5:00pm SOLD OUT

Ticket Required

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)

Cost: $200
Maximum 6 bookings
Location: Island Wide, Meet at Adventure Bay Hall

Bird Beanie Competition - Brilliant, Bizzare, Beautiful Bird Beanies

Free Event

Beanies will be displayed at the Adventure Bay Hall throughout the festival.
Beanies will be judged during the festival and winners announced at the Sunday Night event.

Do you knit, felt, crochet, weave or sew?
We are looking for Tasmanian Inspired Creative Beanies, let your imagination run riot
Great Prizes will be awarded to the winners of 4 categories
Categories = Tasmanian Endemic Bird Beanie, Endangered Species Beanie, Fledgling Beanie (under 16 yrs old), Wildest Design Beanie.

More info here.

Location: Adventure Bay Hall

Grass Point Birding Walk

Saturday 16th March 10.30am - 12.30pm- Karen Dick SOLD OUT
Saturday 16th March 1-3pm- Dr Andrew Hingston SOLD OUT

Ticket Required

Walk the lovely Grass Point trail through varying habitats of beach, foreshore, mixed Eucalypt woodland and open grassland in the company of one of Tasmania's leading birdwatchers. Learn about and seek out the birds that inhabit the area and possibly see some of the seasonal residents of the area such as Satin Flycatcher and Swift Parrot.

Karen is a birding guide with Inala Nature Tours and member of the BirdLife Tasmania Executive Committee.

Andrew is an Adjunct Researcher within the School of Natural Sciences, at the University of Tasmania, as well as a guide with Inala Nature Tours and consultant ornithologist. He has published 38 peer-reviewed journal articles on pollination ecology, invasive species, and the impacts of forest harvesting and fire on birds.

Adult: $25, Child under 12: $5
Maximum 12 bookings
Location: Meet at Fluted Cape Carpark

Introduction to Shorebirds with Dr Eric Woehler

Sunday 17th March 10.30am - 11.30am SOLD OUT

Ticket Required

Guided by Dr Eric Woehler seabird and shorebird specialist.

Tasmania is the southernmost destination on a bird migration corridor between Siberia and Australia. These birds use the foreshore and beaches during the summer months to feed and prepare for their northward migration.

Join Eric to hopefully see a great selection of resident Bruny shorebirds, with the chance to view the tiny Hooded Plover. Learn how to identify shorebirds, learn about their seasonal changes and behaviours and how they survive in the challenging habitats in which they live.
Formulate your trickiest shorebird questions to put an expert through his paces.

Adult: $15, Child under 12: Free

Maximum 15 bookings
Location: Meet at Adventure Bay Hall

Adult Tree Climb Workshop with Rebecca Barnes

Sunday 17th March 11am - 2pm EVENT CANCELLED

Free Event - Bookings Required

EVENT CANCELLED

Mavista Rainforest Birding Walk with Paul Brooks

Sunday 17th March 12 -1.30pm SOLD OUT
Sunday 17th March 9-10:30am SOLD OUT

The beautiful temperate rainforest habitat of Mavista is tucked behind Adventure Bay under the slope of Mount Mangana and it is home to some of the loveliest birds that can also be some of the trickiest to find and identify. The three endemics - the Tasmanian Scrubtit, the Tasmanian Scrubwren and the Tasmanian Thornbill all live here and are all very capable of being quiet and invisible when they wish to be. The beautiful Pink Robin is another resident amongst the towering treeferns and can be surprisingly hard to find even with their fantastic colour.
This is your opportunity to look for these wonderful birds with a specialist birding guide who knows the calls, the songs and the behaviours of these birds. While you are birding at Mavista, Paul will also tell you all about the wonderful ecosystems at play in the beautiful temperate rainforest habitat.
We have limited this group to only 10 to give you the best chance of sighting some of these birds.

Adult: $25, Child under 12: $5
Maximum 10 bookings
Location: Meet at the Mavista Rainforest Carpark ( behind Adventure Bay )

Ticket Required

Bird expert Cat Davidson will share her enthusiasm in a exclusive talk before the welcome dinner on Friday night.
The focus will be on Bird Anatomy, and all the interesting little parts that we've always questioned about flight, nests, eggs and more!

Tickets: $10
Location: Adventure Bay Church.

Cat Davidson-Specialist Talk

Friday 15th March 4:00pm-5:00pm

Nightly Bird Count at Adventure Bay Hall

Friday 15th March 6pm
Saturday 16th March 6pm
Sunday 17th March 6pm

Free Event

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 bird guide Karen Dick 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.

Location: Adventure Bay Hall

Nocturnal Seabirds Walk

Friday 15th 7pm - 8.30pm SOLD OUT
Saturday 16th 7pm - 8.30pm SOLD OUT

Ticket Required

Join Dr Eric Woehler to visit the The Neck. Learn about the nocturnal seabirds birds that visit Bruny Island including Little Penguins and 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. ( will also be available at HQ in Adventure Bay ) NB: No flash photography.

Adult: $15, Child under 12: $5
Maximum 15 bookings
Location: Meeting at The Neck Carpark

Silent Auction

Friday 15th All day
Saturday 16th All day
Sunday 17th All day till 8pm

Free event

Our famous SILENT AUCTION, come and bid on an array of gorgeous items at the
Adventure Bay Hall, if you're lucky, you might take home something very special on Sunday night.
Items can be purchased outright at any point.

Location: Adventure Bay Hall

Feather and Botanical Printmaking Workshop with Rhyll Plant

Saturday 16th March 9.30am - 3pm
Sunday 17th March 9:30am-3pm

Ticket Required

What better souvenir from Bruny Island,
than printing a bird’s nest, eggs and all!

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.

All materials + Tea and coffee provided ( BYO lunch)
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.

The workshop is being run at the Inala Conservation Reserve in South Bruny Island and on your breaks between printing you are welcome to explore the Inala Jurassic Garden and gain artistic inspiration from the Gondwana plants growing there and the multitude of birds that call Inala home.

Cost: $120
Maximum 8 bookings
Location: Inala Property ( 320 Cloudy Bay Road )

A unique soundscape birding experience: Dawn chorus with Ramit Singal

Sunday 17th March. 7-9am SOLD OUT

Ticket Required

Take a walk with Ramit Singal - Inala Bird Guide, photographer and podcast host of Having a Lark who "Communicates his love for nature through guided wildlife tours, visual media, acoustics and the written word."
During this walk you will be engaging with the soundscape and recording birds using multiple tools and best practices, and then preparing sound files for uploads to a platform online.

Adult: $25, Child under 12: $5
Maximum 12 bookings
Location: Meet at Inala ( 320 Cloudy Bay Road )

Take a walk with Tonia to the top

Saturday 16th March 8am-12pm 7 PLACES LEFT
Sunday 17th March 8am-12pm 3 PLACES LEFT

Ticket Required

Dr Tonia Cochran owns the 1,500 acre conservation property at Inala. She has lived here for over 35 years and knows every inch of the land. Take a walk with Tonia from the Jurassic Garden all the way through the forest to the very top of the property known as Ben Bullen with a phenomenal view down over Cloudy Bay.
Along the walk, as well as birding with Tonia, you will learn the story of her involvement with the land and the diverse work she has done here over the years as Inala has evolved.
Discover the parts of the property that far fewer people get to see and be rewarded for your climb with a special view of a unique corner of Bruny Island.

( Suitable for those who can walk up a moderately steep slope on forest trails at a gentle pace) Walk approx. 3.5-4hrs ( Bring a drink and a snack to enjoy at the top )

Adult: $50, Child under 12: $25
Maximum 15 bookings
Location: Meet at Inala ( 320 Cloudy Bay Road )

Friday 15th March 8:30-11:30am SOLD OUT
AND 1:30-4:30pm one place left!
Saturday 16th March 8:30-11:30am SOLD OUT
AND 1:30-4:30pm SOLD OUT
Sunday 17th March 8:30-11:30am SOLD OUT
AND 1:30-4:30pm two places left!

Inala Conservation Reserve
Guided Walking Tour including the Forty-spotted Pardalote Platform
(morning and afternoon options )

Ticket Required

Join an experienced Inala bird specialist for a 2.5 - 3-hour walking tour of Inala.
Inala is a 1,500 acre private reserve and a centre for conservation work for several threatened and endangered species. Inala is home to one of the largest known populations of Forty-spotted Pardalotes, and on this tour you will learn about the conservation efforts undertaken to protect these species, as well as searching for other Tasmanian endemics and specialities. Highlights include the possibility of most of the Tasmanian endemics including Strong-billed Honeyeater and the endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote.
This tour is being offered at a very special festival price. Regular 3hr Inala property tours are $180 per person

Adult: $50, Child under 12: $25
Maximum 12 bookings
Location: Meet at Inala Carpark ( 320 Cloudy Bay Road )

Inala Jurassic Garden Walk & Nature Centre self guided walk

Daily: 9am - 4pm
This is a self-guided walk - take as long as you like. Welcome to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy in the Gardens.

No booking required. Purchase ticket at Inala on arrival

The Inala Jurassic Garden is an educational facility highlighting the Gondwanan connections of a range of living plant families whose ancient ancestors thrived in the Jurassic period when the Gondwanan Supercontinent started splitting apart (about 185 million years ago) to form the southern land-masses that we now know as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America and New Caledonia.
Designed across five acres of gently undulating land and accessed by a winding, wheelchair-friendly path, the Garden gives visitors an insight into the ancient connections of species that are planted in family groups to demonstrate the similarities between species that are now found in these geographically-distant countries.

More information about the Jurassic Gardens can be found here

Location: Inala Property ( 320 Cloudy Bay Road )

Solving the Swifty Housing Crisis one hollow at a time!
Tas Land Conservancy Property Tour.

Saturday 16th March 3:30-5pm SOLD OUT -Email us to be added to the waitlist.

Ticket Required FREE EVENT

Staff from Tasmanian Land Conservancy invite Bruny Island Bird Festival participants to visit one of our current revolving fund properties on Bruny Island and see practical conservation in action.
We will discuss:
-The natural values of the property, the context of these in relation to the rest of the island and the benefits of TLC creating a revolving fund property for conservation outcomes.
-TLC’s involvement in the Swift Parrot Covenanting Project on Bruny Island, which is currently funded by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania.
-The Land for Wildlife Program and it’s role in the area (including a Wild Tracker camera in situ).
-Practical habitat creation using the Hollow Hog – presented by Dave James including an onsite demonstration of hollow creation suitable for use by swift parrots in a living tree on the property.

What to Bring: Everything to be self sufficient in the bush for 1.5 hours. Suitable footwear, water, snacks, binoculars, and appropriate clothing for the conditions (long pants suggested). There will be periods of standing and listening so bring your own folding chair if needed.
Parking: Will be on the verge of Mulcahy’s road near the driveway to the property. It would be helpful to have a Bruny Island Bird Festival volunteer to help people find a safe park and then walk to the location.
Access: Off track but gentle walking on undulating land – may be some long grass so long pants and gaiters will be useful.

Cost: FREE!
Maximum 25 bookings
Location: 32 Mulcahys Road, Apollo Bay, North Bruny Island. 40 mins from Adventure Bay. TLC Revolving Fund Property. (Look for the festival flag)

Dennes Hill Walk with Dr Sally Bryant

Saturday 16th March 8:30-10:30am SOLD OUT
Sunday 17th March 8:30-10:30am SOLD OUT

Ticket Required

The return of a festival favourite!
Take a walk with renowned broadcaster, writer and ecologist Sally Bryant through some dry Sclerophyll forest and open grassland at Dennes Hill Nature Reserve on North Bruny. Learn about the valuable Forty-spotted Pardalote Habitat on this land, the work done by the community to protect it and the other birds and animals that call this beautiful spot home.
Attendees will need sturdy shoes and a ‘reasonable’ level of fitness to get up the hill which is a steady climb at the beginning and will participate in forty-spot monitoring using the BirdLife Australia Birdata App.

Adult: $30, Child under 12: $5
Maximum 20 bookings
Location: Meet and Park at Lauriston Farm, 321 Bruny Island Main Road, North Bruny ( Look for the festival flag )

Quarantine Station Birding Walk with Dr Catherine Young

Saturday 16th March 8:30-10am TWO PLACES LEFT!

Ticket Required

Take a gentle woodland walk from the Quarantine Station with Catherine Young specialist bird guide and ornithologist with the Australian National University Enjoy a wide selection of bush birds that call North Bruny home including honeyeaters, robins, whistlers, thornbills and the chance of Blue Winged Parrots who live in that habitat.
After the 1.5hr walk you also have the opportunity to visit the Quarantine Station and a local guide will introduce the group to the history of this fascinating site, from prisoner of war camp to medical quarantine station, to plant quarantine laboratory to state reserve.

Adult: $25, Child under 12: $5
Maximum 15 bookings
Location: Quarantine Station North Bruny - 816 Killora Road

Bruny Island Bird Festival Art Exhibition

Friday 15th- Sunday 24th March 10am-5pm

Free Event- No booking Required- Donations Appreciated

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 Dennes Point Hall featuring a selection of paintings, photographs and sculptures inspired by the birds of Bruny Island.

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 by the artists, guaranteed to please any bird enthusiast.

Take part in the people’s choice award and choose your personal favourite.

Location: Lennon Memorial Hall, Dennes Point

Walking On Country- Murrayfield Tour

Saturday 16th March 2:00pm-4:00pm approx. SOLD OUT

Ticket Required

Experience the importance of Murrayfield with a knowledgeable guide.
This educational tour has more of a cultural focus, and is a beautiful complement to a weekend of bird watching.

Adult: $25 Child Under 12: Free
Maximum 30 bookings
Location: Murray Field, North Bruny

Community Nature Market

Saturday 16th March 10am-4pm

Free Event

This Saturday Bird and Nature themed 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

Location: Lunawanna Hall ( Inside and Outside in carpark area )

Council Of Birds

Sunday 17th March 9am-3pm (please BYO lunch)

Ticket Required

Facilitated experience by Maggie Loveridge

"Enjoy a day attending an experiential gathering.
Based in the foundations of Deep Ecology and the Council of All Beings. Deepen your relationship the Bird Kingdom.
Engage in active participation, shared dialogue and listening, movement, meditation and art making and the "Council of Birds”

Suitable for Adults and Children above the age of 10 ( to be accompanied by Adult ) Further details provided with bookings.
BYO lunch. Tea, herbals, coffee provided.

Adult: $36, Child 10-12: Free with accompanying adult
Maximum 33 bookings
Location: Lunawanna Hall

Maggy Loveridge is a Community Arts and Engagement Facilitator. She has worked with multiple organisations, cultures and communities, Internationally, throughout Australia and Tasmania. Developing collaborative projects which engage and evoke our relationship with ourselves and our connections to our natural environment.

Saturday 16th March 11am-3pm

Kids Tree Climb with Rebecca Barnes

Free Event-Sign up on the day

Sign the kids up to experience the beauty of the canopy with this kids tree climb session.
Rebecca will teach the importance of safety in and around trees whilst facilitating a fun place to swing and play.

Parents can peruse the market whilst their child is supervised by Rebecca and her team for a short time, but they must stay within the parameters of the market.

Location: Lunawanna Hall

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Welcome Dinner and Party DRESS TO IMPRESS: BIRD THEME!

Friday 15th March 5-9pm SELLING OUT FAST!

*Ticket required

Join the first evening festivities!
Following guest speaker Cat Davidson (Held in the Church nearby), enjoy an informal shared meal catered by Noona Auderset, whilst feasting on the sweet sounds of local performers.
Sweet sounds for the evening will be provided by The Island Ensemble,
The Island Ensemble formed one year ago, it comprises skilled and passionate island musicians who initially met to share in the simple pleasure of playing music together.
They have been heartened by the growing number of invitations to perform at celebrations on the island, and have quickly become an integral part of Bruny's cultural life.

This is a wonderful evening to meet and chat with other bird enthusiasts, and plan your weekend together!

Dietaries can be catered for
A bar will be open throughout the evening

Happy hour 5:00-6:00 pm
Welcome to Country/ Acknowledgement of Country 5:30pm
Dinner 6:00 pm
Nightly Bird Count 6:00pm

Adult: $40, Child under 12: $20
Location: Adventure Bay Hall

TRIVIA NIGHT! Hosted by Sean Dooley and Dinner from Bruny Dine

Saturday 16th March 6-9pm SOLD OUT

Ticket Required

An evening of quick wit and brilliant questions! Hosted at the Bruny Bowls Club and catered by Bruny Dine, dinner is included in the ticket (Classic Roast meal with dessert), and the bar will be open throughout the night.
Organise your own trivia team, or we can allocate you into a team on the night.

Dinner 6:00-7:00 pm
Trivia 6:30pm onwards

Adults $43, Child under 12 $20.

Location: Bruny Bowls Club, Adventure Bay

Alfresco Community Dinner

Sunday 17th March 5-6:30pm

*Ticket Required

*Separate ticket required for the Louise Crossley Tribute Evening.
Celebrate the final night of the festival by coming together outside the Adventure Bay hall to share your experiences and excitedly plan the next bird watching trip!
Live music from Bruny Islanders vocalist Matilda Martin and guitarist Julius Schwing. They play a unique blend of jazz, soul and RnB, infused with their own stylings inspired by the natural world and its ever-evolving and steady pace. Individually both Matilda and Julius have played extensively around Australia as well as internationally in places such as Dubai, New York, Calcutta and Vienna.
Meal catered by Noona Auderset, all dietaries can be catered for.

Happy hour 5:00-6:00 pm
Dinner 5:00pm-6:30pm

Adult: $25, Child under 12: $15
Location: Adventure Bay Hall

Sunday Night- Dr Louise Crossley Tribute Evening
With guest speakers: Dr. Bob Brown, Dr.Andrew Hingston & Dr. Sally Bryant. Sean Dooley will join for the panel discussion.

Sunday 17th March 7-9pm

*Ticket Required

*Separate ticket required for Alfresco Community Dinner.
After dinner move inside for an evening of performance, science and activism.
Music composer and synthesist Peter Rankine will begin the evening with a recital to fit the theme!
Peter has been inspired by birds and birdsong since childhood. This recital is a meditation on the voices of precious birds endemic to Bruny Island.
Hear about projects and actions focussing on the Forty-spotted pardalote and the Swift parrot from special guest speakers Bob Brown, Sally Bryant and Andrew Hingston, followed by a casual panel discussion. This is not one to miss! Great information, entertainment and a fundraiser for our Threatened Woodland Birds of Bruny Island Project (TWBBI)

Happy hour 5:00-6:00 pm
Speakers 7:00-9:00pm

Adult: $30 Child Under 12: $5
Location: Adventure Bay Hall

Ticket Required

Bird guide Cat Davidson will plunge enthusiastically into illuminating five incredible physiological bird evolutions and behaviours using five beloved Bruny birds as examples.

Superb Fairy Wrens - Colour in feathers

Yellow Wattlebird- The whys and wherefores of Wattles

Australasian Gannet - High speed impact adaptations

Forty-spotted Pardalotes - Farming manna

Little Penguins - Flippers and Feathers

Join this exciting exploration of just some of the incredible features that make each bird unique and remarkable.

Tickets: $10
Location: Adventure Bay Church.

Cat Davidson-Specialist Talk

2024 Festival Program 'At a glance'

Click to enlarge images

2024 Festival Program Details (program may change with new items added)

Welcome Dinner and Party DRESS TO IMPRESS: BIRD THEME!

Friday 15th March 5-9pm SELLING OUT FAST!

*Ticket required

TRIVIA NIGHT! Hosted by Sean Dooley and Dinner from Bruny Dine

Saturday 16th March 6-9pm SOLD OUT

*Ticket Required*

Sunday 17th March 5-6:30pm

*Ticket Required

Sunday 17th March 7-9pm

*Ticket Required

*Ticket Required*

Bird guide Cat Davidson will plunge enthusiastically into illuminating five incredible physiological bird evolutions and behaviours using five beloved Bruny birds as examples.

Tickets: $10 Location: Adventure Bay Church.

Friday 15th March 4:00pm-5:00pm 5 TICKETS LEFT

2024 Festival Program Details
(program may change with new items added)

Ticket Required

Ticket Required

Tickets: $10
Location: Adventure Bay Church.