Birdlife Shoalhaven

21/10/2026

Thank you Vincentia Community Forum! Birdlife Shoalhaven also opposes next Tuesday's Council Motion CL26.295 and supports the Note from the CEO. We have already written to Council about this vital habitat, particularly noting the two Pied Oystercatcher pairs nesting in the shelter of these dunes. Please consider contacting your local Councillors before Tuesday.

Collingwood Beach dunes return to Council following rescission motion. Councillors will again be asked to consider a motion relating to Collingwood Beach dune management after a rescission motion was lodged.

Importantly, Council's CEO has advised that the motion seeks outcomes already being delivered through the certified Coastal Management Program (CMP), presents no new technical evidence, identifies no deficiency in the CMP, and provides no strategic justification for revisiting matters that have already been extensively considered through community consultation, technical assessment, Council reports and State Government certification.

The CEO also notes a fundamental contradiction at the heart of the proposal: "The proposal promotes reduction of dune vegetation while claiming to improve dune stability. These two positions are fundamentally incompatible. Native dune vegetation is one of the primary mechanisms by which dunes capture sand, build volume and resist erosion." Removing or substantially reducing vegetation, as proposed in this motion, would not increase dune resilience. It would increase exposure of the dunes to erosion, sand loss and storm damage. Contemporary coastal science recognises native dune vegetation as critical for trapping sand, building dune resilience, reducing erosion and protecting both environmental and community assets.

At a time when Council faces significant financial pressures and many competing priorities, it is difficult to justify revisiting matters that have already been considered, resolved and incorporated into a certified coastal management framework. VCF supports evidence-based coastal management and urges councillors to give due weight to the professional advice of the CEO and Council's coastal management experts when considering this matter.

Item CL26.295 will be heard at the Shoalhaven City Council Ordinary Meeting on 27 October 2026. Community members who wish to express their concerns are encouraged to make a submission to Council.

You can read the CEO's full note on the VCF website:
https://vincentiacommunityforum.org.au

21/10/2026

Tap image for full view.

Spoonbill Sandpiper 💙
Wader Quest
https://waderquest.net/wader-conservation-world-watch/

20/10/2026

A great walk for Bird Week today at South Pacific Heathland. Thrilling to see the Square tailed Kite cruising over the tree tops and the Tawny Frogmouth babies. A total of 31 species and a beautiful morning in the sun. Photos: Phil Hendry and Fiona Evans.
https://birdata.birdlife.org.au/survey?id=10592145&h=dfd6d996

17/10/2026

We're taking part in the 2026 NSW & ACT Twitchathon! The Twitchathon is a fun birding challenge with a serious purpose: raising money for bird conservation and research in NSW and the ACT. This year,

16/10/2026

Twitchathon 2026

One more opportunity to get involved in Bird Week. Sponsor one the the Shoalhaven's Twitchathon teams. This year they are raising money to support the study and conservation of the Little Penguins on Snapper Island near Batemans Bay.

There are the fabulous "Wooden Spoonbills", Marg Hamon, Rosemary Hales, Fiona Evans and Evelyn May. Below is a link to the MyCause platform you can sponsor the Wooden Spoonbills. They can select to sponsor the team directly or an individual member of the team.
https://www.mycause.com.au/page/405310/wooden-spoonbills?popup=1

Last year our team raised the most funds in NSW due to your generosity so let's meet the challenge and hopefully achieve this again.

The other team is Carla Jackett, Kim Touzel and Ann Millard. Together they are "The Compulsive Lyres". This amazing team last year counted near 500 species in 24 hours!!!! (Not really). Find "The Compulsive Lyres" team on the site below to sponsor them.

https://www.mycause.com.au/events/nsw-act-twitchathon-2026

16/10/2026

Our Bird of the week is the Noisy Pitta - "Pitta versicolor" a rainforest bird usually found in dense rainforest along the east coast of Australia from Cape York to as far south as the Shoalhaven. Being a tropical rainforest species, its range used to only go as far south as Barrington Tops with only occasional observations further south. However with climate change they have been moving further down the coast.
We hear them calling and observe them off and on in the temperate rainforest on our property along the escarpment at Tapitallee where I observed one collecting nesting material in the forest and have also observed a pair. They have also been observed and breeding on a neighbours property just north of ours. Their call is what usually alerts us to their presence and one was calling and observed here a week ago.

They usually migrate to lower ground in winter, however we have heard them on our properties year round.

They are easily identified by their loud “walk to work” call and vibrant coloured plumage (see photos). The female is usually a bit paler than male. Immature birds lack the black belly patch and vibrant blue shoulder patch on wings that adults have and can have an orange gape up to a year old.
They are most often found on the forest floor where they forage for snails and insects which they break open on a rock or stump. They also call from low to mid-story tree branches and if flushed tend to fly up to a tree branch. When observed in flight they move at a good speed and can quickly disappear into the forest or occasionally be found just a short distance away foraging again.
They build a domed nest of sticks and moss with a side-entrance and entry ramp usually low to the ground in the buttress of a tree.
They breed October to December and lay 2-5 eggs. The inside of the nest as well as eggs and entry of their nest have been noted to have marsupial dung walked in on the feet of the adults. Both adults participate in nest building, incubation and feeding of the young.

16/10/2026

𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊. ⁣ PUBLIC BIRD WALKS.
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BirdLife Shoalhaven will host a three free Public Birdwalks. Everybody is welcome, bring your binoculars, hat and sunscreen and wear some stout shoes. The walks will take about an hour to 90 minutes. No toilet facilities are available. No Need to Book just turn up at the appointed place and time and sign on with the leader. Have Fun!!!⁣
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𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟗𝐭𝐡 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧, Leader Robyn Hill. Meet at 9.00 am at corner of Murdoch and Burrill Streets, Huskisson for a bird walk around the proposed development site, of which we are ⁣
strongly opposed. Bring morning tea, and wear sandfly proof attire.⁣
Leader : Robyn Hill.⁣
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𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝐔𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐚, South Pacific Heathland Reserve, 8:30 am, Grade: Easy, Leaders Phil Hendry and Fiona Evans. Meet at Coral Cresent entrance near the intersection with Pitman Ave.⁣
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𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧, Jervis Bay Maritime Museum, 8:30 am, 11 Dent St, Huskisson, Grade : Easy, Leaders : Deb Callister-Carter and Jacky Fogarty.

16/10/2026

Bird Week is next week. Lots of events. Why don't you register for the Aussie Bird Count, https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/ get the free app at your app store and get counting! Be part of the biggest Citizen Science project in Australia. You could win a pair of binoculars.

16/10/2026

ALL WELCOME - PUBLIC BIRD WEEK BIRDWALK AT M***A M***A CREEK, HUSKISSON
This Monday 19 October at 9am. Meet at corner of Murdoch and Burrill Streets, Huskisson. Please bring morning tea, hat, sunscreen and sandfly-proof attire. No need to book. Leader: Robyn Hill 0428 740 364
Information about our other Bird Week public bird walks at South Pacific Heathland Reserve Ulladulla (Tuesday 20 October 8.30am) and Jervis Bay Maritime Museum (Saturday 24 October, 8.30 am) coming shortly.
Photo of M***a M***a Creek Pied Oystercatcher family by kind permission of Yolande Cozijn.