Audubon Society NEWSLETTER Summer 2020 P.O. Box HM 1328, Hamilton HM FX Vol.31 No.2

www.audubon.bm Email: [email protected]

IN THIS ISSUE: • First Sporing of Governor Laffan’s Fern in the Wild for 115 Years – Alison Copeland • History of Sear’s Cave’s Restoration as a Reserve – David Wingate • The Cahow: 2020 Breeding Season Report – Jeremy Madeiros • Enjoying the Spring Migration from Cooper’s Point – Paul Watson • Offshore Sight Record of Black-browed Albatross – Paul Watson • Will Roseate Terns Replace Common Terns on Bermuda? – David Wingate • Land-Based Records of Trindade Rise to Four, As Return – Paul Watson • Report February 2020 - June 2020 – Janice Hetzel • Nature Reserve Management Update – Karen Border • Society News and Future Events

First Sporing of Governor Laffan’s Fern in the Wild for 115 Years Alison Copeland

In the spring 2019 BAS newsletter I reported that in January 2019 Jeremy Madeiros and I planted twelve of the ‘extinct in the wild’ endemic Governor Laffan’s Ferns (Diplazium laffanianum) and two rare endemic Bermuda Shield Ferns (Thelypteris bermudiana) into the Audubon Society’s nature reserve at Sear’s Cave in Smith’s Parish. In February this year, I added a further three Governor Laffan’s Ferns, and two more Bermuda Shield Ferns.

I’m pleased to report that as of this summer, these conservation activities have borne fruit. Well, not exactly… ferns don’t produce fruits and seeds. They reproduce by dust-like spores which germinate in wet .

In July, Mark Outerbridge and I climbed into Sear’s Cave to check the fern plantings. We discovered that four of the Governor Laffan’s Ferns had produced spores! This was a critical discovery for the fern’s recovery, because we have not had any reproductively-mature Governor Laffan’s Ferns in Bermuda since the potted ferns at Tulo Valley nursery died around 13 years ago. More importantly, since Governor Laffan’s Fern was last seen growing in the wild in 1905, these spores are likely the first produced in the wild in Bermuda in 115 years.

We know very little about the reproductive behaviour of Governor Laffan’s Fern, since it has been raised in artificial light and temperature conditions in a laboratory in the USA since 2003. Also, we know almost nothing about its behaviour in the wild. Monitoring the sporing ferns should tell us how long the reproductive period is this year, and how long the spores persist on the ferns. It will likely be several years before we can detect if any juveniles have been produced in Sear’s Cave. The possibilities are very exciting! Sear’s Cave could soon contain the first wild generation of Governor Laffan’s Ferns produced in over a century. 1

A 22-inch tall Governor Laffan’s Fern planted in January 2019 at Sear’s Cave. Previous page, the spores it has produced.

There was also good news on the Bermuda Shield Ferns. At least one of the Bermuda Shield Ferns already had spores on it when I planted it in February, and a second one is also now sporing, which will hopefully result in young ferns appearing in the future. The introduction of the Bermuda Shield Fern to Sear’s Cave is significant because it was the first time this endemic fern had been introduced to a site outside of the Walsingham cave district.

Alison Copeland is the Biodiversity Officer at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources

The History of Sear’s Cave’s Restoration as a Nature Reserve David Wingate

The extraordinary achievement of bringing back Governor Laffan’s fern from the edge of represents the culmination of a long history of conservation awareness and restoration effort, mostly by this society. Sear’s Cave was first mentioned as a sanctuary for rare native ferns, specifically the cave fern, ctenitissloanii by N. L. Britton in his Flora of Bermuda 1918, but for a long period during and after that time it was used only as a disposal site for bottles, cans, abandoned farm tools and broken vegetable shipping boxes from the surrounding rural farmland.

Its significance only came to the fore again with the incorporation of the Bermuda Audubon society in 1962. This society was incorporated with the goal of acquiring, restoring and managing those rare and unique habitats in Bermuda which still served as sanctuaries for Bermuda’s rarest geological formations, native birds and native flora. Negotiations to acquire Sear’s cave from the Trott family, which owned a large area of the Smith’s Parish hills, eventually led to it being gifted to the Society in 1990, in memory of Sir Howard and Lady Trott.

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But that was only the beginning. As an extremely the cedar scale pandemic of the 1950’s. Despite dangerous and unexpected pitfall for anyone its dominance, the cedar forest had a relatively walking in the area, especially at night, the open canopy, allowing direct sunlight to reach society took on the responsibility of surrounding the ground in the middle hours of the day. The it with 8’ chain link fencing to protect itself from broad-leaved forest which replaced it, (consisting liability and to ensure no further dumping. Only mainly of Fiddlewood and allspice in that area), then were we able to begin the long process of was both taller and with a more closed canopy. restoration. A boom crane was used to remove The ferns down in the sink were being gradually the huge accumulation of trash in the lower shaded out! reaches of the cave with the help of volunteers. The Sears Cave Nature Reserve was officially The only solution to this was to restore the entire opened in 1992. area around the rim of the sink that lay within the fence to native woodland again, much as was But despite all this effort, I could not help already being done on Nonsuch Island. Once noticing we were still losing ground with the cave again, volunteers were employed along with the fern due to competition with invasive non-native help of the Govt. Conservation crew. Some of this plant species and some additional factor which work, like clearing self-seeded Indian laurel from was not immediately apparent. the overhanging cliff face was very challenging and dangerous. Only within the last two years One of the benefits of attaining a ripe old age is have we been able to focus our attention more that it can provide a perspective on long term but specifically on the re-introduction of those rarer subtle environmental changes that a younger native ferns which had died out there. generation may not be conscious of. It gradually dawned on me that the changes occurring in I hope that this historic review will give a clearer Sear’s cave sink were due mainly to reduced light appreciation of the challenges that levels, and that, in turn, was due to changes in conservationists face in trying to preserve and the nature of Bermuda’s woodlands following the restore our unique native heritage. demise of the dominant Bermuda cedar forest by

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The Cahow: 2020 Breeding Season Summary Jeremy Madeiros

Despite the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic to human society and economies world-wide, there was continued good news for the recovery of Bermuda’s endangered National Bird, the endemic Cahow, or Bermuda Petrel (Pterodroma cahow). The Cahow’s 2020 breeding season saw its population increase to a record number of 134 breeding pairs, with 69 chicks confirmed as successfully fledging out to , just below 2019’s record number of 73 fledged chicks.

The Cahow now nests on six islands in the Castle Harbour Islands Nature Reserve, ranging from just over half an acre in area to the 16.5-acre Nonsuch Island. Two colonies of Cahows were established on Nonsuch between 2004 and 2017 through the translocation of near-fledged chicks from the original small, eroding nesting islets, to artificial burrows constructed on Nonsuch. The number of Cahow breeding pairs at the two Nonsuch colony sites increased to a total of 25 in 2020, making Nonsuch the second-largest Cahow breeding colony. This new population has, since the first Nonsuch-born Cahow chick was hatched by a returned translocated pair in 2009, produced a total of 87 fledged chicks by 2020! So far, 13 of these Nonsuch-born chicks have been recorded as returning to breed, including nine settling back on Nonsuch, so these colonies are well on their way to becoming self-sustaining.

A new exciting project involving the at-sea tracking of Cahows using advanced GPS tags weighing only 3.3 grams apiece was started in 2019, with a partnership between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and several international researchers. These tags are accurate to within a meter or two and enabled us to track the movement of the birds very precisely, and even to determine the rate of speed of the birds flying between their nests in Bermuda and the distant foraging areas. In addition, blood and feather samples were collected from nearly 90 Cahows, to investigate a number of factors. Researchers Letizia Campioni of Italy and Maria Diaz (with Birdlife International in the U.K.) visited Bermuda between 22 January and 14 February 2020, and worked with me to fit 23 archival GPS tags, all of which have since been recovered. These helped us to determine that the Cahows foraged in very different areas much closer to Bermuda than in 2019 (400 – 800 miles, compared to 800 – 1250 miles). This may account for record high weights of both adult Cahows and chicks in 2020, compared to those recorded over the last 18 years, which bodes well for the survival of the fledged chicks this year.

Although a second trip to Bermuda planned by Letizia in April was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic, funding is being secured for a third field season in 2021, which will hopefully provide additional information on Bermuda’s amazing, and recovering, National Bird.

Jeremy Madeiros is Senior Terrestrial Conservation Officer at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources

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Enjoying the Spring Seabird Migration from Cooper’s Point Paul Watson

Many Audubon members have watched for Pterodroma petrel: our Cahow (Bermuda petrel), Cahows from Coopers Point in October or the returning dark morph Trindade petrel and a November, but did you know it is also an likely Black-capped petrel. On 28 May excellent place to watch for migrating in exceptionally high counts of Great shearwater the spring? were seen - up to 800 per hour.

In February and early March you can find Manx and Cory’s shearwaters as well as the Cahow (though the best time to see them is the late Fall). In recent years rarities such as Sabines Gull and Red Phalarope have also been sighted.

Late March starts the spring migration proper, with early sighting of Sooty shearwater after leaving its South Atlantic breeding grounds, Cory’s and Manx shearwater continue, and the first Leach’s petrel and Jaegers appear. This year Great Shearwater – Ian Fisher on 11 March I had the treat of counting 104 Cory’s shearwater in 1 hr 40 min — literally 1 per June however was just spectacular. I thought 800 minute! Bottlenose dolphins are also seen shearwaters in 1 hour could not be beaten, but occasionally. on the afternoon of 5 June I literally couldn’t count the birds fast enough. After 1 hr 20 min I April this year was poor due to unfavourable was mentally exhausted. I had seen eight species winds, but the above species as well as early but counted an unbelievable 2500 Great Great shearwater and Wilson’s petrel usually put shearwater in that time. In many years of looking in an appearance. April is also the peak time to from Coopers Point, I have never seen the ocean see Humpback Whales. as full of birds as that day. However, David Wingate states he does recall a similar count From May, sightings improve with larger numbers once during the 1970s. of birds, particularly Great, Sooty and Cory’s I spend many (probably too many) hours looking over the ocean from Cooper’s Point, often rewarded with good sightings, sometimes seeing nothing at all! But the good days really offset the poor ones, and this spring will forever stand out in my memory.

So, grab a pair of binoculars or, even better, a telescope, and join me in the fall or spring and hopefully we will have an unforgettable day. I would like to thank Andrea Ottley who loaned me Sooty Shearwater – eBird a Swarovski ATX 95 telescope this spring, which South Polar Skua – eBird.org added immensely to the quality of my bird shearwaters, Leach’s and Wilson’s petrel, sightings. Pomarine, Long-tailed and Parasitic Jaeger, Arctic tern and South Polar skua. A highlight this year was the sighting on 21 May of three species of

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Offshore Sight Record of Black-browed Albatross Paul Watson

A perfect example of the benefits of frequent sea watches was an amazing sighting from Cooper’s Point on 6 June: a Black-browed Albatross, a new record for Bermuda.

I was there bright and early, starting at 6:30 a.m., and was soon joined by Joanne Smith and Ingela Persson. Shearwaters were moving at a good rate with excellent close views and I was assisting Joanne and Ingela with identifications. Around 7:20am I exclaimed, “Wow that’s huge — jeez it’s about three times the size of the shearwaters! F*** it’s a mollymawk!”

My initial view of the bird (estimated within one mile of shore) was a large black and white albatross species. I saw mainly the upper side of the bird. Its head and neck were gleaming white, mantle and Black-browed Albatross – eBird upper-wing black (I believed slightly paler toward wingtip), white rump and upper-tail, with a short dark tail. The bill was deep and pale. Two species of shearwater (Great and Cory’s) were seen in proximity to the bird during my initial sighting; this bird was much larger, about 2.5 times the size of the shearwaters in both bulk and wing length. Its wings were long, with a slight forward projection (which initially threw me as I was expecting long straight wings).

The bird was seen to give a few long, slow wingbeats interspersed with long periods of gliding, barely gaining any height above the ocean. Careful scrutiny showed only one reasonable underwing view, which appeared white with a black surround. Throughout the viewing period I was stating identification points out loud for both Joanne and Ingela to hear and attempt to observe. I watched the bird initially for probably only 40+ seconds, then I stood up and moved to get a longer view as the bird continued north-east, but it was now heading directly into the rising sun and soon became mainly a silhouette.

My initial impression was adult Black-browed Albatross, with a stated 95% certainty, as I was not able to see the ‘black brow’ (but at that distance that would be unlikely). I have seen this species in the South Atlantic in small numbers a long time ago.

After recording descriptive notes into my phone, I ‘googled’ Black-browed Albatross. The images were identical to the bird seen, especially as the wing was shown with a slight forward projection, which had thrown me on initial sighting. I also contemplated Yellow-nosed Albatross, but after review of both species in Harrison’s Seabirds and other literature I was certain the bird seen was an adult (or near adult) Black- browed Albatross, which would be a new record for Bermuda. There has been one previous albatross sighting from Bermuda (24 June, 1976) which Eric Amos tentatively identified as Yellow-nosed Albatross.

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Will Roseate Terns Replace Common Terns on Bermuda? David Wingate

The former use of canaries in coal mines as an early warning of poison gas leaks is a reminder that birds have always been recognized as sensitive indicators of environmental change. What is happening with common and roseate terns in Bermuda as a result of global warming appears to be another example of this.

The roseate tern is a hurricane-adapted species which replaces the more widely distributed common tern in the center of the Roseate Tern – Tim White hurricane belt, notably in the West Indies and Bahamas, while the common tern dominates in the hurricane season gets underway. The the temperate zone. Bermuda, lying in the following year only females returned and not a boundary zone, traditionally had both species single chick was reared. While males from nesting. But unfortunately, excessive collecting by previous fledgling crops began to return in naturalists in the officer corps of the British following years, the same pattern of hurricane setbacks has continued, maintaining a scarcity of military garrisons on Bermuda in the mid 19th century resulted in the extirpation of the local males and preventing recovery of the population. roseate tern population. As of this year only one male/female pair survived and only one chick was reared to fledging. Our common terns are on the verge of extirpation. Common Tern – Erich Hetzel

Meanwhile, about seven years ago a single roseate tern began associating with the common tern pair nesting on Ricketts Island in Hamilton Harbor, but it did not attract a mate until 2018, when they reared a single chick on the Bermuda Audubon Society’s Pearl Island sanctuary. The pair returned in 2019 with one additional adult and reared two chicks. Thanks entirely to Audubon member Erich Hetzel, who has invested

considerable effort and funds into the project,

terns were attracted to nest back on Pearl Island In recent decades, increased hurricane frequency by deployment of decoys and sound attraction and intensity with global warming has hit the equipment two years ago. Loudspeakers play the surviving Bermuda common tern population very sounds that emanate from a roseate tern nesting hard. in 2003 wiped out all the colony and must have played a role attracting the males and fledgling crop because the males stay additional birds to the colony. This year there are on after nesting to feed the fledglings until they four adults forming two pairs, but their nesting are old enough to fly south to the wintering has been disrupted by an over-summering ruddy grounds in October, while the females are spared turnstone which has predated on their eggs and because they fly south early after nesting before only one chick successfully fledged. 7

Ruddy turnstone predation on eggs is known to selectively trap and remove it before the next occur in some New England tern colonies, but breeding season. very few birds ever learn to do it and it has not previously been confirmed on Bermuda. We now Common Tern Chick – Neal Morris suspect, however, that it was the cause of Pearl Island being abandoned by terns in favour of buoy nesting several years ago, because Pearl has always been the overnight roost for all the ruddy turnstones that remain for the winter. Unfortunately, many of our wintering turnstones become habituated to begging food from picnickers at Albouy’s Point and on our beaches and more and more of these are choosing to over-summer on Bermuda rather than migrating north to the Arctic for nesting. It is one of these that is causing the problem. If we can identify the individual turnstone that has developed the egg predation habit it should be possible to

Land-based Records of Trindade Petrel Rise to Four Paul Watson

There have now been four land-based records of the Trindade Petrel since the first one was recorded in a garden in Devonshire in January 2019, to the great excitement of the birding community. In May 2019, a dark morph Trindade Petrel (it comes in two colour morphs – light and dark) was discovered at Spittal Pond, taken to the Aquarium, banded and released.

Dark morph – Miguel Mejias The first, light morph bird from January 2019 returned to Bermuda again in November 2019 and was seen several Light morph – Neal Morris times in Paget before being found on the ground at Parson’s Road playground in January 2020 and brought to the Aquarium. It was in good health, so it too was banded and released. It was last seen on 23 January. Hot on its heels, the dark morph bird returned again in late April this year. It was caught and handled by Miguel Mejias in mid-May, who was able to confirm from the leg band number that it was indeed the same bird. Interestingly, that Trindade petrel was sighted several times flying with Cahows offshore during the day from Coopers Point in late May.

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Bird Report February 2020 - June 2020 Janice Hetzel

Spring began unofficially on 7 Feb when the first White-tailed Tropic Bird was spotted by LS at Millie the tagged Peregrine Falcon was spotted Horseshoe Bay. Waterfowl and grebes were in sporadically throughout the time period and was limited numbers over this time. A Northern last tracked on 28 May about 15 miles west of Bermuda. There have been no fixes on her since that time.

The first Common Tern to return was spotted on camera at Pearl Island on 15 March and up to six seen at one time in St. Georges. Unfortunately, only one chick fledged this year putting the Northern Shoveler – Herb Marshall Bermuda Common Tern Population at great Shoveler was seen at Pitman's Pond (23 Feb - risk. The first returning Roseate Tern was seen HM), a Horned Grebe was seen at Coot Pond (11 on April 22nd (EH). Four Roseates were seen Mar - PW) and a Gadwall was spotted later in the repeatedly around Pearl Island and one pair season at Spittal Pond (8 May - TW). Due to Paul nested successfully to produce a healthy chick. A Watson's persistent shore watches from Cooper's tagged Roseate was found at the airport on 30 Point, we had an abundance of sea birds June in poor condition. It had been tagged at recorded. See the exciting and full details in his Rockabill Island, Ireland, but unfortunately did article in this newsletter. The first sightings of not survive. Other Terns seen include a Sandwich these species were as follows: Manx Shearwater Tern on Pearl Island (17 Apr - EH), a Royal Tern (3 Mar - PW), Cory's Shearwater (4 Mar - SP), on Pearl Island (22 Apr - Camera) and an Arctic Sooty Shearwater (11 Mar- PW), Leach’s Storm- Tern at Cooper's Island (21 May - PW). Petrel (14 Apr-PW), Parasitic Jaeger (18 Apr - PW), (18 Apr - PW), Great Shearwater (16 May - PW), Trindade Petrel (21 May - PW), Pomarine Jaeger (29 May -PW), Black-Browed Albatross (6 Jun - PW), Audubon's Shearwater (1 July - PW), and a South Polar Skua (1 Jul - PW).

Our earliest shorebird was a Spotted Sandpiper (13 Apr – NM) followed by a Solitary Sandpiper & Semipalmated Sandpiper later in the month (27 Apr – PW), and a Short-billed Dowitcher in early May (2 May – TW). Raptors were in short supply Rose-breasted Grosbeak – Lynda Kelly with a single report of a Barn Summer Tanagers and a Scarlet Tanager were Owl (27 May - seen in April (23 Apr – PW), followed by an influx PW) and a of Blue Grosbeaks with a record 19 seen together Swallow-tailed on St. Georges Golf Course (27 Apr - PW). Rose- Kite spotted in breasted Grosbeaks also made an appearance early March at and we received several pictures from the Riddell's Bay (8 general public. The first official sighting was by Swallow-tailed Kite – LeShun Smith Mar - LS). NM on 19 Apr. Indigo Bunting were also

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Black-whiskered Vireo – abundant at this Martin (5 Apr - PW), Tree Swallow (13 Apr - PW), Ingela Persson time and a Bank Swallow (23 Apr - PW), Cliff Swallow (3 remarkable flock May - JS), Chimney Swift (3 May - PW). Other of 46 were seen birds of note included American Robin (28 Feb - at the Cemetery PW), Baltimore Oriole (over winter through 2 Apr in St. Georges (27 – JM), Red-winged Blackbird (13 Mar – PW), Apr - PW). We White-crowned Sparrow (21 Mar - PW), had a variety of Savannah visiting Vireos Sparrow (14 Apr - including a Black- PW), Bobolink whiskered Vireo (27 Apr- PW), (28 Mar - PW), a Black-billed Blue-headed Cuckoo (10 May - Vireo (12 Apr - CS), and a Red-eyed Vireo (23 Apr NM) and Black- - PW). A good assortment of swallows and swifts necked Stilt (15 were seen, including Barn Swallow (5 Apr - PW), May - NM). Purple Martin (5 Apr - PW), Tree Swallow (13 Black-necked Stilt – Richard Brewer Apr - PW), Bank Swallow (23 Apr - PW), Cliff If you are interested in the full details, go to eBird Swallow (3 May - JS), and Chimney Swift (3 May - at www.ebird.org. PW). Interesting warblers included Swainson's Warbler (21 Mar - JS), Orange-crowned Warbler Observers: Erich Hetzel (EH), Herb Marshall (HM), (22 Mar - LS), Magnolia Warbler (28 Mar- PW), Neal Morris (NM), Joanne Smith (JS), LeShun Smith Prothonotary Warbler (29 Mar -PW), and two (LS), Clayton Swan (CS), Paul Watson (PW), Tim White Blackpoll Warblers (13 May - PW). (TW) & Shawn Pfautsch (SP – a visiting birder from the US) We had an assortment of swallows and swifts including Barn Swallow (5 Apr - PW), Purple

Nature Reserve Management Update Karen Border

Eve’s Pond Nature Reserve

The restoration of Eve’s Pond, the Buy Back Bermuda Nature Reserve near Shelly Bay, has moved into the planting stage. We are trying to get grass established to prevent soil erosion and planting of some of the hardier plants has already begun. However, the bulk of the planting will not take place until the autumn to reduce the need for watering and the risk of plant loss due to summer heat and drought. If you have any native or endemic plants that you would like to donate to this project, please contact Myles Darrell at the ([email protected]). We are aiming for a public opening of the new nature reserve on Earth Day (22 April) 2021!

Somerset Long Bay (West) Nature Reserve Audubon’s Somerset Long Bay (West) nature reserve restoration project will soon move into Phase 2, with a major effort to remove the invasive Cow Cane from the reserve, which will require several months of follow-through to prevent re-growth. We aim to begin replanting the reserve with native and endemic plants at a volunteer day on Sunday, 8 November starting at 10am – mark your calendars and please come along to help! 10

Society News

Despite the impact on a number of our planned events over the last few months, notably cancellation of our Whale Watching and North Rock Snorkel trips, Bermuda Audubon Society did manage to keep a few events on the schedule since March 2020.

On 26 April, Janice Hetzel hosted the first of two Beginner Backyard Birding sessions over Zoom, with the second on 15 July in conjunction with BZS. Both were well attended and we’re sure opened attendees’ eyes and ears to just how much joy bird watching can bring, even if only from your window or garden. Hopefully we’ll have some newly- initiated ...or should we say “addicted”...birders in our ranks to join us on future bird walks.

On 9 May, despite curfews, restrictions on time out- of-doors and social distancing recommendations, Cornell’s world-wide bird species count day known as “Global Big Day” went ahead as planned. A number of Bermuda’s birders participated with their counts not only adding to Cornell’s/eBird’s Big Day counts, but also joining Birds Caribbean in their Global Big Day competition. The local birders joined the virtual team led by our former BAS President, Andrew Dobson, to bring the total competition participants to 160 birders from 43 countries. It was an amazing day of inter-continental participation with virtual “meet and greets” as well as post-event storytelling.

The Society’s Annual General Meeting was held via Zoom on 8 June attended by twenty-four members online. The President and the Treasurer reported on the Society’s activities over the past year. Those in attendance, as well as seven voting by email, approved the committee for 2020-2021 as below.

Bermuda Audubon Society Committee of Management 2020-2021

Karen Border President Jennifer Gray Vice President Zelia Amaral Treasurer Janice Hetzel Secretary Devika Mather Membership Secretary Peter Lee Committee Member Jeremy Madeiros Committee Member Joanne Smith Committee Member Paul Watson Committee Member David Wingate Committee Member

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Upcoming Events

Introduction to Bird Photography via ZOOM Wednesday, 26 August 7:00pm Register by email to [email protected] Free to members, $10 donation for non-members

Spittal Pond Field Trip - World Shorebirds Day Sunday, 6 September 8:30am Free to members, $5 donation suggested for non-members Meet at the East Car Park RSVP to [email protected]

Bird Photography Walk Saturday, 19 September 8:30am Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve Join the club and practice your bird photography skills Free to members, $5 donation suggested for non-members Meet by the gates at the very end of the road (near Turtle Bay beach)

Family Bird Camp Friday-Sunday, 9-11 October Location to be confirmed Join us for a weekend escape with plenty of good company and great birding. Details to follow. Email [email protected] if interested

Volunteer Work Party Sunday, 8 November 10am – noon Somerset Long Bay (West) Nature Reserve Come see the changes at this newly restored nature reserve and help plant native and endemic trees Contact [email protected] with any questions.

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