Birds and a Brew
The Birds of Sydney’s Suburbs
As our UK birds take a step back during their annual moult, many of Australia’s birds remain big, bold and very loud – their behaviour can be very different from that of our familiar British birds, and for very interesting reasons.
Join them in the country’s biggest city to hear about colourful garden birds, tiny Fairy Wrens, a Kookaburra on a washing-line, what Cockatoos do to fairy-lights, and why it’s not your chips that birds will try to pinch if you’re sitting outside an Australian café!
Sessions involve a bird spotting walk which is optional and may vary in duration due to Ailsa’s passion and what we see on the day!
For this reason, they sometimes run on after 2pm, but Ailsa understands that some of you may not wish to stay so please just head off whenever you need to.
NATURE DISCOVERY CENTRE
THE NATURE DISCOVERY CENTRE OFFERS A GREAT DAY OUT FOR ALL THE FAMILY
We all need nature – for clean water, food and fresh air – but nature needs us too.
Their mission is to bring about nature’s recovery by inspiring and empowering local people and partners to help bring nature back.
The Nature Discovery Centre is surrounded by a mosaic of different habitats with fantastic wildlife to see all year around, packed full of interactive wildlife and natural history displays.
There is a network of footpaths ranging from small family-friendly walks to longer paths for the more adventurous.
Surrounded by a mosaic of different habitats, there is fantastic wildlife to see all year round.
During the autumn and winter, large groups of wintering wildfowl congregate on the lake, whilst the reedbeds and surrounding woodland and hedgerows host birds like fieldfare and redwing.
In spring and summer, purpose-built rafts attract breeding common terns.
House martins, swallows and swifts are a common sight over the lake and surroundings.
In summer there are glorious displays of purple loosestrife, yellow-flag iris, reeds and sedges on the floating island, the lake shore and in the reedbeds.
All year around look out for the willow and alder around the edge of the lake, and hawthorn, blackthorn, spindle and bullace in the hedgerows.
variety of moths and butterflies can be seen, including garden tiger, butterbur, waved black, holly blue, and gatekeeper.
There are dragonflies and damselflies including beautiful and banded demoiselles, emperor and four-spotted chaser.
A range of beetles such as bloody-nosed beetle and rhinoceros beetle have been recorded on site.
Discover autumn colours, fabulous fungi and wintering wildfowl.
01635 874381
