Orford Bird Sanctuary

19/10/2026

YASSSSSSSS ITS ON AGAIN.

The 2026 BirdLife Australia Aussie Bird Count begins tomorrow and runs until next sunday. Thats 7 days of bird watching opportunity for us all around the country.

All the details are in the link here but all you need to put IS 20 minutes ASIDE OUTSIDE and record what you see.

As a citizen science project the importance and value of the collective data we record grows in value year in year as baseline information to compare and draw from.

Whats more that 20 minutes is a therapy in its own right, some quiet time outside in your garden, your street, the local park or bushland .

Heres some key stays from the 2025 count where 64,000 people around the country joined in the count .

Key Stats from the 2025 Aussie Bird Count
• Participants: ~63,990 to 64,000 people
• Birds Counted: Over 5 million birds
• Checklists Submitted: ~153,000 surveys/checklists
• Species Recorded: 621 different bird species
• Top Bird: The Australian Magpie was the most commonly sighted bird

Ill do a post every day where we can jump on amd share what we are seeing in our counts.

Bring on the bird count

Australian Citizen Science Association
Gardening Australia
Greater Sydney Birdwatchers
Weekend Birder
Australian Citizen Science Association Group
Tamworth Birdwatchers Inc.
Birds Queensland
Community Gardens Australia — Sydney Region
Lake Cathie Community Hub and Garden
Gardens for Wildlife Victoria community
Greater Sydney Landcare
Invertebrates Australia
Landcare NSW
Volunteering Australia
Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith
St Lawrence Wetlands Festival
Environmental Education NSW
New England Garden Festival
Greenlife Industry NSW & ACT
Landcare Victoria
Sydney.com
Sam Pang Tonight
Eucalypt Australia
All The Dirt - Gardening Podcast

16/10/2026

Good news - Hoodies breeding on Spring Beach!

3 pairs of Hooded Plovers are nesting on Spring Beach in three separate territories: north, middle, and south.
The northern and middle pairs each have 3 chicks at the moment.

Each nesting area has temporary fencing around it but once the chicks are mobile they venture beyond the fencing to forage for food. At this stage they can't fly so need plenty of safe space to be able to grow!

Here are some photos taken from a safe distance with a telephoto lens.

07/10/2026

31/05/2026

Clean Up, Spring Beach
Great turn up last Thursday! Thanks to the 17 people from Spring Bay Ramblers, Orford Community Group & Friends of Orford Bird Sanctuary who picked up litter at Spring Beach
A warm morning after the wonderful rain!
Not too much rubbish which is a positive sign but we did find quite a few bottle and cans in the dunes that had been then for some time
Some great photos of the Hooded Plovers (6 adults) that call Spring Beach home and some of the volunteers – Photos Sue Wragge

26/05/2026

Clean Up Australia event at Spring Beach this Thursday 28/5 starting at 10 am
We are being joined by the Spring Bay Walkers for this event
Please bring your own morning tea, gloves and sturdy shoes

21/01/2026

Beautiful weather, beach days and birdlife - summer is well and truly in full swing!

If you’re heading to the coast this long weekend, remember that many shorebirds are nesting right now.

With busy beaches and active breeding season, it’s more important than ever to tread carefully.

Here’s how you can help protect shorebirds and their habitat:

• Walk only on wet sand below the high tide mark
• Keep your distance from nesting birds
• Keep dogs on a lead and away from nesting areas
• Avoid driving on nesting beaches
• Leave seaweed and beach materials untouched
• Dispose of waste responsibly

Learn more about shorebirds: https://parks.tas.gov.au/discovery-and-learning/wildlife/seabirds-and-shorebirds

📷Red-necked Stint nesting on a Tasmanian coastline.
by Eric J Wohler

16/10/2025

🥁 Drumroll please...

After three years as runner-up, the Tawny Frogmouth has finally taken the crown as Australia’s 2025 Bird of the Year! 👑💚

The Baudin's Black-Cockatoo came in a close second after a fierce campaign by conservationists across the country, with everyone’s favourite creaky door, the Gang-gang Cockatoo, snatching third place!

Often mistaken for owls, the Tawny Frogmouth is a master of disguise – actually more closely related to nightjars – and can be found everywhere from bushland to backyards. But even our most familiar birds face growing threats, from habitat loss to poisoning by harmful rodenticides.

So while the Tawny Frogmouth may be our winner, they still need our help. 💚

👉 Show your Tawny love and help us get harmful rodenticides off supermarket shelves: https://www.actforbirds.org/ratpoison

Read more: https://birdlife.org.au/news/australias-2025-bird-of-the-year-the-tawny-frogmouth/

📷 Andrew Silcocks

15/10/2025

BAR TAILED GODWITS VISIT SANCTUARY

A rare sight at the sanctuary today and yesterday - 5 Bar tailed Godwits!!!

Having travelled some 13,500 km from Alaska we are pretty excited that they have chosen to look in on the sanctuary!

Bar-tailed Godwits are quite large waders, with females being bigger than males. Their average size is 38cm.

Bar-tailed Godwits arrive in Australia each year in August from breeding grounds in the northern hemisphere. Breeding takes place each year in Scandinavia, northern Asia and Alaska.

Bar-tailed Godwits are the world record holders for non-stop flight: they have been recorded travelling 13,500km from Alaska to Tasmania in only 11 days flying at an average of more than 50km/h, losing almost half of their body weight along the way.

While most birds leave Australia in April and May, to return to their breeding grounds, some birds (mostly young birds) remain all year round.

Please observe the birds at a distance so as not to disturb. They can be hard to spot, best place is from the Orford Bird Sanctuary viewing area (drive in off the Tasman Hway) or from Orford/Millingtons Beach at the river mouth end

Photos
Gary Whisson
BirdLife Aus

13/10/2025

In response to a post on Orford Shack Owners FB page by Audrey and her Mum, Friends of Orford Bird Sanctuary (FOBS) contacted Council in regard to installing fencing and signage at Spring Beach to protect the Hooded Plovers who are breeding there.
Today FOBS and Council installed temporary fencing and signage.
Hooded Plovers attempt to nest at Spring Beach each year and to give them the best chance to successfully breed this year please obey the signage, walk on the wet sand and keep dogs on a lead as per the Council Dog Management Policy.
Hooded Plovers are very susceptible to any disturbance. They lay their tiny eggs in a small scrape in the sand. It is very easy for a human or an off lead dog to walk on them. While incubating the eggs the adult Hooded Plover will leave the nest if disturbed, this may result in the eggs becoming too hot or cold and dying. Chicks hatch after approximately 28 days however they are even more vulnerable as they are unable to fly until they are 35 days old. Once hatched they immediately have to start feeding themselves.
Hooded Plovers are listed as Vulnerable and face many challenges on beaches across the southern part of the Australian mainland and Tasmanian.
These tiny birds face an uphill battle - adults average 21cm, hatchlings are no bigger than a 50 cent piece.

PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING ON OUR BEACHES TO HELP OUR HOODIES RAISE THEIR YOUNG

The Post:
(My daughter Audrey wants to report there is a hooded plover mum with eggs on spring beach, about 100m before the access to the cliff walk to Orford. She’s a concerned little conservationist and wanted me to post this in case someone puts up signs or takes other protective measures. ❤️)

19/09/2025

Count us in!