By TANIA PHILLIPS
TWEED birds are the focus of this year’s Tweed River Festival (2 November – 9 November), which takes flight this weekend with a busy schedule of activities to appeal to all ages.
Celebrating Birds of the Tweed is the theme of the 12th annual festival, which raises awareness about the importance of Tweed waterways to residents and as a habitat for many other species.
Bird lovers can join in three free community walks and talks planned for next week.
Local bird and wetland habitat experts will lead an escorted tour along the Terranora Broadwater foreshore on Monday 4 November from 9am to 11am for an estuary foreshore wetland and bird information walk. Meet at Birds Bay Drive, Tweed Heads West.
Then on Wednesday 6 November, head to the Pottsville Environment Park to experience a coastal habitat walk through endangered coastal ecological communities. The network of trails provides opportunities to observe resident and visiting wader birds and coastal raptors.
The third event – on Wednesday 6 November anytime between 0.30am to 12.30pm – will focus on shorebirds, waders and beach nesting birds of the Tweed Coast. Join Birdlife Northern Rivers members observing birds along the river on rock walls, sand bars, mangroves, casuarinas and other coastal vegetation through binoculars and spotting scopes.
All walks are free but please register on (02) 6670 2400.
For a full list of Tweed River Festival activities, see www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/RiverFestival.
