BIRDERS at the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden in Coffs are rejoicing with the tally of feathered friends already spotted this year on ‘their patch’.

“Over 70 already this year,” Friends of the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden volunteer and keen local birder Cheryl Cooper told News Of The Area.

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“Our Garden is a top eBird Hotspot,” she crowed.

To become an eBird Hotspot, a site has to have received numerous sightings submitted by individuals onto the eBird app.

“It is a place that has been suggested by birders that consistently delivers good birding.”

North Coast Regional Botanic Garden is currently standing at 191 sightings since eBird records started.
Red Rock is two sightings behind at 189.

Boambee Creek and Reserve is in third place with 171.

The North Coast Regional Botanic Garden is an accessible birding venue that’s mostly flat, has a range of different habitats, and where over 100 different species are spotted in any given year.

“It’s a fantastic place for birds and you never quite know what might turn up,” said Cheryl.

“Some of these special birds include a Rufous Songlark, an Eastern barn owl, the beautiful Rufous Fantail and, of course, the Powerful owl.”

Visitors might be lucky enough to see some fairly rare birds.

“I have been lucky to spot some quite unusual birds here, including the beautiful Noisy Pitta and the Russet-tailed thrush.

“I never leave without at least 25 species on my list in just a couple of hours.”

Cheryl also looks after much of the Garden’s social media and posts a bird you may see at the gardens every Thursday on both the Garden’s instagram and Facebook pages.

“People tell me they are learning a lot about the birds in this area, and that is one of our missions, to help educate people, so that kind of feedback makes me very happy,” she said.

“I know from experience that the garden is a great place for beginners to learn.

“You go from seldom having seen birds here, to being able to spot and start to identify so many.”

Habitats in the Garden include a variety of wetlands.

The Gardens have recognised that birders visit regularly and have created several leaflets to help them, available at the Garden or www.coffsbotanicgarden.com.au/learn/learning-resources.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/friendsofthencrbg.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/coffsharbourbotanicgarden.

By Andrea FERRARI