
Email Subject:	Birds SA eNews September, 2026
Email Sent:	September 19th, 2026 11:52 AM
Email Campaign:	eNews Subscriber List
Hi [[firstname]] In this edition, we take the opportunity to recognise the dedication of Lynton and Karen Huxley, whose work does so much to enrich the experience of Birds SA members. We also offer the opportunity to the right member to champion Birds SA's large and beautiful archive of bird photography. And much more... General Meeting Birds SA excursions, events and activities Thank you, Lynton and Karen Fleurieu Birders Have you seen the Black-chinned Honeyeater? Have your say on cockatoo recovery plans Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary – 10 years and beyond Wanted: Photo Gallery Champion Birds SA Library news The Birder magazine A quick reminder about scam emails General Meeting The September General Meeting will be held from 7:30 to 10 pm on Tuesday 29 September 2026 at Charles Hawker rooms 101/102, Waite Campus. Title: Behavioural and acoustic adaptations of threatened Southern Emu-wrens to fragmented habitats and humans Speaker: Associate Professor Diane Colombelli-Négrel return to contents Excursions, events and activities The following excursions are subject to cancellation or change due to weather conditions or other factors outside of Birds SA’s control. It is important that you check the Birds SA website, Facebook page or the Member Jungle App for updated information. Updates will be provided 24 hours prior to the commencement of any affected excursion wherever possible. We ask that members only attend field trips if they are well and have no cold or flu-like symptoms. Information including Google Map, GPS location details and a bird species list for each excursion site is available from the Birds SA website (see User Menu – Go Birding). Distances provided with excursion information below are km from Adelaide. Excursion Terrain Difficulty Ratings Easy – generally flat terrain Moderate – may include some short undulating gradients Difficult – may include some continuous or steep gradients What to Bring Personal hand sanitiser (face mask optional) Sun protection cream and a hat Wear sturdy footwear and long pants Drinking water Binoculars and/or camera A chair or stool and your lunch for our bird call at the end of the walk. If you have any queries or require further information, please contact: Lynton Huxley: 0498 466 092 Email: fieldtrips@birdssa.asn.au Sunday 27 September: Sanderston, Adelaide Hills (Easy / Moderate) 80km. Meet at 8.30am at the Sanderston Cemetery Reserve located along Three Chain Road, Sanderston. To get there, head to Mt Pleasant along the Eden Valley Road to the Angus Valley Road junction. Travel along Angus Valley Road to Three Chain Road, which will lead you to the Sanderston Cemetery Reserve. After birding here, we will drive onto a reserve adjacent to Lavender Federation Trail. For those wishing to explore this area further, we will drive approximately 20 minutes to Lenger Reserve for either a circular walk or alternatively, a gentle stroll along the valley and creek bed. An old homestead is available for lunch or afternoon tea. Trip Leader: Rose Slade and Di Georg October Campout 1 to 5 October: Balcanoona Station within the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park (660km from Adelaide). The Ranger has advised me that all roads are good and passable. The rains this year have transformed this region, and you will most likely never see it better for wildflowers and wildlife, including birds. Information about the campout is in the August eNews and on Member Jungle. Trip Leader: Lynton Huxley Saturday 10 October: Tolderol Game Reserve, Lake Alexandrina (Easy) 85km. Meet at 8.30am. Take the road from Langhorne Creek to Wellington for approximately 5km and turn right onto Dog Lake Road. Continue over a crossroad, past a farm on the left-hand side, pass through a gate, turn left on reaching the T-junction. Leave gates as you find them, please. Trip Leader: Tim Brown Thursday 15 October: Sturt Gorge, Blackwood (Difficult) 12km: Meet at 8.30am in the Blackwood Football Club carpark on Craigburn Road, Blackwood. This walk will be our first excursion to this area and will include some narrow rocky paths and creek crossings. Trip Leader: Lynton Huxley return to contents Thank you, Lynton and Karen At the Birds SA General Meeting on Tuesday 28 July 2026, President Steven Langley presented Lynton Huxley and his wife Karen with a Distinguished Service Award for their many years of service to the Association. Steven noted that, in his role as Field Program Co-ordinator, Lynton, oversees a regular program of excursions and campouts, liaising with leaders to offer members, experienced and otherwise, a varied and full birding experience. Also, many thanks for the much appreciated suppers held after general meetings, organised by Karen and Lynton. return to contents Fleurieu Birders The next Fleurieu Birders trip is on Saturday 3rd October. Meet at 8.30am at Belvidere Memorial Hall on Langhorne Creek Rd (as previously planned). Travel to Pangarinda Gardens, Wellinton East on Pangarinda Rd. Moderate walk. Trip leader: Wendy Phillips 0414248648 return to contents Have you seen the Black-chinned Honeyeater? The Black-chinned Honeyeater is regionally listed as vulnerable in the Mount Lofty Ranges. Historically, it was widespread across the region but population estimates now suggest only 50 to 100 individuals may persist. The ReBird the Ranges project needs to obtain records of Black-chinned Honeyeater sightings or heard in the Mt Lofty Ranges and is asking for the assistance of Birds SA members. To learn how you can assist, go to the Help find the Black-chinned Honeyeater page on the Rebird the Ranges website. return to contents Have your say on cockatoo recovery plans Australia’s endangered Gang-gang Cockatoo and South-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo are threatened by habitat loss, bushfires and climate change. Both depend on mature forests and ancient hollow-bearing trees that can take centuries to replace, making protection of their remaining habitat critical to their survival. The Australian Government is seeking public feedback on draft Recovery Plans for both species, providing an opportunity to strengthen their long-term protection. Find out how you can help Birdlife Australia back the case for government action on these iconic Australian birds. return to contents Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary Forum - 10 Years and Beyond Commemorate the 10-year milestone of the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary (AIBS). Reflect on its achievements, challenges, and evolution, and collaboratively explore its future potential with stakeholders, partners, and the community at a free forum. Saturday, October 10, 9:30am to 4:00pm Find out more or register here. return to contents Wanted: Photo Gallery Champion The Birds SA website's photo gallery is a wonderful resource in need of care and attention. If you love beautiful images of birds in their environment, have some skills in organising and would like to make a valuable contribution to the work of Birds SA, you could be the next Photo Gallery Champion. If you like the sound of this, email Jeff Groves at jeff.groves@birdssa.asn.au for a chat. return to contents Birds SA Library news The library will be open on September 25, 2026 from 12:30–3:30pm. It is located in the basement of the Old Stock Exchange building in Exchange Place, which is between Pirie and Grenfell Streets. To access the building, please phone the library staff on the mobile number displayed next to the lift. It is projected to be open this year on October 30 and November 27. Only Birds SA members can access the Library. Access the Library catalogue at https://www.libib.com/u/birdssa return to contents *The Birder* magazine Please send all contributions and address all correspondence to the editorial team at magazineeditor@birdssa.asn.au. We are always interested in hearing from our members. Your firsthand birdwatching experiences not only give life to the magazine, but also increase our knowledge of birds’ behaviour, and reading your stories encourages other members to participate. Include photos where you can. Good size and good quality photographs labelled with the name of the photographer, date and location for each image are welcome. We like to include people in the photos, provided you have their consent. The Spring Birder is on the website, with the printed version available at the end of September. For those wanting to contribute articles for the final issue for 2026, the Summer Birder, please note the deadline is 31 October 2026. *Thanks to The Birder* team** At the Birds SA General Meeting on Tuesday 28 July 2026, President Steven Langley thanked The Birder editorial team (Chris, Julie-Anne and Elspeth) for their efforts in producing “a consistently beautiful and high-quality magazine for members to enjoy." Editorial team, The Birder return to contents A quick reminder about scam emails We’ve probably all received an email that looks a little unusual and wondered, “Is this genuine?” Scam emails are becoming harder to spot, so it’s worth taking a moment to check before clicking on anything. If an email looks different from what you normally receive, have a closer look. Check the sender’s email address, the organisation’s name and logo, and the wording of the message. Sometimes even a small change — such as an unusual email address or a slightly different name — can be a warning sign. Most importantly, don’t click on any links or attachments until you’re sure the email is genuine. A recent example I received an email that appeared to be from Birds SA. Something didn’t look quite right. The Birds SA name wasn’t written correctly, and the sender’s email address wasn’t someone I recognised. The email said my account was out of date and that I needed to make a payment immediately. That didn’t sound right, so I checked my membership details directly rather than clicking the link. It turned out to be a scam and I reported the email as spam and deleted it. If you’re not sure, check first A quick check can save you from a lot of trouble. You can: Check your account or app directly. Search for the organisation using Google or Safari and use its official contact details. Check the Australian Government’s Scamwatch website for information about current scams. When something doesn’t look quite right, trust your instincts. Stop, check and think before you click. Sue Winwood return to contents Designed and edited by Malcolm Downes and Trish Aukett for Birds SA Contact: malcolm.downes@birdssa.asn.au UNSUBSCRIBE If you have been subscribed to this newsletter in error or if you no longer wish to receive it, please reply to this email with 'Please unsubscribe me' or something similar in the subject line or message area and we will do so.