Stanford Strettons Bird Fair 2010 1 - 3 October

The tradition of the Stanford Bird Fair continues due to the generous sponsorship that makes this event possible. Edward Snell & Co are sponsoring all birding activities under the banner of their Strettons London Dry Gin brand 

BirdLife Walkerbay, assisted by Stanfordinfo will be hosting the event this year. The intention is to put together a fair that, apart from birds, will cover a variety of activities that will attract a cross-section of people, young and old, to Stanford for what will prove to be a memorable weekend. 

We are once again lucky to have access to an impressive array of birding experts who will be delivering talks, leading guided field outings and hopefully will be identifying local birding hotspots in the Overberg for those who wish to do their own thing. We are optimistic that these activities will allow our guests to acquaint themselves with the elusive Rock Jumper, the highly-endangered Bank Cormorant and a variety of other birds endemic to the Overberg. In addition, there will be talks on Overberg amphibians and bats as well as an outing to spot the Blue Crane. In addition the organisers will pay special attention to arranging activities for non-birders and children. These will include items such as talks on Overberg amphibians, as well as South African bats, the ever-popular Eagle Encounters (raptors in flight), snakes and a variety of films. As usual there will be continual birding river trips for the duration of the weekend as well as hopefully a mini-pelagic boat trip from Kleinbaai. The judging of the popular photographic competition will be followed by a Strettons Gin tasting at the Stanford Evening Market. 

From the festival point of view, the fair will host the famous Stanford Evening Market on 1st October with a festive barn dance at Weltevreden Farm on the 2nd On the Sunday there will be a bird walk through Stanford and Mosaic Farm will be hosting their gourmet picnic at lunchtime. 

The organisers will make a concerted effort through visiting local schools to raise the awareness of the flora and fauna of the Overberg. Plans have been initiated to sponsor a guide from the Overberg community to assist in making Stanfordians aware of the natural beauty of the area. A full programme of events is being compiled and will soon be available

For further information:

Stanford Birding Photographic Competition 2009 Winners