Potoroo Palace holds Bournda Bird Olympics for National Bird Week, with Central Tilba student taking title

"[It was] incredible. I was nervous at the start but when I was actually speaking through the microphone, I was like this is really easy, and I didn't see [the win] coming," Amelia said with a smile.

Amelia had picked the gang-gang cockatoo due to its pretty and unique colours, and through practice at home she had mastered its voice, which she said sounded like a creaking gate.

On the morning of Thursday, October 19, the 2023 Bournda Bird Olympics took flight, and primary school students from Central Tilba, Wolumla, Pambula, Wyndham, Tanja and Tathra gathered to share their best squawks, chirps, barks and laughs.

Amelia's mother Simone Doyle was a little teary as she watched her daughter approach the front to collect her award and a beautiful 'Gang Gang Gang Member' badge made by Bridget Farmer.

"I'm just so proud of her, I can't believe she actually won, I knew she did a good job, but I didn't realise she'd actually be the winner," Simone said.

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"It's also the first time, I heard, that Central Tilba have been a part of it, so it's just amazing that we secured first and second place in the competition.

"For a small school, they do big things."

The coveted Jack Lynch Memorial Trophy, named after the former Merimbula PS principal, was awarded to Tathra Public School, followed by Wolumla and Central Tilba.

Jim Burton and Barbara Jones from The Far South Coast Birdwatchers judged the calls, as they referred to the sonic sound library they had developed in their memory from decades of birdwatching and study.

"These young kids today have excelled, they've done some excellent work, they must have been annoying the neighbours with their practising, what do you reckon Jim?" Barbara said, before looking towards her fellow judge.

"I'd say so, yep. It's come a long way from when I was a kid in the 1950s.

"I congratulate them on having a go and they can only get better, listening to birds and trying to mimic them," Jim replied.

Jim was himself a champion bird caller, who specialised in the Wonga pigeon, Chinese lace-necked dove, whistling kite, and the ironbill honeyeater.

"I never used to like the crow or duck quack quack sort of a thing. Some of them [growing up] used to do the magpie, there's a girl down in Eden used to warble just like a magpie, and another out in Nethercote used to mimic the willie wagtail," he said.

Doug Reckord, the principal from Bournda Environmental Education Centre, said it was enjoyable to celebrate National Bird Week with the students from across the Bega Valley.

"They did four activities, looked at identifying birds from their beaks, identifying birds from their claws, going into the exhibits identifying birds, they did an art activity, they did a quiz, and through the different activities they get marked," Mr Reckord said.

"It's one of my favourite days of the year."

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