PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Tickets for the much-anticipated inaugural Bitou Birding Festival have gone on sale, and the festival promises unique birding experiences for all.

Bitou has become a hub for birding enthusiasts as a result of the area's rich birdlife, and the time has come to celebrate this gem.

Next month various birding role-players in Bitou will be hosting the festival, to showcase the rich diversity of birdlife across many varied habitats in the area including Plettenberg Bay, Wittedrift, Keurboomsstrand and Nature's Valley.

Organisers said the festival was being planned to run from 27 September to 6 October this year, and includes many highlights.

They said festivalgoers would be able to engage with experts through a variety of talks on birding-related topics.

Festivalgoers would also be able to take a self-drive birding route that would take them through various diverse birding habitats.

Other highlights include various expert-guided bird walks, birding activities like netting, ringing and recording with Dr Mark Brown, as well as a birding canoe adventure along the Bitou River.

For the more adventurous there will also be open-sea excursions along the coastline to learn more about pelagic birds.

Over the years many studies have been done around the benefits of birding on physical and mental health, and therefore the festival organisers also plan on offering birding-centred wellness activities - blending morning yoga and meditation with birdwatching.

Another highlight on the programme is a bird-inspired art and photography exhibition as well as photo competitions, lucky draws and social media contests.

Finally there will also be a tour with a raptor display and a talk at the local Raptor Rescue Rehabilitation Centre, and a fundraising dinner.

Organisers said that the habitats festivalgoers would be able to experience include wetlands, rivers, estuaries, fynbos habitats, Afromontane forest biomes, urban areas and grasslands, and coastal areas and pelagic zones. 

For more information and bookings, visit www.bitou.birdingfestival.co.za 

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