THE annual Birds of the Bush Festival at Rankins Springs will this year celebrate its 10th anniversary.

To be held from October 7 to 9, the festival attracts birdwatchers from around the state to visit a district that is home to an abundance of native fauna.

The festival also brings the community together through a variety of other events.

Starting on Friday, October 7, the festival will kick off at 3pm with a free historic walk around Rankins Springs, led by local identity “Wally”. His junk art gallery will be open all weekend too, which is really worth a look.

It will be followed by a Grand Champagne event to officially open the 2016 festival that will include the presentation of prizes in the art and photography competition.

The competition closes on October 5. Contact Ellen on 6966 1270 or kalang@activ8.net.au for information; entry forms are on the festival website.

The evening will include a casual barbecue dinner and bar until 10pm and special guest Tim Low will speak from 8.30pm.

The Saturday will kick off with a birdwatching trip led by local guides, MD and Jim, along with Tim Low. Leaving the hall at 6am sharp, bookings are essential.

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There will be no market stalls as part of this year’s festival, instead there will be Music in the Park on Saturday, October 8, which will run from noon until 8pm.

There will be a reasonable entry fee of $20 for the afternoon and the event will be BYO alcohol, picnic rug and chairs, but nibble baskets will be available to purchase.

Children’s entertainment - jumping castle, face painting, laser tag, Lions train and other activities - will run all day.

Musical entertainment will be provided by Anthony McDonald, Marissa N’ The Guitar man, Poppycock, Kyle Jones and headlined by Dollhouse.

Hillston poets Jonathan and Alan Vagg will entertain between music acts.

The day will also include Historic Old Pub tours at 3.15pm (bookings on the day at front gate) or you can take a leisurely stroll through the art and photography exhibition.

A second birdwatching trip will be held (from 6am) on Sunday, October 9 if there are enough bookings.

For more information visit www.birdsofthebush.com or phone Andrea Finch on 6966 1220. All event bookings are through Andrea.

NOTE: There are no ATM facilities or alcohol retail outlets in the Rankins Springs township.

SPECIAL guest at this year’s Birds of the Bush festival is Tim Low, a zoologist, botanist and best-selling author of seven books about nature and conservation.

His most recent book, Where Song Began: Australia’s Birds and How They Changed the World, became the first nature book ever to win the Australian Book Industry Award for best general non-fiction.

Feral Future, a book about weeds and other pests, inspired the formation of the Invasive Species Council, which Tim represented at the 18th Global Biodiversity Forum in Mexico.

Tim has served on the environment minister’s advisory committee, writes for Australian Geographic magazine, and works each year at the Christmas Island Bird’n’Nature Week.

He has written articles for a wide range of publications.

As a teenager he discovered a new lizard species, one of which (Pygmaescincus timlowi) was named after him.