Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival

by Ruth Ann Angus

The 16th Annual Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival takes place January 13th through the 16th, 2012.  Our keynote speaker Saturday, January 14th will be Jon Dunn, presenting a program on the diversity of Wood Warblers of North America. Jon is one of the primary experts on field identification in North America and is a tour leader for WINGS Birding Tours. His Field Guide to Warblers of North America, co-authored with Kimball Garrett is in the Peterson Guide series since 1997 and is considered the definitive work on that identification topic.

We will be continuing our popular Family Day this year and it will feature a beginning birding field trip, kayaking, learning about birds, hands-on experience with snakes and reptiles, a puppet show and more. In addition, there will be a series of special events on Saturday featuring live raptors from Pacific Wildlife Care. Specific information about these events is available from the web site at Morro Bay Bird Festival.

The Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival makes it a point to offer a variety of events for all levels of birders. Both local and state-wide birding experts will lead over 110 land, ocean, and bay field trips, plus discussions and presentations, social events and workshops focusing on everything from warblers to elephant seals. Field trips will include pelagic trips, birding by kayak, trips to see Sandhill Cranes and Bald Eagles, shorebird field trips, and the popular "Big Day" — a marathon field trip to see as many species as possible.

This year we are offering 14 new events including field trips to Hind River Ranch in Santa Margarita, the Fiscalini Ranch in Cambria, Harmony Headlands, the Bob Jones Trail, and Stenner Canyon. A new boating adventure on the bay will take place with Lost Isles Adventures that includes a stop to get off and explore the sand spit. New field trips for beginning birders include "Waterfowl for Beginners," "Identifying Shorebirds for Beginners," and "Beginning Birding for Non-birding Partners." New workshops on bird migration, raptors, photo editing, and a program on the "Fascinating World of Feathers" will also be available.

The weekend vendor show at the Morro Bay Community Center is open to festival attendees and the general public at no charge. Participating vendors will be offering the latest in bird-related optical and photography equipment, books, clothing, artwork, backyard bird feeding supplies, etc. The vendor show runs on Friday from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Full registration for the four-day Festival costs $75, and one-day registration options — $35 for Friday through Sunday and $25 for Monday -- are also available. The registration includes: most field trips and workshops; a Festival T-shirt; bird checklist; and free admission to the Museum of Natural History in Morro Bay State Park. Van and boat trips have an extra fee. Youngsters 12 and under are free (except for the van and boat trips).

Family Day FUN as Part of Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival

According to a recent article in Audubon magazine, wildlife tracking is making a comeback, attracting outdoor enthusiasts and biologists alike.  Again this year, wildlife tracking is being offered as one of the FREE family day events taking place at the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History on Saturday, January 14th.  Other events at the museum include "Introduction to Birding and Habitat," "Rubbing Noses with Reptiles," a "Critter Crawl" and a puppet show featuring Great Blue Herons.

Staging at Sub Sea Tours, "Kayaking in the Bay" is planned for 10:30-noon.  Participants under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an adult.  The $10 per person kayak charge is payable directly to Sub Sea Tours on the day of the event.

And new this year are the "Bird, Learn, Make, and Take" activities at the Morro Bay Community Center.  Stop by any time 11AM-2PM for a "hands-on" experience making items with bird-related themes.  A $2 materials fee will be charged at the door to the activity center.

Unlike last year, families need not register in advance.  A "first-come, first served" policy will be in place as some activities are limited in the number of participants. Adults entering the museum will need to pay a $3 fee for the day; kids will be admitted FREE all day.

To conclude the fun-filled day, Pacific Wildlife Care will again present "Meet the Raptors" at the Morro Bay Vet’s Hall.  Show times are 1 and 2:30 PM; free for festival attendees, $2 donation suggested for the general public.

To view the complete family day schedule and details, visit Morro Bay Bird Festival - Family-Day.  For additional information or questions, contact Jan Surbey (or call 805-772-7273).