Bird lovers flock to SLO County for Morro Bay’s annual festival

Want to hike and look for birds? Grab your binoculars and head out to this weekend’s Morro Bay Bird Festival.

The annual three-day festival features 140 events, including field trips, workshops, presentations and special activities for bird enthusiasts.

According to the website, “the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival is a yearly ecotourism event promoting an understanding and appreciation of birds and other wildlife and an awareness of environmental and conservation issues of the Central Coast, while contributing to the well-being of the Morro Bay community.”

The event is sponsored by the Morro Coast Audubon Society in collaboration with California State Parks, the Central Coast State Parks Association, and the city of Morro Bay.

Some of the tours take participants to a wide variety of habitats around the county, such as Santa Margarita Lake, the Carrizo Plain, El Chorro Regional Park and, of course, many spots inside and around Morro Bay Harbor, including Morro Rock.

Bird enthusiasts and “birders” of all levels and ages — there are some workshops specifically for children — are encouraged to attend and enjoy a hike or take photographs.

At one of the events on Friday, participants helped trap and band wild birds in the estuary near the State Parks Marina.

The event runs until Sunday. Check the website morrobaybirdfestival.org for the hikes and workshops schedule.