More than 1,000 birders expected to flock to Morro Bay festival. See the schedule
When a flock of birders lifted their binoculars to watch a pod of pelicans poke at their feathers in Morro Bay — they saw a rare treat.
Behind the pelicans stood a white-fronted goose, a stout, migratory bird that typically breeds in Alaska and overwinters in the Central Valley. The buzz of hushed excitement rippled through the crowd as they took turns watching the goose.
The bird-watching group had signed up to tour the area as part of the 29th annual Morro Bay Bird Festival, which started on Thursday and lasts through Monday.
“It’s a fabulous festival,” Redlands resident Clare Van Loon said, pausing to photograph a black-crowned night heron. “It’s really well organized, and every year they improve and get more classes, more diversity in habitat and location.”
She first attended the festival in 2001, and she returns as often as she can.
“I love the beauty of God’s nature,” she said. “I love the kind of detective work aspect of looking at a bird and figuring out what it is.”
How to attend the Morro Bay Bird Festival
The Morro Bay Bird Festival started on Thursday and lasts through Monday.
About 960 people had registered for the festival as of Thursday, with 150 volunteers signed up to work at the event, festival spokesperson Susie Reddy said. She expected more than 1,200 people to flock to the festival this year, she said.
The Morro Bay Bird Festival features 264 events across the county led by 138 experts.
Events include bird walks, kayak trips, classes in nature journaling and photography, and even destination field trips to the Carrizo Plain and Point Buchon, the website said.
Registration for one day of the festival costs $102, while registration for the full weekend costs $194, the website said. Students qualify for a lower one-day fee of $97.
Of the offered events, 184 were included with the cost of registration and 80 included an extra fee, Reddy said.
To register for the festival, stop by the Morro Bay Community Center at 1001 Kennedy Way on Friday and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Sunday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. or Monday from 6:45 a.m. to 9 a.m.
The bird festival will also host a free family day at the Morro Bay Community Center on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Events include nature journaling, owl pellet dissection and watercolor painting. No registration is required for this event.
Birding in Morro Bay
On Thursday afternoon, renowned birders Jon Dunn and Greg Miller led 17 people on a birding tour down the Morro Bay State Park Marina Boardwalk.
Miller said he enjoys putting all the different clues together to identify birds.
“It’s like a puzzle that’s live,” he said.
Between spending time outdoors, connecting with other birders and the joy of spotting unexpected birds — Miller said birding promotes mental health.
“I call it bird therapy, and it’s a lot cheaper than going to a psychiatrist,” he said with a chuckle.
While strolling down the boardwalk, the group spotted a California thrasher, a little brown songbird with a curved bill that flew among the shrubs. The group also saw a blue-gray gnatcatcher and a California towhee, which Miller called a “bonus bird” because he can’t see them in Ohio, where he lives.
Tehachapi resident Ryan Kessler said his favorite part of the festival is “being around other bird nerds.” His favorite bird of the day was a red-shouldered hawk he saw on a tour at El Chorro Regional Park.
The group ambled down the boardwalk, where the earthy aroma of California sagebrush mingled with the sea air. They stopped to look out over the bay as a kingfisher spread his wings and took off into the sky. Meanwhile, common loons and kayakers paddled along the water.
Morro Bay is a stop on the Pacific Flyway, a migration route for birds that stretches from Alaska to Patagonia, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This makes the seaside town an excellent place for birding.
Trip leader Jon Dunn used his scope to find a whimbrel, a migratory bird with a curved beak that flies between Alaska and Morro Bay.
The group also spotted a bufflehead duck, a small sea duck famous for iridescent, rainbow-colored feathers on its head. The ducks stay in Morro Bay from October to April, Dunn said.
Santa Barbara resident Lydia Deems has attended the festival five to six times. She keeps coming back to enjoy “the beauty of the area and the diversity of the birds,” she said.
Her favorite bird of the day was a merganser she spotted while watching the sea otters in Morro Bay. Mergansers have shaggy feathers on their head that resemble a mohawk.
“A lot of birds have some pretty cute hairdos,” she said.
Deems attended the festival with her husband, Bill Prothero.
He’s most interested in “bird sociology,” and enjoys watching them interact with each other, he said.
Near the end of the tour, the group spotted an osprey — a large sea hawk with black and white feathers.
“This is a fabulous place, especially in winter,” Miller said. “Much of North America is enshrouded in cold weather and fewer birds — not so in Morro Bay.”
