Sixth Annual Monterey Bay Birding Festival Takes Flight September 23 – 26, 2010
Contact: Christina Glynn, Communications Director/Film Commissioner
Phone: 831-429-7281, ext. 112, email: cglynn@santacruz.org
July 15, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WATSONVILLE, CA – Pajaro Valley’s sixth Annual Monterey Bay Birding Festival will take place Thursday, September 23rd through Sunday, September 26, 2010. Early Bird Registration is available through July 31st, and includes Thursday, Friday and Saturday social receptions, an official Monterey Bay Birding Festival gift, lapel pin, Santa Cruz County Birding and Wildlife Guide, and a name badge. Registration can be done on-line at www.montereybaybirding.org or via mail. Registration is available for the entire festival, individual days or select evening activities. The registration fee for the four-day festival is $40; Early Bird Registration is $30 and pricing for a variety of activities ranges from $5 to $140.
The festival offers expert-led field trips, specialized birding outings for beginners, “slough safaris” of the Elkhorn Slough via kayak and pontoon boat, a pelagic trip on the Monterey Bay to view sea birds, a trip to Pinnacles National Monument, vagrant chasing at the Carmel River mouth, pelagic trips of the Monterey Bay, excursions to the Ventana Wildlife Society’s Discovery Center at Andrew Molera State Park in scenic Big Sur and other activities. Workshops on photographing wild birds, and creative art journaling have been added to the schedule this year. Two nighttime Owls of Robinson Canyon excursions are also offered. A stellar line-up of expert birders leading day trips as well as evening presenters are sure to please even the most discriminating birders. Free, bilingual Family Days on Saturday and Sunday, September 25 and 26th, include family birdwatching outings, arts and crafts, science activities and games. This year’s theme, “The California Coast – From Condors to Snowy Plovers” celebrates this diversity of bird life.
On Thursday evening, a special screening of Ghost Bird with filmmaker Scott Crocker will take place. The film chronicles the rediscovery of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker, long considered the “Holy Grail” of birds because it was declared extinct six decades ago. Allen Fish, Director of the Golden Gate Bird Observatory, will discuss raptor identification. On Saturday evening, author, Half Moon Bay resident and featured speaker Alvaro Jaramillo will discuss what makes California so unique for birding. His recently published Birds of Chile is now the standard field guide for birding in Chile.
The second edition of the Santa Cruz County Visitors Council’s newly revised Birding and Wildlife Watching guide will be available during the festival. The 44-page guide is designed for use by visitors to communities adjacent to the many birding destinations throughout the county. The guide includes information on a variety of habitats, from sandy beaches to lagoons, wetlands and river mouths, as well as descriptions and photographs of the some of the area’s most commonly seen birds, wildlife and the best times of the year to view them. It also provides maps of birding and wildlife hotspots, points of interest, and itineraries. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 31 percent of Americans engage in wildlife watching as a hobby or recreational activity, an increase of 13 percent from a decade ago.
The free guide is also available at the Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council’s main visitor center at 1211 Ocean Street in Santa Cruz, via mail by request through www.birding.travel, or by calling 800.833.3494.
The Birding Festival Web site, www.montereybaybirding.org provides a registration and ticketing, full festival schedule, description of events, and other information. Visitors can log on to www.birding.travel to help plan their trip.
###