Wednesday/Thursday

Join Bird Festival staff and volunteers Wednesday evening for a free pre-registration at festival headquarters.

This popular trip is a whirlwind tour of San Diego County's hottest birding spots to list over 100 species.

This trip into the Tijuana River Valley along the Mexican border will explore fabled birding hotspots like Dairy Mart Pond, Border Field State Park, Bird and Butterfly Garden, Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge and the Imperial Beach Pier.

On this trip you will visit several areas of Lake Hodges, designated a globally important bird area, along with Kit Carson Park where you never know what will pop up.

Explore San Diego's scenic Pacific rocky cliffs, rock jetties, and breakwaters to find a wide variety of pelagic and shorebirds.

North San Diego County boasts several important coastal wetlands where you will find a wide range of species and Western specialties.

Join eight California pelagic seabird experts for a 7-hour excursion on the comfortable 85-foot live-aboard Grande to view some of the numerous seabird species found offshore of San Diego.

During the winter season a diverse variety of land and water birds can be observed at such places as South San Diego Bay NWR and the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge.

This trip will visit several of the birdier coastal sites that host a wide variety of waterfowl, herons, shorebirds, gulls, and terns. While we will study all species found, there will be a special emphasis on gulls, including handouts and field discussions covering gull identification, aging, and status in the San Diego region.

Enjoy Southern California birding around Mission Bay by bicycle.

Learn the basics of Digiscoping—the marriage of a spotting scope and a digital camera to document wildlife sightings.

The ocean is full of interesting bird species ranging from shearwaters to jaegers to phalaropes.

David Bittner, Wildlife Research Institute, shares his secrets for successful raptor ID.

This workshop will prepare you for a field trip with photography experts on Friday (see F5) This workshop is included as part of the trip but may be taken separately). 

In this workshop Kenn Kaufman will talk about some basic principles that make it possible to identify birds with more accuracy and confidence.

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Meet fellow birders, compare the day’s experiences, explore the latest in optical gear, visit with birding travel specialists, and enjoy a refreshing beverage and finger foods, all while listening to relaxing live music.