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Every January, Morro Bay becomes a connecting hub for bird lovers from around the world.
From far across the pond in Europe, the deep South, and the East Coast, bird enthusiasts make their way to the Morro Bay Bird Festival for a weekend of bird watching and educational events.
Partnering with the Morro Bay Bird Festival, Art Center Morro Bay is hosting For the Birds, an exhibition in which local artists show off their bird-centered artwork to help "promote an understanding and appreciation of birds and other wildlife" and bring awareness to environmental and conservation issues on the Central Coast, Art Center President Kathleen Heil said.
"Artists have been asked to share their artistic talents with the many visitors attending the festival through art that celebrates the varieties of birds and other wildlife and their habitats in our area," she said.
Dating back to 1994, the Morro Bay Bird Festival has a history of spending Martin Luther King Jr. weekend teaching attendees about all things birds related through the guiding hand of experts, program Chairperson Bob Revel said.
Running from Jan. 16 through 20, this festival is the most extensive one yet with more than 250 events led by 141 experts, Revel said. The event welcomes those of all ages and all experience levels.
"So far we have approximately 700 people registered to come," he said. "We have Kenn Kaufman who's well known in the bird world. He's written numerous books and field guides and things like that. We also have David Lindo, who's from England, coming and both guys are going to give keynote addresses."
The keynote address will be at Cuesta College, and Revel said the event has something for everyone. Photographers will be able to take photos out on the water thanks to the Bay Birding Photo Cruise on Jan. 18 or while they're on a calming walk at the Oceano Lagoon Bird Walk held on Jan. 19.
Participants can sign up for kayaking trips, wine tasting, self-healing activities such as nature journaling, and a brand-new wood carving class.
"I had two guys walk up to me from up in the Sacramento area and they said, 'Hey Bob, we're members of this bird decoy group association and we would love to come to your festival and teach people how to carve shore birds.' It sounds like fun so we're giving it a try, and if it goes well this year and nobody cuts off a finger, then we'll have them back next year," he said with a laugh.
Revel said while winter might seem like an odd time of year to bird watch since it's usually overcast, rainy, and quite cold on the Central Coast, it's actually the perfect time to catch snowbirds, and other arctic birds, migrating from north to south for winter.
For thousands of years, hundreds of different bird species have flown south to Mexico to escape harsh winter conditions. However, Revel said around 200 species make it about halfway into their journey, aka Morro Bay, and decide it's a good place to settle for the season.
"The bay itself is an ideal location for them because there's plenty of food for them and safety and stuff like that," he said. "So, what happens in wintertime is we get all these birds that aren't here any other time of the year."
You can catch those birds and other local avians from Jan. 9 through Feb. 17 at Art Center Morro Bay. President Heil said the original bird-based artwork takes the form of 2D wall-hung artwork, matte prints, paintings, sculptures, and 3D pieces.
"All are invited to the For the Birds reception on Sunday, Jan. 12, from 2 to 4 p.m. where we have invited Pacific Wildlife to bring two of their birds and talk about their organization," she said.
Those interested in submitting art can fill out an entry form at artcentermorrobay.org and bring their artwork by on Jan. 7 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Δ