Drop in for a continental breakfast and coffee before your field trip departs.

Some of the items we offer:

Assorted fruit
Assorted pastries
Assorted spreads
Yogurt
Cereal
Oatmeal

Coffee- regular and decaf
Hot water for tea

If your field trip comes with a sack lunch, you must pick it up in the Marine Room before the field trip departs. Lunches that are not picked up by 8:00 am will be considered unclaimed and may be redistributed.

Discover the birds of the Tijuana River Valley! Join us as we explore some of the most renowned birding hotspots in the southern part of the county, guided by expert birders. We’ll visit key areas known for their rich variety of species, offering a mix of waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls, and passerines. Some exciting sightings from previous trips include Brant, Heermann's Gull, Tri-colored Blackbird and Black-throated Magpie Jay.

This field trip is a bus tour, starting and ending at Marina Village Conference Center. If you are staying at the Dana, a free shuttle will be available to take you from the hotel to Marina Village from 5:30 am until 7:30 am. Breakfast is available in the Marine Room from 5:30 to 7:30. Please drop by and enjoy some breakfast with us. Lunch is included with this trip. The start time of this trip indicates the time the bus intends to leave. Please plan accordingly.

Join us for an action-packed birding adventure across one of the nation's birdiest places—San Diego County! With the goal to spot 100 species (or more) in a single day, this fast-paced field trip is designed to give you the thrill of high-volume birding. From shorebirds to raptors, you’ll be immersed in the excitement of spotting some of the region's most common species, while keeping an eye out for rare surprises. Don’t miss this ultimate birding challenge! This trip is all about volume, pushing you to have your biggest birding day ever.

The adventure begins and ends at Marina Village Conference Center. If you are staying at the Dana, a free shuttle will be available to take you from the hotel to Marina Village from 5:30 am until 7:30 am. Breakfast is available in the Marine Room from 5:30 to 7:30. Please drop by and enjoy some breakfast with us. Lunch is included with this trip. The start time of this trip indicates the time the bus intends to leave. Please plan accordingly.

Join Professional Photographer Krisztina Scheeff / KS Nature Photography for a look at the amazing courtship behaviors of Western and Clark's Grebes...and other species that live on the lakes of North County San Diego. 

What to bring: binoculars, water, snack if you like, camera if you like, and your happy self. Other gear: hat, sunscreen, bug spray (some days there are little tiny flies like to visit the water’s edge). Please wear comfortable shoes, hiking boots are ideal. Walk is on flat paved road with a short walk on sand to the shore, about 2 mile round trip. We will walk slow, birding and taking photos as we go. 

The adventure begins and ends at Marina Village Conference Center. If you are staying at the Dana, a free shuttle will be available to take you from the hotel to Marina Village from 5:30 am until 7:30 am. Breakfast is available in the Marine Room from 5:30 to 7:30. Please drop by and enjoy some breakfast with us. Lunch is included with this trip. The start time of this trip indicates the time the bus intends to leave. Please plan accordingly.

Discover the birds of the Tijuana River Valley! Join us as we explore some of the most renowned birding hotspots in the southern part of the county, guided by expert birders. We’ll visit key areas known for their rich variety of species, offering a mix of waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls, and passerines. Some exciting sightings from previous trips include Brant, Heermann's Gull, Tri-colored Blackbird and Black-throated Magpie Jay.

This field trip is a bus tour, starting and ending at Marina Village Conference Center. If you are staying at the Dana, a free shuttle will be available to take you from the hotel to Marina Village from 5:30 am until 7:30 am. Breakfast is available in the Marine Room from 5:30 to 7:30. Please drop by and enjoy some breakfast with us. Lunch is included with this trip. The start time of this trip indicates the time the bus intends to leave. Please plan accordingly.

Observando las aves en la frontera II

¡Descubre las aves del Valle del Río Tijuana! Únete a nosotros a explorar algunos de los sitios más populares y renombrados para observar aves en la parte sur del condado, guiado por expertos. Visitaremos áreas clave renombradas por su gran variedad de especies, incluyendo aves acuáticas, aves playeras, gaviotas, y pájaros cantores. Algunas observaciones interesantes de excursiones anteriores incluyen barnaclas carinegras, gaviotas de Heermann, tordos tricolor, y urracas cuello negro.

Esta excursión se realiza en autobús, empezando y terminando en el Centro de Conferencias de Marina Village. Si te estás quedando en el Hotel Dana, puedes tomar un transporte gratuito desde el hotel hasta Marina Village de 5:30 AM a 7:30 AM. El desayuno será disponible en el Marine Room de 5:30 a 7:30. Te invitamos a desayunar con nosotros. El almuerzo será incluido en esta excursión. La hora de inicio indicada corresponde a la hora de salida del autobús, así que por favor planifica tu llegada en consecuencia.

Join us for a captivating birding event exploring North County Birding Hotspots in San Diego, hosted by the Palomar Audubon Society. This guided tour will take you to two of the region's prime birdwatching locations: Whelan Lake and Batiquitos Lagoon. Both sites offer a variety of bird species, from waterfowl to migratory songbirds, making them perfect for birders of all levels. Our first stop, Whelan Lake, is known for its scenic beauty and diverse bird populations. As we stroll along the trails, keep an eye out for Eared Grebes and Westeren Grebes gracefully diving in the water. You may also spot Northern Shovelers and American Wigeons in the lake's calm waters. On the surrounding brush and trees, look for Spotted Towhees and Cactus Wrens. Next, we will head to Batiquitos Lagoon, a coastal wetland that provides a crucial stopover for migrating birds along the Pacific Flyway. As we walk the trails and boardwalks, be on the lookout for Long-Billed Curlews, Marbled Godwits, and Sanderlings foraging along the mudflats at low tide. Whimbrels and Least Sandpipers are also common here, while the lagoon’s shallow waters attract Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets hunting for fish. This event is a wonderful opportunity to explore the birding treasures of North County San Diego while learning from knowledgeable guides from the Palomar Audubon Society. Bring your binoculars, a field guide, and your love of birds as we explore these hotspots and discover the fascinating world of local and migratory bird species. Whelan Lake and Batiquitos, with Palomar Audubon Society.

The adventure begins and ends at Marina Village Conference Center. If you are staying at the Dana, a free shuttle will be available to take you from the hotel to Marina Village from 5:30 am until 7:30 am. Breakfast is available in the Marine Room from 5:30 to 7:30. Please drop by and enjoy some breakfast with us. Lunch is included with this trip. The start time of this trip indicates the time the bus intends to leave. Please plan accordingly.

Join us for an action-packed birding adventure across one of the nation's birdiest places—San Diego County! With the goal to spot 100 species (or more) in a single day, this fast-paced field trip is designed to give you the thrill of high-volume birding. From shorebirds to raptors, you’ll be immersed in the excitement of spotting some of the region's most common species, while keeping an eye out for rare surprises. Don’t miss this ultimate birding challenge! This trip is all about volume, pushing you to have your biggest birding day ever!

The adventure begins and ends at Marina Village Conference Center, with breakfast served before our early morning departure. If you are staying at the Dana, a free shuttle will be available to take you from the hotel to Marina Village from 5:30 am until 7:30 am. Breakfast is available in the Marine Room from 5:30 to 7:30. Please drop by and enjoy some breakfast with us. Lunch is included with this trip. The start time of this trip indicates the time the bus intends to leave. Please plan accordingly.

Experience the breathtaking La Jolla Cove coastline, where birds and sea mammals thrive along the rugged shores. This outing offers views of birds that prefer rocky outcroppings, such as Surfbirds and Wandering Tattlers. It is also an excellent opportunity to see pelagic birds from land. Some exciting sightings from previous trips include Black Oystercatcher, Black-vented Shearwater, and Pelagic Cormorant. Participants are encouraged to bring a spotting scope or borrow one to fully take in the spectacular coastal wildlife.

You must provide your own transportation to and from the meeting place for this trip. Lunch is not provided.

Let creativity take flight in this hands-on workshop! Participants will explore simple block printing techniques using bird-themed stamps to decorate textiles and paper goods. Using pre-carved stamps of resident and migratory Southern California birds, participants will explore the art of block printing to decorate tote bags, tea towels, or can bring their own textiles to refresh with a flock of new designs! 

NOTE: This program was originally scheduled for Tecolote Canyon, but construction projects there have necessitated moving the program to Marian Bear Canyon, another of several protected urban canyons in the San Diego area. It was once home to the Kumeyaay people, who named it for the small owls found there. Now managed by the City of San Diego, it features several miles of trails, native plants and wildlife. 

Birds that are here for the entire year include hawks, Anna’s Hummingbird, California Thrasher, House Wren, Wrentit, and both California and Spotted Towhees. 

Expect a moderate walk with some uneven ground, as well as slight uphills. Restrooms are available in the Nature Center.

We will meet in the parking lot for the Marian Bear Open Space. You must provide your own transportation to and from the meeting place for this trip. 

Here's a Bird Festival version of our poplar Birding for Beginners Course. This master class consists of three classroom/field components. Take one, some or all! You can sign up for each class you want individually.

In this class, we'll look briefly at what makes birds so different from other animals and why we love them so much, then we'll go out into the field finding birds, getting everybody oriented on them, and learning to talk about what we see.

Birding at San Elijo 

A walk with Opticron's Chip Clouse and the Friends of Famosa Slough for birding and to learn about the extraordinary continuing effort of the local community to save this urban oasis for birds. Famosa Slough is located in the heart of urban San Diego between Old Town San Diego State Historic Park and Ocean Beach. This marine protected area sits within a remnant 30-acre wetland. Famosa Slough, a narrow 12-acre natural channel connecting the San Diego River estuary and the Pacific Ocean, allows tidal salt water to mix with fresh water from the local watershed to form a unique estuarine environment. During high tides, larval marine fish and invertebrates are able to enter the wetland. Calm, protected, brackish water provides habitat for fish, crustaceans, and plants. Because it is a significant feeding and resting site for ducks, herons, terns, and a multitude of shorebirds, birdwatching is popular here.  Participants will want to bring binoculars, a hat, sunscreen, water and snacks if you want them. Much of the area is viewable from a flat dirt, accessible area. The dirt paths around parts of the slough are not all easily accessed using wheel chairs or other mobility assisting devices. There are no restroom facilities at the Famosa Slough.

You must provide your own transportation for this field trip. The Slough is located at 4275 West Point Loma Blvd. San Diego 92107. We will meet on the sidewalk in front of the viewing area on the south side of West Point Loma Blvd. Park on the street. It is a busy street so cross carefully.

Learn more about Famosa Slough and Friends of Famosa Slough in this KPBS news story.

Experience birds from a completely different point of view, in tandem kayaks! Learn about the ReWilding efforts in Mission Bay. Paddle through calm, serene waters as we explore this beautiful coastal ecosystem. This field trip offers a great opportunity to observe birds from the water, with views into Kendall-Frost Marsh (we are unable to paddle into the marsh) and Fiesta Island. In late February, Mission Bay is a prime spot for birdwatching as it serves as an important stopover for migratory species. Keep an eye out for Pacific Loons and Eared Grebes. You'll see Willets and Long-billed Curlews foraging along the shores. Black-crowned Night Herons and Great Blue Herons perch in trees along the shore, while Osprey hunt from the air above. As we paddle through the tranquil waters, the chances to observe bird behaviors up close are abundant. This field trip is an unforgettable way to connect with nature for beginners and seasoned birders.

You must provide your own transportation to and from the meeting place for this trip.

Join representatives from Swarovski Optik for a walk around Marina Village Conference Center, looking for native birds. They know the birds and will have optics for you to try.

This new Master Class series introduces birders to the joy of journaling, inviting us to slow down, look closer, and record the wonder we encounter. Join Barbara Swanson as she opens the door to sketching and writing as a joyful practice for all birders, no experience needed. Later, in a guided field session, use your new journaling skills to create more immersive, memorable experiences. By week's end, you'll carry home a notebook full of memories and a more mindful way of seeing birds and the natural world.

The field trip that accompanies this class is from 1:00 - 2:30 pm at Santee Lakes. Please remember to sign up for the field trip, too! 

Tree Treks is a community engagement activity designed to connect participants with San Diego parks while fostering a shared interest in trees. These conversations focus on identifying and presenting characteristics of unique trees, its benefits, and the history of the parks.

Please note that Balboa Park will begin charging for parking starting January 1, 2026.  Free parking should be available along Quince Street and up along Sixth Avenue. 

Step into the ancient art of falconry with this unforgettable two hour experience. Guided by expert local falconers, you’ll witness breathtaking flight demonstrations and learn how humans and raptors have partnered for centuries. Then, with expert support, you’ll have the rare opportunity to launch a bird of prey from your own hand and experience its powerful return. Carefully designed for the safety of both participants and the birds, this experience leaves participants with a deeper appreciation of both tradition and the wild power of these extraordinary creatures.

Join Sky Falconry for a special hands-on experience interacting with live birds of prey. This experience takes you meandering through oak groves and meadows on a private ranch in the San Diego Mountains with master falconers as your guides. Experience the awe of a Harris' Hawk dropping from high in the trees and flying hundreds of feet to land gracefully on your glove. See the astounding differences and flight styles of the enigmatic, elusive Barn Owl next to the agile, sleek Lanner Falcon. The falcon will demonstrate a magnificent display of aerial acrobatics in a simulated hunt, and the owl will demonstrate its graceful, silent flight. We will have ample photo opportunities with all three raptor species followed by a Q&A. 

You must provide your own transportation to and from this experience.

Pelagic birds share so many field marks in common: dark backs, light bellies. Their differences are in wing shape and flight style. Stan Walens will help you understand the differences and prepare you for an easier time identifying the birds you will see on your pelagic trip.  He will also share tips on how to prepare your body for a day on the water.

It can be incredibly rewarding to photograph birds in flight. Equally, however, there can be nothing more frustrating than the very same thing. In this classroom presentation professional photographer Krisztina Scheeff with KS Nature Photography will teach you lots of tips and tricks, camera settings and more to help you get those fantastic in flight bird shots.

This new Master Class series introduces birders to the joy of journaling, inviting us to slow down, look closer, and record the wonder we encounter. Join Barbara Swanson as she opens the door to sketching and writing as a joyful practice for all birders, no experience needed. In this guided field session, use your new journaling skills to create more immersive, memorable experiences. By week's end, you'll carry home a notebook full of memories and a more mindful way of seeing birds and the natural world.

The classroom presentation that accompanies this class is from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. at Marina Village Conference Center. Please remember to sign up for the class, too! 

You must provide your own transportation to and from this field trip.

Drop in to see our exhibitors from Birding Business! We have two exhibit halls open: The Bayview room and the Dockside room.

The hours are Feb 25 from 3-6, Feb 26 from 1-6, Feb 27 fro 1-6, Feb 28 from 10-6 and March 1 from 10-3.

Bayview exhibitors

Dockside exhibitors:

San Diego is famous for its pelagic birding, where you can see species not usually visible from land with some of the most knowledgeable pelagic birders around! This trip is great for folks who have never been on a pelagic trip before and are nervous about being stuck on a boat for 6 hours.  Add to your life list, and learn more about identifying birds on the open water! The group will meet briefly in the Terrace room for some important information sharing prior to the trip. The group will then walk approximately 0.25 mile to the Marina, on flat sidewalk, to board the boat.

Learning to identify birds is not just a matter of memorizing the field marks for each species. Sometimes we can be thrown off by an odd bird, even if we know what it is "supposed to" look like. In this talk, Kenn will discuss some general principles that apply to recognizing all birds, and a few common pitfalls that we can learn to avoid.

Learn about the new revolution in Spotting Scopes - this will change the way you do "scoping"!

Belly up to the bar for a selection of wines and beers on tap.

Whether you're a backyard birder or a globe-trotting enthusiast, Kimberly Kaufman shares the insider secrets that transform good birders into great ones.

Embark on an easy walk to the San Diego River Mouth, a prime spot for observing coastal and migratory birds. This walk follows sidewalks to the street, crosses Quivira Way and proceeds on dirt paths along the river, stopping for views of shorebirds on the sand bars.   The walk, approximately 1 mile round trip, takes you along the water's edge, offering a close-up view of diverse bird species, particularly on the sandbars exposed by the changing tide.

And it's not just birders who can join in the fun. Stop by the Sony booth to participate in their loaner program. Borrow a lens and then see how it works on distant shorebirds. Sony staff will be on hand to join this trip and give expert advice to photographers. Stop by the booth later to enter the sweepstakes for a new camera and lens!

If you have mobility challenges, you can drive over separately and join us at the viewing site at approximately 4:00 pm. The viewing point is in a large dirt parking lot across from the Aquarius Grill on Quivira Way. Look for the big group of people with spotting scopes!

Birds, Culture, and the Freedom of Belonging: A Celebration with Makeda & Marilú

Sponsored by Bushnell

For over 13 years, Makeda Cheatom of the WorldBeat Center and Marilú of Celebrate Urban Birds have walked a shared path—one where birds, culture, history, and science come together in joyful connection. What began as a citizen science project has grown into a community-led celebration of belonging, where people of all backgrounds come together to explore nature, share knowledge, and engage with science in meaningful ways.

We’ve learned that birding can be so much more than counting birds. It’s a chance to slow down, be present, listen deeply, and connect with the wisdom of our ancestors, the communities around us, and with ourselves. By bridging communities and scientific institutions, we create spaces where people can actively participate in, contribute to, and use science—while celebrating culture, heritage, and identity.

From the Harriet Tubman Freedom Bird Walks during Juneteenth to cross-cultural collaborations in Baja, our work shows what’s possible when music, art, science, gardening, and community come together with curiosity, care, and purpose. Join us as we share how this journey has transformed the way we bird, connect with each other, and experience the freedom of belonging.

We just love El Monte Park! Nestled in a valley on the East side of the County, this park has mature trees, hillsides, and great birding! 

Exhibitors and local business owners are invited to meet and socialize in the Bayview room. Are you interested in the business side of birding? Are birders a segment of your audience? Let's get together, learn about the possibilities, and pave the way for future connections. All 2026 SDBF vendors are invited to attend, as well as people within the Southern California business community. Refreshments and drinks will be available.

A display of quilts by local and visiting quilters.