By Theresa-Marie Wilson
Bird enthusiasts of all ages can flock to Avila Beach this Saturday for the first annual Avila Beach Bird Sanctuary Day.
As part of San Luis Obispo’s Coastal Discovery and Stewardship Month, the hour-long educational event celebrates Avila Beach’s designation as an official California Bird Sanctuary town and helps provide stewardship for coastal bird populations through education, appreciation, and contribution opportunities.
“We want to focus on education and get people aware of the kinds of birds that are here in the area,” said Shirley Goetz, an avid birder and founder of the Sanctuary. “It’s a good opportunity kids and their families to come an learn a little bit about the birds that they see. When they see them again, they will know something about them.”
The event begins at 10 a.m. at the Avila Beach Community Center at 191 San Miguel Street. Participants will enjoy a bit of Sanctuary history and a regional birding overview along with a live Pacific Wildlife Care bird exhibit where the non-profit will introduce the audience to live and rescued bird ambassadors and share the bird’s personal stories, natural history, and answer questions.
Also on hand during the morning will be “Morro”, the rescued Brown Pelican who is one of the co-stars in the movie “Pelican Dreams.”
“He was injured as rescued, but he wasn’t able to be returned to the wild,” Goetz said. “He has a great home, plenty of food and is very healthy. He will be in pen, so you can come up really close and see him. He is really used to people, so you can stand real close to a bird that would normally fly away from you.”
There will be additional information about plastic waste and its alarming impact on our birdlife and Mona Olivas Tucker, Chairman of yak tityu tityu, the Northern Chumash Tribe, will also share insight. The day concludes with a Stewardship Beach and Trail Clean-up Kit option for individuals exploring Avila Beach in the afternoon.
Some of the resident bird populations common to the area include Great Blue Herons, California Gulls, Snowy and Common Egrets, Cormorants. Special migratory bird sightings may include; Brant Geese, Loons (Common, Red-throated, and Pacific), Grebes (Western, Eared, Horned, & Clarks), Surf Scoters, Common Murres, and Northern Shovelers and more.
“There is such a variety of birds here that I thought it would make a good bird sanctuary, and it would help Avila to redefine its future,” said Goetz adding that bird watching is a fascinating activity. “It’s a small area, so you can sit in one spot an see anywhere from 5 to 15 different bird species just fly by. You don’t really have to go looking for them. This area along the coast sits along what is known as the Pacific and that is were a lot of migratory birds go. They either come here of this is a stop on their way. This area is a very environmentally valuable resource for our avian life.”
The event takes place Feb 21 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. or shortly thereafter depending on the amount of attendee questions. Participants are encouraged to pick up an Avila Beach Stewardship Clean-up Kit during the event and walk along the beach and/or nearby Bob Jones Bike and Hiking Trail for a bit of personal birding and to provide some friendly Bird Sanctuary stewardship.
