I love nature, hiking and animals, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine taking time on a Sunday to go bird watching. But yep, this is what happens in my household every month. The Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society hosts a kid friendly bird watching walk at Malibu Lagoon State Beach and after our first walk with the bird fanciers, my son and husband were hooked.
So off we go on the 4th Sunday of the month to Malibu Lagoon State Beach to meet up with fellow bird watching parents with their kids in tow. The walk is actually slated for children, but I imagine most of the time it is the parents who are most interested. Although, the guides are so sweet and welcoming that the kids are into it pretty quickly.
The guides come equipped with high powered binoculars for everyone to use, as well as high range scopes that they set up for the kids to see close up views of some of the stationary birds. They also have colorful bird books to share more information about the birds we are seeing.
For us, we make a day out of it. Following the guided walk, we cross over the PCH to Malibu Country Mart for some lunch (Johns Garden is excellent), a potty break and some play time in the playground (and shopping for mama) before heading off to do something else in Malibu.Once you pay the $12 to park at the beach you have free admission to other state beaches/parks. When it’s super windy with the Santa Ana winds, we opt for a hike in Malibu Creek State Park. A few months back, we drove up to Leo Carrillo to play in the tide pools during low tide. Next month I envision that we will head to Zuma for snow sledding!
If you have a nature loving little one and are looking for easy child friendly excursions, check out next months bird watching at Malibu Lagoon.
The Details
Where: Malibu Lagoon State Beach – meet at the front covered circle
When: 4th Sunday of the month, every month, all year long, even on holiday weekends
Time: 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
What to bring: Bring yourself, sweater, sand toys (if you want to hang on the beach afterwards), sunscreen, water and snacks (binoculars will be provided). In the winter it can be windy, so sunglasses are helpful to keep the sand out.
Cost: The bird watching is free, but parking is $12 cash. There is often parking across the PCH for free if you don’t mind a little walk.
Hi,
This really sounds like a cool outing. I’ll have to see if there’s anything like this is our area for the next time the grandkids visit.
This sounds like a ton of fun, I’ll be taking my grandkids on a few birding adventures soon. Birding is one of the most relaxing activities I know of!