Birdathon 101: Lake Murray

Leaders: Nick Thorpe and others

Join us for a fun morning of birding at one of San Diego's premier hotspots while learning a bit about the Birdathon, a friendly birding challenge benefitting San Diego Bird Alliance's conservation efforts. This will be a great opportunity to meet other birders, learn hot tips on finding birds in the county, and see migrating birds. This will be a casual, "lightly-guided" outing, open to bird enthusiasts of all skill levels. Join for as long or as little as you'd like, we will be out birding from at least 9am - 11am. We will start at the boat launch area on the SE side of the lake (with ample parking), and follow the paved walking path counterclockwise from there. 

Lake Murray is a manmade reservoir in La Mesa fringed by coastal sage scrub and planted eucalyptus trees. This combination of the natural and the developed makes it a popular stopover site for passerines and waterfowl during migration, in addition to endemic species. This should be a good trip for hearing singing birds, enjoying good company, and maybe stumbling onto a rarity!

The 2025 San Diego Birdathon runs April 11 - May 11. Teams and individuals pick a day during this period to see as many bird species as they can in 24 hours, while raising funds along the way for local conservation efforts in San Diego County. It's like a walkathon, but birdier! You can learn more about the Birdathon on our website.