Greg Miller can't remember when he started birding because he was too young. He doesn't remember getting his first pair of binoculars or his first birding trip with his father. That was more than 50 years ago and he hasn't stopped birding since. In 1998, he zigzagged the continent to try to see as many species of birds in one calendar year as possible. It was an incredible experience, and passing the 700-species mark was an achievement many birders aspire to in an entire lifetime. This competitive quest was documented in the book, "The Big Year," by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Mark Obmascik, and the motion picture inspired by the book.

Miller will share his birding experiences as the keynote speaker at the eighth annual Monterey Bay Birding Festival. This year's event is Sept. 13-16, headquartered at the Watsonville Civic Plaza.

The festival will feature world class birding speakers, workshops and field trip outings from Big Sur to San Mateo County. From California Condors to Black-footed Albatrosses, Lawrence's Goldfinches to Ashy Storm-Petrels – the area boasts an incredible array for birds. Where else in the country could you look for Wrentits, Clark's Grebes, White-tailed Kites, Nuttall's Woodpeckers, Yellow-billed Magpies, Snowy Plovers, California Thrashers, or California Towhees, just to name a few?

Designed for birders of all levels, as well as outdoor lovers, the festival offers a unique opportunity to explore, learn and appreciate world-class habitats such as the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Pinnacles National Monument. There are outings in the mountains, shoreline, chaparral, sloughs and grasslands and pelagic trips on Monterey Bay.

Registration for each birding event is offered a la carte, so participants can mix and match outings according to interests. Online registration and selection of activities is now available on the Monterey Bay Birding Festival's website at www.montereybaybirding.org. For more information, call 831 726-8052 or email montereybaybirding@hotmail.com