A recent New Yorker Magazine cartoon shows a fully kitted out guy with binoculars, vest, tripod, hat and multiple cameras with various lenses looking at a flock of birds. A couple nearby with binoculars peek at him and the woman says “it’s a slippery slope from casual bird watcher to that guy.” It made me laugh, as I had recently joined an early morning free bird walk at Sunnylands, and to my delight, found it to be a perfect and no-stress way to introduce myself to the wonderful offerings at Sunnylands Center and Gardens. 

A place of history, hospitality, and diplomacy in the California desert, Sunnylands was the winter home of the Annenbergs, a remarkable couple who combined philanthropy with business, Hollywood and politics. Walter and Lee Annenberg hosted world leaders, scions of business and media moguls, at what became one of the most iconic houses in America. 

The public trust portion of the estate — open since 2012— Sunnylands is a gorgeous desert oasis in Rancho Mirage, open to the public and free. Michaeleen Gallagher, the Director of Education and Environmental Programs at Sunnylands for 11 years, said one of the many joys of working at Sunnylands was being blessed with a robust endowment, thanks to the Annenbergs. She doesn’t have to go looking for funds and is able to pay experts, teachers, performers and a staff of 100 employees.

We arrived at 8:45 am for the free bird walk and talk, to find an eager group of avid birders, many fully kitted out like the cartoon. As we scurried to join the group, I had few expectations: it was a beautiful morning and I was ready to geek out a bit with fellow birders. The gardens are beautiful, well kept and with the snow-capped mountains in the distance, the scene was beyond splendid. Sunnylands is an official Monarch butterfly way station, and it was fun to tune into all the buzzing and flutters around us. We saw a roadrunner nest, a tarantula hole and a woodpecker. A great blue heron flew overhead and I learned three or more hummingbirds are called a charm, but the pièce de résistance was witnessing the “purple octopus,” a purple-chested male hummingbird’s dazzling display to get the girl. The generous and knowledgeable specialist leading the tour was gobsmacked at the sighting. He said a British TV crew spent six weeks at Sunnylands recently, trying to capture this very moment. Small and distant, I can’t say I actually saw much, but the excitement was infectious: “it was a flurry, but I felt lucky to see the purple octopus… given its rarity, the crowd was transfixed... mother nature is truly awe inspiring,” said Margot Northover, visiting from San Francisco. You may not be lucky enough to see this octopus-like pageantry on a visit, but magical things happen at Sunnylands.

The free 60-minute guided Bird Walk is offered every Friday at 8:45 am, November through May. No reservations required. 

37977 Bob Hope Drive

Rancho Mirage, CA 92270

760.202.222