MCAS Field Trip - SEP 22 - Members Only - Montaña de Oro Bluff Trail and Campground Birding

Bluffs at Montaña de Oro [photo by Joanne Aasen]

Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents a Members-Only Event  

 

Field Trip:                 Montaña de Oro Bluff Trail and Campground Birding  

Date:                          September 22, 2025  

Time:                         8:30am to 12:00pm  

Leader(s):                 Eric Wier & Steve McMasters  

 

Description: Discover the Coastal Habitats of Montaña de Oro. Join us for a scenic and bird-filled walk through this rugged coastal park! Our leaders will guide you through the diverse habitats of Montaña de Oro, starting with the sea bluffs along the south shore of Spooner’s Cove. We’ll explore the coastal sage scrub and continue south along the rocky shoreline in search of rock-loving shorebirds, sea ducks, and raptors. The walk then turns inland along the riparian corridor of Islay Creek and into the pine-dotted campgrounds, where we’ll look for passerines, woodpeckers, and other birds of the coastal scrublands. This is a gentle walk covering 1–2 miles on mostly flat trails and paved roads.

 

This field trip is ADA accessible, bathrooms are available, and the trip is open to all levels of experience.

 

Registration will open on the morning of September 12, 2025 with notification sent only to MCAS members. Not a MCAS member? Consider joining MCAS to support our mission and activities and enjoy these member-only field trips.

 

Questions? Send email to: robbie.revel@morrocoastaudubon.org

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MCAS Field Trip - SEP 19 - Members Only - Habitat - Shark Inlet

Shark Inlet - channel of water below sand dunes [photo by Joanne Aasen]

Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents a Members-Only Event  

 

Field Trip:                 Habitat - Shark Inlet  

Date:                          September 19, 2025  

Time:                          10:00am to 12:00pm  

Leader(s):                 Faylla Chapman  

 

Description: Take a guided walk to Shark Inlet, located at the southernmost edge of the Morro Bay Estuary in Los Osos—a secluded and rarely visited spot. The journey begins at the Coastal Access Butterfly Grove, where you’ll pass through stands of stately eucalyptus trees and learn about the area's rich natural and cultural history. From there, enjoy sweeping views of protected coastal land teeming with dune and shoreline plant life. You’ll encounter towering sand dunes up close and may even spot sharks gliding through the warm, shallow waters. Along the way, look for rare native plants, an ancient shell midden, and local bird species flitting through the coastal scrub.

 

This field trip is not ADA accessible, bathrooms are not available,  and the trip is open to all levels of experience.

 

Registration: Registration will open on the morning of September 9, 2025 with notification sent only to MCAS members. Not a MCAS member? Consider joining MCAS to support our mission and activities and enjoy these member-only field trips.

 

Questions? Send email to: robbie.revel@morrocoastaudubon.org

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MCAS Zoom Community Program - SEP 15 - Coexisting with Rattlesnakes on the Central Coast

Emily Taylor and a Northern Pacific Rattlesnake [Photo by Gregg Segal]  

REGISTRATION CLOSED.

MCAS September Zoom Community Program  

 

Date:            Monday, September 15th, 2025, 7:00 pm  

Title:             Coexisting with Rattlesnakes on the Central Coast  

Presenter:    Emily Tayor, Ph.D. California Polytechnic - SLO  

 

Join Zoom Meeting Zoom Meeting ID: 956 2250 6662; Passcode: 978601

You can also find the link in the MCAS Events Calendar entry for 9/15/2025. 

 

All MCAS Zoom Community Programs are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. No signup/registration required to attend.

 

To support MCAS’s mission and activities, including Community Programs, please consider becoming a member of MCAS.

 

Description: 

Central Coast Snake Services was founded by Cal Poly Professor Emily Taylor in 2019 with the goal of promoting peaceful coexistence with rattlesnakes on the Central Coast. They provide free snake identification, rescue of injured snakes, and relocation of rattlesnakes from residences in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. In addition, they provide numerous educational programs and consulting, as well as snake safety training and rattlesnake exclusion fencing. This presentation will describe the challenges and solutions they have faced and developed over the years.

Bio:

Emily Taylor is a Professor of Biological Sciences at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, where she conducts research on the physiology, ecology, and conservation biology of reptiles and amphibians with her students. She received her bachelor’s degree in English at UC Berkeley and her PhD in Biology at Arizona State University. She is the author of the books California Snakes and How To Find Them (2024), California Lizards and How To Find Them (2025), an

d California Amphibians and How To Find Them (2026). She lives in Atascadero with her husband Steve in their madhouse of rescued creatures, including Pax the dog, Aperol Spritz the bearded dragon, Baby the Boa constrictor, Buzz and Snakeholio the rattlesnakes, and Helmut and Bill the tortoises. Learn more at www.EmilyTaylorScience.com and follow her on social media @snakeymama.

If you have questions, email Wendy McKeown, Community Programs Chair: wendy.mckeown@morrocoastaudubon.org

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MCAS Field Trip - SEP 15 - Villa Creek Snowy Plovers

Looking North Along Beach Leading to Villa Creek [photo by Mike Bush]

Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents   

 

Field Trip:                 Villa Creek Snowy Plovers  

Date:                          September 15, 2025  

Time:                         10:00am to 12:00pm  

Leader(s):                 Sharon Iranpour  

 

Description: The western snowy plover lives and breeds on the sand on just a few of our local natural beaches. A small federally threatened shorebird, this grey/brown and white bird with darker breeding plumage blends in well on the sandy beach, often making it difficult to locate. There will be a short talk before we walk out to examine a replica nest and learn about them. We’ll walk across the grassland to the bluff and down onto the beach to look for the plovers and possible other shorebirds. If there is time, we can also check out beach drift and some interesting rock formations.  

This is an easy walk, partially on soft sand and the distance is approximately a mile roundtrip. Bring binoculars, wear sturdy shoes and layer up. 

 

This field trip is not ADA accessible, bathrooms are NOT available, and the trip is open to all levels of experience.

 

Registration: Registration will open on the morning of September 5, 2025 with notification sent to MCAS members and those on the MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST. Not on the MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST? CLICK HERE to add your email to this list. 

 

Some field trips are for MCAS Members only. Consider becoming a MCAS member to support our mission and activities and enjoy these member-only field trips. CLICK HERE to join.

 

Questions? Send email to: robbie.revel@morrocoastaudubon.org

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MCAS Field Trip - SEPT 9 - Morro Rock Fall Birds

Wandering Tattler [photo by Bob Revel]  

REGISTRATION CLOSED.

Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents   

Field Trip:                 Morro Rock Fall Birds  

Date:                          9/9/2025  

Time:                         09:00am to 11:30am   

Leader(s):                 Claudia Freitas & Karen Watts  

 

Description: Enjoy a leisurely walk around both sides of the rock for excellent birdwatching opportunities. We'll observe cormorants, pelicans, sea ducks, various gull species, and a range of migratory shorebirds. Keep an eye out for our resident Peregrine Falcons and land birds that inhabit the coastal sage scrub on the rock. Special emphasis will be on the “Fall Birds” that are returning to Morro Bay from their nesting grounds in the north. This easy, one-mile walk follows a flat dirt path and paved surfaces. 

 

This field trip is ADA accessible, bathrooms are available, and the trip is open to all levels of experience.

 

Registration: Registration will open on the morning of August 30, 2025 with notification sent to MCAS members and those on the MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST. Not on the MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST? CLICK HEREto add your email to this list. 

 

Some field trips are for MCAS Members only. Consider becoming a MCAS member to support our mission and activities and enjoy these member-only field trips. CLICK HERE to join.

 

Questions? Send email to: robbie.revel@morrocoastaudubon.org

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Cuesta College - California Naturalist Course - SLO

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MCAS Field Trip - SEPT 5 - Estero Bluffs

Looking south along Estero Bluffs [photo by Joanne Aasen]

REGISTRATION CLOSED.

Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents 

Field Trip:                  Estero Bluffs 

Date:                          September 5, 2025  

Time:                          9:00am to 12:00pm  

Leader(s):                  Jim Bland & Bob Revel  

 

Description: Estero Bluffs, one of California’s newer State Parks, features a stunning grassland marine terrace that slopes down to wild and scenic ocean bluffs. Enjoy a slow-paced walk of 1.5 to 2 miles along flat trails through a rich diversity of coastal habitats. The area’s sea stacks and intertidal zones attract a wide variety of birds. Look for rock-loving shorebirds and keep an eye out for turnstones, surfbirds, whimbrels, sea ducks, terns, sandpipers, and gulls.

 

This field trip is not ADA accessible, bathrooms are NOT available, and the trip is open to all levels of experience.

 

Registration: Registration will open on the morning of August 26, 2025 with notification sent to MCAS members and those on the MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST. Not on the MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST? CLICK HEREto add your email to this list. 

 

Some field trips are for MCAS Members only. Consider becoming a MCAS member to support our mission and activities and enjoy these member-only field trips. CLICK HERE to join.

 

Questions? Send email to: robbie.revel@morrocoastaudubon.org

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MCAS Beginning Birding at SLOBG - SEPT 6th

Townsend's Warbler on Aloe at SLOBG [photo by Joanne Aasen]

New to birding? Join our beginner-friendly workshop on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at the SLO Botanical Garden. Learn to identify birds by sight and sound with our experts.

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Questions? Send email to: robbie.revel@morrocoastaudubon.org

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