MCAS Virtual Community Program - FEB 17 - The Triennial Tricolored Blackbird Survey, Edition 2025

Male Tricolored Blackbird [photo by Bill Haas]
MCAS February Zoom Community Program

When:        Monday, February 17th, 2025, 7:00 pm

 

Title:           The Triennial Tricolored Blackbird Survey, Edition 2025

 

Presenter:  Bill Haas, SLO County Coordinator for the Statewide TRBL Survey

 

Join Zoom Meeting Zoom Meeting ID: 983 7543 0778; Passcode: 091300

You can also find the link in the MCAS Events Calendar on our website header https://www.morrocoastaudubon.org/.

 

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

 

Description:

The Tricolored Blackbird is insect-dependent during the breeding season and largely granivorous when not breeding. Breeding-season insectivory and non-breeding granivory in this colonial species (colonies of which historically numbered in the 100,000s) put severe constraints on a bird species living in anthropogenic landscapes, where both insects and blackbirds are typically considered pests. For example, following the breeding season, most Tricolored Blackbirds move into the Sacramento Valley (although "ours" typically disperse locally), where they feed on ripening rice with other blackbirds (Beedy et. al. 2020). 

 

Due to their similarity in appearance to Red−winged Blackbirds, which may be legally taken (killed) without a permit under a depredation order (50 CFR 21.43), many Tricolored Blackbirds are shot each fall as they feed on ripening rice. This, in addition to historical conversion of Central Valley marsh to agriculture (and other factors) have caused the Tricolored Blackbird population to drop substantially since the 1930s. Surveys in 1934 estimated >700,000 birds in just eight counties (Neff 1937). In contrast, surveys in 2014 estimated 145,000 birds in 37 counties (Meese 2014).

 

Since 1994, the statewide survey has been the primary means by which the population of this species is assessed. The goal of the survey is to obtain a statewide estimate of the number of adult Tricolored Blackbirds in California. Tricolored Blackbirds are most accurately and comprehensively counted when at their breeding colonies; they are relatively sedentary at breeding colonies, when most of the population(s) congregate, which allows observers to make multiple, statistically significant estimates of colony size. (References available on request.)

 

Bill Haas will present a brief history of the survey; an assessment of the current status of the species statewide and locally; a brief description of the survey protocol; an introduction to a program he has initiated with the State, California, Audubon, and several resource conservation districts to create or restore breeding habitat in SLO, Monterey, and Santa Barbara counties.

 

Bio: Bill’s initial interest in the Tricolored Blackbird dates back to the early 1990s when, having recently returned from a 4-year Peace Corps assignment in Central America, he moved to San Diego. There he met Philip Unitt, the current curator of birds and mammals at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Phil’s interest in San Diego County’s breeding birds was contagious and when Bill asked which county species were of greatest interest to Phil and to the Museum, he responded: “Willow Flycatcher and Tricolored Blackbird.” The result? A 20-year study of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher along the San Luis Rey River and an annual assessment of “Trikes” wherever he moved, which, after San Diego included Butte, Tehama, Glenn counties and currently, Kern, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo Counties. He is currently the State’s triennial survey coordinator for San Luis Obispo County. The 2025 survey will be Bill’s 8th, and 4th as a county coordinator.

 

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

 

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

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MCAS Field Trip - FEB 8 - Hardie Park & Cayucos Creek

Spotted Sandpiper may be one of the many wintering species
at Hardie Park this time of year [photo by Mark Mushkat]

Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents  

FIELD TRIP:        Hardie Park & Cayucos Creek  

DATE:                  Saturday, February 8, 2025  

TIME:                   9:00am - 11:00am  

LEADER:             Mark Mushkat  

Trip is limited to 12 participants - Signups will be taken for 24 hours. Participants will be randomly selected. The remainder will be put on standby status in case of cancellations. Only registered people may attend.

Mark is asking that everyone who wishes to go on a field trip with him to have an eBird account. It is free, easy, and serves a highly important role in global citizen science. The eBird data is critical for countless research projects that impact conservation and funding policies around the world. The website also has amazing resources that can help you become a better and more responsible birder. 

 

Your registration requires your eBird user name on the form. Go to ebird.org/home to create your account. 

Description: Explore Hardie Park and Cayucos Creek.  We’ll start at Hardie Park looking for wintering songbirds. Then we will walk to check the pool at the river mouth for gulls and shorebirds. It’s an excellent location in winter to see Ruddy and Black Turnstones and Surfbirds on the rocks to the north. We’ll walk a few hundred feet south to the pier. The pier sometimes allows close looks at scoters, terns, and sometimes Sooty Shearwaters. The road and trail are flat and we will walk about a mile.

ADA Accessible: No

Experience Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Registration and RSVP to confirmation Required! 

Registration will open on the morning of JAN 29th. On that date, MCAS members will automatically receive an ALERT with the LINK to the Field Trip’s Registration Form.

Non-members can receive ALERTS from MCAS regarding Field Trips, Community Programs, and other MCAS activities. You will need to fill out the MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST sign up form in the footer of theMCAS website. You can also join the SLOCOBIRDING email list to get ALERTs via Groups.io. (Field Trip alerts only)

Please consider becoming a member of MCAS to support MCAS’s mission and activities, including Field Trips.

Questions? Email Freddy Howell freddy@morrocoastaudubon.org

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Morro Coast Audubon Society Winter Auction!


ANNOUNCING:   

The Morro Coast Audubon Society Winter Auction  

Auction starts:      Mon Jan 13th, 2025 12:00pm  

Auction ends:       Sun Jan 19th, 2025 3:00pm   

Auction Preview available now!   

Auction Website   

Preview and bid on our auction items online (use above link).

Items will also be available for viewing at the Morro Bay Community Center at the Winter Bird Festival during Bird Festival Bazaar hours.

Stop by and visit us at our table in the Bazaar.

Please consider bidding on an item or making a donation.

You will be helping us to accomplish our mission - to promote the appreciation, conservation, and restoration of ecosystems, focusing on the biological diversity of birds, other wildlife, and their habitats, particularly in SLO County.

A huge thanks to our sponsors: 

Mike Post, Melody Fountain in memory of husband Bob Stone, Mimi Whitney-Hafft (Morro Bay Art Association), Miner's Ace Hardware, and the Morro Bay Bird Festival.

 Photo: Bird Migration, Michaela, Pixabay  
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MCAS Field Trip - FEB 4 - Pines and Oak Woodland, Black Hill

Great-horned Owl [photo by Claudia Freitas]

Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents  

FIELD TRIP:       Pines and Oak Woodland, Black Hill  

DATE:                  Tuesday, February 4, 2025  

TIME:                   9:00am to 11:00am  

LEADER:            Claudia Freitas  

CO-LEADER:     Karen Watts  

Trip is limited to 12 participants - Signups will be taken for 24 hours. Participants will be randomly selected. The remainder will be put on standby status in case of cancellations. Only registered people may attend.

Description: Walk through pines, coastal scrub, and oak woodlands on the back side of Black Hill. We will be looking for songbirds, woodpeckers, birds of prey, and more. Distance of walk: 1.5 miles Terrain Description: Mostly flat dirt trail; some slightly uphill sections. Restrooms are not available.

ADA Accessible: No

Experience Level: All Levels Welcome

Registration and RSVP to confirmation Required! 

Registration will open on the morning of JAN 25th. On that date, MCAS members will automatically receive an ALERT with the LINK to the Field Trip’s Registration Form.

Non-members can receive ALERTS from MCAS regarding Field Trips, Community Programs, and other MCAS activities. You will need to fill out the MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST sign up form in the footer of theMCAS website. You can also join the SLOCOBIRDING email list to get ALERTs via Groups.io. (Field Trip alerts only)

Please consider becoming a member of MCAS to support MCAS’s mission and activities, including Field Trips.

Questions? Email Robbie Revel robbie@morrocoastaudubon.org

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Cuesta College Community Programs Natural History Series

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 Cuesta College Community Programs Natural History Series:

 
otter mom with otter baby#1 Observing Marine Mammals along the Central Coast - Saturday, January 25, 2025 
What are the characteristics that distinguish between seals and sea lions? Baleen and toothed whales? What ocean-dwelling marine mammal is a member of the weasel family? Discuss marine mammal adaptations for a life at sea, including diving physiology, thermoregulation, and echolocation. Learn about key identification features of local cetacean and pinniped species.
Van field trip from Morro Bay to San Simeon at coastal observation sites to observe gray whales migrating from cold arctic waters to calving grounds in Mexico, sea otters rafting in kelp beds, elephant seals on the beach at the height of pupping season, harbor seals hauled out in the rocky intertidal zone, barking California sea lions, and possibly pods of nearshore dolphins.
falcon hunting#2 Searching for Raptors - Saturday, February 08, 2025
Learn about the biology, classification, migration, flight characteristics, and predatory adaptations of locally occurring birds-of-prey, both year-round resident and seasonally overwintering raptors. Learn to identify and recognize the diagnostic visual field marks useful in identification of species of Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, Ospreys, Kites, Harriers, Accipiters, Vultures, and Owls. 
Guided van field trip to birding locations on the Central Coast, including Morro Rock, site of the locally renowned nesting Peregrine falcons, as well as estuary and coastal salt marsh, grasslands/agricultural fields, shrublands, oak and streamside woodlands, and the urban mix of planted landscapes - where raptors frequent overwintering, foraging, and nesting habitats. Sightings of more than a dozen species of raptors are likely. 
great egret#3 Birding the Morro Bay Estuary - Saturday, February 22, 2025
Identify many of the migratory, over-wintering, nesting, and year-long resident bird species that occupy the many diverse habitats here on the Central Coast. Practice bird watching skills that rely on observing characteristic field marks, bird behavior, and the acquired skill of ‘birding by ear’. Participants will observe and identify passerine (perching) birds, shorebirds such as sandpipers and plovers, waterbirds such as ducks, geese, loons, grebes, gulls, pelicans and cormorants, long-legged waders such as herons and egrets, and birds of prey, including the famous locally nesting peregrine falcons at Morro Rock and sightings of fish-hunting osprey over the bay. The annual Morro Bay Christmas Bird Count ranks among the highest counts in North America for the numbers of bird species found within a 15-mile diameter count circle, and the annual Big Sit birding survey overlooking Morro Bay from the Elfin Forest is also nationally renowned. Van field trip to Morro Bay estuary and its 48,000-acre watershed.  Morro Bay's coastal salt marsh, mudflats, estuary, beach, dunes, and associated upland watershed are recognized as vital feeding and resting habitats for thousands of birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway, arriving and departing from as far away as the arctic tundra to the north and the Neotropical rainforests to the south. Make stops at several of the accessible and popular birding locations along the perimeter of the bay, including Morro Rock, the Heron Rookery, State Park Marina, the Elfin Forest boardwalk and Audubon Overlook in Baywood Park, and the Sweet Springs Nature Preserve in Los Osos.  
monument#4 LIVE REMOTE Zoom - Paleontology - Searching for Fossils on a Virtually Guided Field Trip - Thursday, March 13, 2025
Study fossil forming processes and geologic dating methods. Distinguish between different fossil types, examples including altered and unaltered fossil finds, petrified wood and bones, carbon imprints, casts and molds, and trace fossils. Observe paleontologists at work in the field and lab carefully excavating, identifying, and reconstructing their fossil finds.
Well-known fossil locations in the Western U.S. are featured - accessible for visitation by the public - including sites at the famous La Brea Tar Pits in California, Ginkgo Petrified Forest and the John Day fossil beds in Oregon, Dinosaur National Monument in Utah, Ichthyosaur State Park in the deserts of Nevada, Petrified Forest National Park in the Painted Desert of Arizona, the dinosaur track ways in Colorado, and petrified trees still standing on the volcanic slopes in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.                   
Take a virtual field trip locally, traveling eastward along Highway 58 in San Luis Obispo County. The route follows a geological transect in time spanning tens of millions of years, a ‘slice in time’, reconstructing ancient shorelines of an inland sea and subsequent mountain uplift of granitic and sedimentary rock formations along fault zones within the present-day Coast Ranges. Examine marine shells embedded in ancient sandstones and shale outcrops along the field trip route, and evidence of the Ice Age mega-fauna that roamed these local terrains long ago.
carrizo plain#5 Springtime on the Carrizo Plain - Saturday, March 22, 2025
Explore the expansive 200,000+ acres Carrizo Plain National Monument in southeast San Luis Obispo County, viewing spectacular wildflower displays among grasslands, vernal pools, and desert scrub habitats.  Native American pictographs are renowned at Painted Rock, and the highest elevation in the county occurs in the bordering Caliente Range. Geographic features and scenic vistas include Overlook Hill, the salt playa of Soda Lake, and trace of the San Andreas Fault along the base of the Temblor Range. Visit the Goodwin Education Center. Likely sightings of raptors include eagles, hawks and falcons. Search for wildlife including tule elk, pronghorn antelope, antelope ground squirrels and giant kangaroo rats. The Carrizo is a remnant of the once vast Central Valley grasslands and home to many endemics, rare and endangered flora and fauna.
For more information please the Carrizo Plain website at: https://www.blm.gov/visit/carrizo-plain-national-monument 
Bring a sack lunch and picnic dinner for longer field trips, snacks, water, binoculars, and field guide references. Dress warm in layers. Van transportation provided. A parking permit is required to leave your vehicle on campus during each field trip. 
WEATHER POLICY...If a class is canceled due to safety or weather issues, students will be notified by Cuesta Community Program....the class will be rescheduled or full refunds will be given. If the class or program is on the weekend, the instructor will make the decision and call all registered.
CLASS SCHEDULE: Subject to Change: Due to their very nature, our classes are “subject to change”. Class change notices will be sent via email to the email address on file. Please check your email OR check class status at the Community Programs website before your scheduled class. 
DATES: 5 meetings: January 1 - March 22, 2025
FEE: $300 for the series, or enroll for any individual class below:
MODE OF DELIVERY: 4 field trips to varied locations with an in person classroom lecture before; and one zoom session
INSTRUCTOR: Steve Schubert
QUESTIONS: Contact instructor at s_schub1@msn.com
Meet the instructor
Instructor Steve Schubert
Steve attended college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and received a Master’s degree in Field Biology and a Life Sciences Secondary Teaching Credential. He taught high school biology and earth sciences for several years, has taught natural history courses for Cuesta College Community Programs more than 25 years and works as a naturalist instructor at a local residential outdoor school program called Camp KEEP (Kern Environmental Education Program), attended by more than 3,000 6th grade students each school year.
He served on the committee that published the book “Wildflowers of San Luis Obispo” and the eBook “Plants of the Carrizo Plain”.  Steve authored the book entitled “The Peregrine Falcons of Morro Rock – A 50-year History”, available at Amazon.com.  He is past-President of Morro Coast Audubon Society and is the Volunteer Coordinator of the Hi Mountain Lookout Project (www.facebook.com/condorlookout), a restored fire lookout in Los Padres National Forest where volunteers and college interns radiotrack the movements of California Condors and conduct biological field research projects. He has been a speaker and field trip leader for the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival each year since its inception more than 25 years ago.
Steve enjoys kayaking, running, biking, hiking, playing basketball, and wildlife and landscape photography (photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12571965@N07
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MCAS Field Trip EVENT - FEB 21 - Birds & Wine: San Simeon/Harmony Cellars

San Simeon Day Use Area [photo by Bob Keally]
Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents  

FIELD TRIP:        Birds & Wine: San Simeon/Harmony Cellars  

DATE:                  Friday, February 21, 2025  

TIME:                   9:00am-11:30am Field Trip, 11:30am-1:00pm Wine Tasting  

LEADERS:          MCAS Leaders  

Description: Join Morro Coast Audubon leaders for a leisurely stroll along the San Simeon boardwalk to view the amazing variety of birds that winter on the beach and along San Simeon Creek. Expect to see shorebirds, ocean ducks, snowy plovers, warblers along the creek, and ducks aplenty. This is one of the most likely areas to spot Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles. After the field trip, we will meet at Harmony Cellars for more bird watching and a delicious wine experience provided by Harmony Cellars and a cheese box from the Paso Robles Wine Merchant. Restrooms are available.

Trip is limited to 18 participants.

Step 1: Signup and purchase ticket(s) ($45/person) for Winter Birds of the California Coast through Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (PRWCA). You will receive an email  to confirm your reservation from PRWCA. Exact meeting location will be given to those with confirmed reservations.

Step 2: Once your ticket(s) with PRWCA has been confirmed, notify MCAS for the event so that we know you are coming to the Field Trip. Both steps are required to attend this special event.

ADA Accessible: No

Experience Level: All Levels Welcome

Registration and RSVP to confirmation Required!

Questions? Email Freddy Howell freddy@morrocoastaudubon.org

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State Parks Outing - JAN 1 - Birds & Butterflies


Birds & Butterflies

January 1st, 2025 9:30 am -11:00 am at the Monarch Butterfly Grove

This New Years, come walk among the monarch butterflies in the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove with Docent Peggy! What else lives in the butterfly grove...Birds of course! Many different kinds of birds are present in the butterfly grove at the same time the butterflies are overwintering there. What is their relationship and can they co-exist? 

We will observe the monarchs and discuss their overwintering behavior. Also, we will walk through this riparian habitat and look for whatever bird species we can find. Frequently we see Great Horned Owls, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawks, Townsend’s and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and many more.  

Meet at the Monarch Butterfly Grove for an easy 1 mile walk that is wheelchair accessible. Bring binoculars, a camera (optional), sunscreen, hat, comfortable walking shoes, and water.  

RSVP at 805-474-2664!  

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MCAS Field Trip - JAN 1 - Habitat: First Day at Morro Rock Beach


Morro Rock Beach [photo by Faylla Chapman]  
REGISTRATION CLOSED.  

Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents  

FIELD TRIP:       Habitat: First Day at Morro Rock Beach  

DATE:                 Wednesday, January 1, 2025  

TIME:                  2:00pm to 4:00pm  

LEADER:            Faylla Chapman   

CO-LEADER:     Sharon Iranpour  

Trip is limited to 30 participants randomly selected. The remainder will be put on standby status in case of cancellations. Only registered people may attend.

Description: Join Faylla Chapman and Sharon Iranpour on New Year’s Day to learn about the sandy beach habitat and the organisms that inhabit it.  Then, as we walk along, we’ll find and talk about the small things that contribute to the whole environment.  Some are often overlooked and can be found both by the water and higher near the dunes.  We will even look for birds out enjoying the first day of the new year. Distance of walk: 1 mile. Terrain Description: Soft to hard packed sand after reaching the beach. Restrooms are available.

ADA Accessible: No

Experience Level: All Levels Welcome

Registration and RSVP to confirmation Required! 

Registration will open on the morning of DEC 22nd. On that date, MCAS members will automatically receive an ALERT with the LINK to the Field Trip’s Registration Form.

Non-members can receive ALERTS from MCAS regarding Field Trips, Community Programs, and other MCAS activities. You will need to fill out the MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST sign up form in the footer of the MCAS website. You can also join the SLOCOBIRDING email list to get ALERTs via Groups.io. (Field Trip alerts only)

Please consider becoming a member of MCAS to support MCAS’s mission and activities, including Field Trips.

Questions? Email Freddy Howell freddy@morrocoastaudubon.org 

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