PACIFIC FLYWAY NEWSLETTER - December 2020 - January 2021




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EUREKA! - THE BIRDS OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, October 2020

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OCTOBER 2020

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Giving Tuesday: Osprey Nest Platform

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Osprey attempting nest building on a sailboat mast [Photo by Julie Kirby]

First, we want to sincerely thank you for all of your generosity to this chapter.  Your assistance through volunteer hours and financial support, as well as participation in our events and programs, has been amazing.  Thank you.

This year we have a special ask for #GivingTuesday.  Many of you have seen the Osprey in the Morro Bay area and some of you have even provided photographic proof of them trying to establish nesting sites (unsuccessfully) in the Bay.  Following many discussions with experts, as well as local, state, and federal agencies, we are ready to move forward with establishing two nesting platforms for the Osprey.  We hope the Osprey won’t be discouraged from their year of trying and will find our nesting platforms acceptable.  

[Photo by Mike Bush]
We anticipate the costs of the platforms, installation and permits to be in the area of $5,000.  If you have an interest in the Osprey and in #GivingTuesday, please consider a MCAS online One-Time Targeted Donation to Giving Tuesday: Osprey Platform.  Or, send a check to MCAS, PO Box 1507, Morro Bay, CA 93443 (Memo: “Osprey Platform”). The first $500 will be matched by a generous donor. So, in the spirit of #GivingTuesday, please consider a donation to provide nesting sites to our interested Osprey! 


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2021 Libbie Agran Scholarship for Cuesta College Students

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FALL SHOREBIRD SURVEY -- Saturday, DEC 5th

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NOTE: This year we will be observing COVID-19 safety protocols as advised by National Audubon and Point Blue. These are: 
  •  No sharing of vehicles with out-of-family/living groups (everyone in their own vehicle); 
  •  Counters must maintain 6’ physical distance from anyone not in their family/living group; 
  •  Everyone should have a mask with them for circumstances where 6’ distance cannot be maintained. 
The 2020 Annual Morro Bay Fall Shorebird Survey, sponsored by Morro Coast Audubon and Audubon California, is being held on Saturday, December 5th, 9am-11am (bad weather fallback date is Saturday, December 12th, 10am-noon). Please consider volunteering to help with this important annual effort that will help us keep track of the numbers of shorebirds using Morro Bay and will contribute to data on shorebird abundance throughout the Pacific Flyway. Shorebirds are an important bioindicator of the health of the bay and the Pacific Flyway. 

Under the coordination of Point Blue Conservation Science, shorebird surveys were conducted in Morro Bay between April 1988 and August 1994. Using the same protocol, Audubon and Morro Bay National Estuary Program have continued the effort with surveys since 2003. 

Observers will be counting birds from land with spotting scopes, from kayaks or canoes on the water, from the Sandspit and Morro Strand, and from Morro Rock to the Rocky Point (Northpoint). Collecting these data will provide a view of the variability of shorebird numbers seasonally and annually, with the overall goal of tracking long-term trends. Data are entered into the Pacific Flyway Shorebird Survey database. 

About 25 volunteers are needed, and first time volunteers or beginner birders are welcome to this event (we will pair you with an expert!). If you are interested in participating, please email Dave Tyra at dave@morrocoastaudubon.org.










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VIDEO -- Nov 16th Community Program: Trans-Pacific Migrations

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The video of the November 16th Community Program, Trans-Pacific Migrations, has been posted to the MCAS YouTube Channel.

Now ready for you to view and enjoy at your leisure.

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Carrizo Plain Christmas Bird Count Gears up...


The 2020 Carrizo Plain Christmas Bird Count will be on Saturday, January 2nd. Plans will firm up after November 15th. The Carrizo Plain Christmas Bird Count is on a different day than the Morro Bay CBC, and our local birders are encouraged to participate in both counts. Register for the Carrizo Plain CBC by contacting Kathanne Lynch at kathannelynch1@gmail.com or 303-968-4750 (cell). 

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9th Annual BLACK OYSTERCATCHER Survey - 2020 Final Report

 


The 2020 Black Oystercatcher Survey has been completed. This summary is for year nine of a ten-year survey that is overseen by Audubon California and sponsored by Morro Coast Audubon Society and California State Parks (more acknowledgements on pgs 22-23).
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