MCAS Field Trip - APR 23 - Spring at Morro Rock

Bird Watching at Morro Rock [photo by Bobbie Revel

Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents

FIELD TRIP:       Spring at Morro Rock

DATE:                  Sunday, April 23, 2023

TIME:                   9:00 am to 11:30 am

LEADER:            Robbie Revel

CO-LEADER:     Bob Revel

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

Description: Our leisurely walk will include a visit to both sides of the rock to observe cormorants, pelicans and nesting gulls. Breeding plumage will be on display. We will look for our resident Peregrine Falcons as they begin their nesting season as well as land birds occupying the coastal sage scrub on the rock. Walk will be about 1 mile along a flat dirt path and pavement.

Wear a hat, sturdy walking shoes and dress in layers as it can be cool and windy. Bring binoculars, sunscreen, water and snacks as needed. Scopes and cameras are welcomed. Restrooms are available in the parking area. Rain cancels

Experience Level: All Levels Welcome

ADA Accessible: Yes

Registration and RSVP are required.

Registration will open on the morning of APR 8th. On that date, the LINK to the Field Trip’s Registration Form will ONLY be sent out via MCAS ALERT and SLOCOBIRDING. If you are not already a member of these email lists, you can join MCAS ALERT via JOIN MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST in the Footer of the MCAS websiteand/or SLOCOBIRDING via Groups.io.

Questions? Email Robbie Revel Robbie@morrocoastaudubon.org

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MCAS Field Trip - APR 16 - Laguna Lake

Meadows at Laguna Lake--Mark preparing for flight. [photo by Bob Revel]

Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents

FIELD TRIP:       Laguna Lake

DATE:                  Sunday, April 16, 2023

TIME:                   9:00AM-11:00AM

LEADER:            Mark Mushkat

Trip is limited to 15 participants-Signups will be taken for 24 hours. 15 participants will be randomly selected. The remainder will be put on standby status in case of cancellations.

We’ll bird the park’s trees and meadows looking for migrating songbirds, flycatchers, waterfowl and raptors. The open space and power poles are good for raptors. Marshy areas can be productive for warblers, wrens, munias and the lake offers the usual suspects and perhaps a surprise. The trail is flat and we will walk approximately 1.0-1.5 miles.

Bring binoculars and field guide; hats and sunscreen are suggested along with dressing for cool and windy conditions. Restrooms are available. Rain cancels.

ADA Accessible: Yes

Experience Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Registration and RSVP to confirmation Required!

Registration will open on the morning of APR 1^st. On that date, the LINK to the Field Trip’s Registration Form will ONLY be sent out via MCAS ALERT and SLOCOBIRDING. If you are not already a member of these email lists, you can join MCAS ALERT via JOIN MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST in the Footer of the MCAS website and/or SLOCOBIRDING via Groups.io.

Contact: Freddy Howell, freddy@morrocoastaudubon.org

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MCAS Field Trip - APR 19 - Elfin Forest

Wooly Stars and Vicky [photo by C. Gillen]

Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents

FIELD TRIP:       Elfin Forest

DATE:                  Wednesday, April 19, 2023

TIME:                   9:30AM-11AM

LEADER:            Vicky Johnsen

CO-LEADER:     Freddy Howell

Trip is limited to 15 participants - Signups will be taken for 24 hours. 15 participants will be randomly selected. The remainder will be put on standby status in case of cancellations.

DESCRIPTION:

The Elfin Forest Natural Area encompasses multiple habitats: Dune-Scrub, Maritime Chaparral, Manzanita/Oak woodland complex, and Riparian+Marsh giving us opportunities to see many different species of land birds. We will look for shorebirds, ducks, grebes and other wintering migrants from the viewing platforms. Our walk is a loop of about 1 mile on boardwalk and sandy trails.

Bring a hat, water, snacks, sunscreen, binoculars and field guides (if you have them) and dress in layers to accommodate wind and changing weather. Sturdy shoes are recommended.

Restrooms are NOT available. Rain cancels.

ADA Accessible: Yes

Experience Level: All Levels Welcome

Registration and RSVP to Confirmation Required

Registration will open on the morning of APR 4^th. On that date, the LINK to the Field Trip’s Registration Form will ONLY be sent out via MCAS ALERT and SLOCOBIRDING. If you are not already a member of these email lists, you can join MCAS ALERT via JOIN MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST in the Footer of the MCAS website and/or SLOCOBIRDING via Groups.io.

Questions? Email fieldtrips@morrocoastaudubon.org

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Video of MAR 20th Community Program - A Virtual Tour of Pacific Wildlife Care

Orphaned Western Kingbirds [photo courtesy of PWC]

Now available for viewing on MCAS YouTube Channel

Title: A Virtual Tour of Pacific Wildlife Care

Presenter: Claudia Duckworth, Pacific Wildlife Care Volunteer

Date: Monday, March 20, 2023, 7:00 pm

Description:

Pacific Wildlife Care (PWC) is San Luis Obispo County’s only licensed rehabilitation center that cares for injured birds, mammals, and reptiles. PWC also maintains a wildlife hotline that the public can call to report distressed wildlife–injured, sick, orphaned–and to receive information about local wildlife. In this presentation, longtime PWC volunteer Claudia Duckworth will show us what is happening behind the scenes at the rehab center, and will explain how the animals received by the center are treated, cared for, and rehabilitated.

Bio: 

Claudia Duckworth has been a volunteer with PWC for about 30 years and has served in multiple capacities including answering the phone hotline, working in rescue/transport, participating in the “baby bird” program, and serving on the Board. She currently volunteers at the center and is a leader of the creance team (creance is used as a method of pre-release conditioning for raptors). Claudia also houses and does programs with Corax, the PWC Education Common Raven.

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MCAS Virtual Community Program - APR 17 - Living and Working in a Penguin Colony in Antarctica

Adélie Penguins with Jean Pennycook [photo courtesy of Jean Pennycook]

MCAS Virtual Community Program

Title:               Living and Working in a Penguin Colony in Antarctica

Presenter:    Jean Pennycook

Date:              Monday, April 17th, 2023, 7:00 pm

Zoom info below

Description: In this program, Jean will share what it's like to live and work in a penguin colony and what her research team has learned about the Adélie Penguin. Her team monitors the population of these amazing birds as they respond to changes in their environment.

Bio: Jean Pennycook is an educator and researcher who studies Adélie Penguins in Antarctica and educates others about what her science team is learning about the penguins. Jean has been traveling to McMurdo Research Station in Antarctica for 20 years. In the last 17, she has worked with the Adélie Penguin research team on Ross Island where 3 colonies of penguins build their nests and raise their chicks from November through January each year.

All MCAS Zoom Community Programs are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome.

No signup/registration required to attend.

Questions? Email Wendy McKeown, Programs Chair, at wendy@morrocoastaudubon.org

Join Zoom Meeting - easiest way is to click the link:

https://zoom.us/j/2272485901?pwd=MzlSaVlpdDQ2bTJkcUFTSkFEdGQ5UT09

In case you need this: Meeting ID: 227 248 5901; Passcode: morrocoast.

Or, if you don’t have a camera or microphone on your device, use your phone to dial in:

+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)

Meeting ID: 227 248 5901; Passcode: 4788123169

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MCAS Field Trip - APR 14 - Heron and Egret Rookery Watch

Great Egret With Chicks at Heron/Egret Rookery [photo by Bob Revel]

Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents

FIELD TRIP:       Heron and Egret Rookery Watch

DATE:                  Friday, April 14, 2023

TIME:                   8:30 am - 10:30am

LEADER:            Robbie Revel

CO-LEADER:     Freddy Howell

Trip is limited to 15 participants. Signups will be taken for 24 hours.15 participants will be randomly selected. The remainder will be put on standby status in case of cancellations.

Description: Join us on a short walk through the Heron Rookery in Morro Bay State Park to learn about the courtship rituals and nesting habits of Great Blue Herons, Great and Snowy Egrets and other residents of the rookery. This is an easy walk of 1/2 mile along the dirt trail that leads through the rookery.

Wear sturdy walking shoes, bring a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, water and snacks as needed. Bring binoculars and dress in layers. Scopes and cameras welcomed. Restrooms are available. Rain cancels.

ADA Accessible: No

Experience Level: All Levels Welcome

Registration and RSVP to Confirmation Required

Registration will open on the morning of MAR 30^th. On that date, the LINK to the Field Trip’s Registration Form will ONLY be sent out via MCAS ALERT and SLOCOBIRDING. If you are not already a member of these email lists, you can join MCAS ALERT via JOIN MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST in the Footer of the MCAS website and/or SLOCOBIRDING via Groups.io.

Questions? Email fieldtrips@morrocoastaudubon.org

 

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MCAS Field Trip - APR 12 - Carrizo Plain Birds and Blooms

Super Bloom on the Carrizo Plain [photo by Mike Bush]

Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents

FIELD TRIP:       Carrizo Plain Birds and Blooms

DATE:                  Wednesday, April 12, 2023

TIME:                   8:00 am to 4:30 pm

Leaders:             Mike Bush (Birding Botanist)

                              Kathanne Lynch

Trip is limited to 15 participants. Signups will be taken for 24 hours. 15 participants will be randomly selected. The remainder will be put on standby status in case of cancellations.

Important Note: This is a 7-8 hour event and participants will need to ride share to limit the number of cars in our tour. There will be a meeting place in Santa Margarita to arrange ride shares. Driving time is 1.5 hours each way. High clearance and FWD or AWD vehicles are preferred on the roads in Carrizo. You must begin with a full tank of gas.

Join Mike Bush and Kathanne Lynch for an all day excursion to view the birds and blooms of the Carrizo Plain National Monument. The Carrizo Plain is located 80 miles from Morro Bay and is home to diverse communities of wildlife and plant species, including several listed as threatened or endangered. The eastern edge is marked by the San Andreas fault, although we will see this only from a distance and as a fault scarp. Soda Lake, its centerpiece, is a glistening bed of white salt, (now covered by water) set within a vast open grassland. We will have an assortment of wildflowers and perhaps a super bloom visible across Soda Lake, migrating as well as local birds, and perhaps a sighting of pronghorns or the endangered San Joaquin Kit Fox.

Bring a hat, water, snacks, lunch, sunscreen, binoculars and field guides (if you have them) and dress in layers to accommodate wind and changing weather. Wear sturdy hiking shoes. Scopes and Cameras are welcomed. There are no concessions in Carrizo and all water, food, and drink must be brought with you.

Restrooms are available at spots along our route. Rain cancels.

ADA Accessible: No

Experience Level: All Levels Welcome

Registration and RSVP to Confirmation Required

Registration will open on the morning of MAR 28^th. On that date, the LINK to the Field Trip’s Registration Form will ONLY be sent out via MCAS ALERT and SLOCOBIRDING. If you are not already a member of these email lists, you can join MCAS ALERT via JOIN MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST in the Footer of the MCAS website and/or SLOCOBIRDING via Groups.io.

Questions? Email fieldtrips@morrocoastaudubon.org

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MCAS Field Trip - APR 8 - Birding by Ear at Oso Flaco

Birding By Ear With Jessica [photo by Bobbie Revel]

REGISTRATION CLOSED.

Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents

FIELD TRIP:       Birding by Ear at Oso Flaco

DATE:                  Saturday, April 8th, 2023

TIME:                   8:30am to 11:30am

LEADER:            Jessica Griffiths

Trip is limited to 15 participants. Signups will be taken for 24 hours.15 participants will be randomly selected. The remainder will be put on standby status in case of cancellations.

TRIP DESCRIPTION: It’s nesting season and the birds are singing so "Birding by Ear" is back. Join Jessica Griffiths for a bird walk along the trails and boardwalk at Oso Flaco focusing on bird songs and calls. She will ID all of the bird songs heard, as well as presenting helpful tips and mnemonic devices for remembering bird songs. Includes 2-3 miles of slow walking.

Restrooms are available. Rain cancels.

ADA Accessible: Yes

Experience Level: All Levels Welcome

Registration and RSVP to Confirmation Required

Registration will open on the morning of MAR 24^th. On that date, the LINK to the Field Trip’s Registration Form will ONLY be sent out via MCAS ALERT and SLOCOBIRDING. If you are not already a member of these email lists, you can join MCAS ALERT via JOIN MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST in the Footer of the MCAS website and/or SLOCOBIRDING via Groups.io.

Questions? Email fieldtrips@morrocoastaudubon.org

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