Super Bloom on the Carrizo Plain [photo by Mike Bush] |
REGISTRATION CLOSED.
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 28th. 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