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With our busy school visitation season winding down, our summer activities began in mid-June with presentations for the City of San Luis Obispo Ranger Youth Summer Camps. These were held, for boys and girls ages 7-9, at the Johnson Ranch House in San Luis Obispo. One interesting fact for us is that we presented our program in the BARN! Definitely a first! We will do another presentation for their second camp session in early August at the same location. |
| Other summer event venues in July and August will be the Creation Care Camp at Santa Margarita Park and the SLO County 4-H Healthy Living youth summer camp. We will spend the mornings presenting our “Birds in Your Neighborhood” program followed by sessions of bird walks and hands-on activities. |
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Huge thanks from Morro Coast Audubon to our marvelous team of MCAS environmental educators for another great year of sharing their love of birds and nature with the boys and girls of San Luis Obispo County. The Education Team is: Sue Barton, Karen Beckman, Freddy Howell, Vicky Johnsen, Jackie Knowlton, Ann Little, Judy Neuhauser, and Kaaren Perry—MCAS Education Chair. Targeted donations, to help support this MCAS Education program, are happily accepted. |
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MCAS 2018 Summer Education Season Begins
EUREKA! THE BIRDS OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY - May 2018
To VIEW, PRINT, or DOWNLOAD Eureka! click READ MORE. Then move cursor over the Eureka! displayed below and click the "Pop-out" icon in the top-right corner.
From the now newly opened window, you can read Eureka! OR use the icons in the top-right corner to PRINT or DOWNLOAD Eureka!.
Photo-to-Postcard contest is underway
First, click READ MORE.
Now move cursor over the large flyer and click the "Pop-out" icon in the top-right corner.
From the now newly opened window, you can PRINT or DOWNLOAD the flyer.
MCAS Photo-to-Postcard Contest Begins!
| MCAS is announcing the first annual amateur Photo-to-Postcard Contest!
Amateur photographers who are members of MCAS and have a wildlife/nature photograph that they took in San Luis Obispo County are encouraged to participate. We have seen so many magnificent photographs from our members, and we want to share this year’s THREE winning photos with the general public--in the form of postcards that will be available for sale at the MCAS Office and at the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival. |
2018 Timeline:
September 1st: Photo submissions must be received BEFORE this date.
September 7th thru October 31st: The general public and our membership may cast their votes either ONLINE or in the MCAS Office.
Early November: The top three photos and winners will be announced.
Mid-November: The top three photographs selected by votes will be made into postcards and will be available for sale.
Go to MCAS website for more details and contest rules.
Annual June Picnic Potluck and Bird Walk
(note: previously scheduled bat walk has been cancelled)
WHEN: Monday, June 18th, beginning at 5 pm
WHERE: El Chorro Regional Park, Poppy Group Area (near the entrance and across from the ball park).
5:00-6:15 pm: Join Audrey and Kyle Weichert for a bird walk around El Chorro Regional Park.
6:15-7:00 pm: The Potluck takes place! Bring your main dish, a side dish to share, and your own reusable table setting, in addition to a picnic tablecloth if you have one. Assorted soft drinks will be provided by MCAS hospitality. The event is open to all at no charge.
The event is open to all at no charge, and all ages are welcome.
EUREKA! THE BIRDS OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY -- April 2018
To VIEW, PRINT, or DOWNLOAD Eureka! click READ MORE. Then move cursor over the Eureka! displayed below and click the "Pop-out" icon in the top-right corner.From the now newly opened window, you can read Eureka! OR use the icons in the top-right corner to PRINT or DOWNLOAD Eureka!.
1950 California Condor Sighting
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| #16 "Orville" Hatched: 06/04/2013 in Boise, ID Released: 10/28/2015 in Big Sur, CA Both photos, taken by Kaaren Perry on 4/15/2018, are of #16 circling Hollister Peak near Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo County, CA. |
by Calvin French (a member of Audubon for over 50 years)
I saw my first condor about 1950 on the western slope of the Santa Lucias, just south of The Grade. My friend and I were riding our horses. He called, "Look at that buzzard on the ground down there." We approached, and instead of taking off, the "buzzard" ran down the hillside about 50 feet before it could get airborne. Both we young teenagers somehow knew about condors, and we yelled exuberantly about seeing one.
It would be about 50 years before I saw another one, actually more than one, on my walk across California, some on the Tejon Ranch and others on Wind Wolves.
Cal
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| #16 at Hollister Peak, Morro Bay, CA |
(California condors (Gymnogyps californianus) were listed as endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act on March 11, 1967. As of Oct 31, 2012, the total condor population was 409 birds [that number has increased since 2012] and 232 of those were in the wild [extracted from http://www.ventanaws.org/species_condors_history/].
In 1987, the last wild California Condor was taken into captivity to join the 26 remaining condors in an attempt to bolster the population through a captive breeding program. At that time, it was uncertain whether or not North America's largest flying land bird (by wingspan, 9.5 feet) would ever again soar in the wild [extracted from http://www.ventanaws.org/species_the_condor_story/].
So, in 1950, Cal was viewing one of the last Surviving California Condors in the wild.)
FIELD TRIP: Birding by Ear - El Choro Regional Park
FULL!!
Saturday, June 2nd
This will be the third, and final, Birding by Ear trip this season.
This will be the third, and final, Birding by Ear trip this season.
We are again limiting the number of participants to 17. Participants must contact Jan Surbey, MCAS field trips chair, to request and receive a confirmed reservation for the trip.
Jessica Griffiths will again lead this Birding by Ear trip, which will take place on Saturday, June 2nd, at El Chorro Regional Park. Exact meeting time and location will be given to those with confirmed reservations.
Bring water, snacks, binoculars and field guides (if you have them) and dress in layers to accommodate changing weather. Sturdy shoes are recommended as there will be 1-2 miles of slow walking.
Appropriate for ages 12 and up and all levels of birding expertise. Although the field trip itself is being offered FREE of charge, there is a $5 per vehicle fee to enter the park on weekends this time of year.
To reserve the LAST SPOT on this trip and receive exact meeting time and location, please contact jansurbey@earthlink.net
FIELD TRIP: Cerro Alto Campground
Field trip to Cerro Alto, Saturday May 12th
Join leader Will Knowlton for this morning walk along the road into Cerro Alto Campground. Expected birds would be: Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Cassin's Vireo, Western Wood-Pewee, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Brown Creeper, Purple Finch, and Olive-sided Flycatcher.
All ages and experience levels are welcome, but the trip is limited to 12 participants. Those interested must reserve a spot by emailing Jan Surbey, MCAS field trip chair (jansurbey@earthlink.net). Jan will send start time and directions to those with reservations.
There is a $10 day-use fee. Due to an agreement with the concessionaire, neither National Forest Adventure passes nor National Park public lands passes are accepted in lieu of paying the day-use fees
MCAS Community Program - MAY 21st - Eelgrass Recovery
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MBNEP Volunteer, Marc Couacaud, helps harvest eelgrass near Coleman Beach for transplanting in February 2018. Photo Credit: Vince Cicero
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MBNEP staff and volunteers transplant
eelgrass in Morro Bay in February 2018.
Photo Credit: Carolyn Geraghty
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Building Partnerships to Inform Eelgrass Recovery in Morro Bay
Presented by Carolyn Geraghty, Restoration Projects Manager, Morro Bay National Estuary Program
When: Monday, May 21st7:00 pm
Where:SLO Botanical Garden, Oak Glen Pavilion, El Chorro Regional Park
Carolyn Geraghty of the Morro Bay National Estuary Program will discuss how the Estuary Program and partners have used an adaptive management approach to monitoring, restoration, and applied science to better understand eelgrass recovery in the estuary. The Morro Bay estuary was once abundant with eelgrass (Zostera marina) but has experienced a dramatic decline. Carolyn will present results from experimental plantings and seeding efforts, which have refined their understanding of the most suitable methods, locations, and season for planting. Presentation results will also draw from Cal Poly research and observations by John Roser on water quality and biological impacts (e.g., brant geese) to eelgrass.
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California Conservation Corps member,
Tim Scully, helps the MBNEP
transplant eelgrass in March 2018.
Photo Credit: Carolyn Geraghty
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