Elfin Forest Activities

By Jean Wheeler

On October 5 the volunteer work party known as the "Weed Warriors" will meet from 9 am to about noon.  Anyone is welcome to join in and help pull obnoxious invading weeds and work on projects to reduce erosion. Conservation Chair Ron Rasmussen rewards his troops with his home-made cookies! Wear comfortable shoes, long pants and sleeves, and park at the north end of 15th Street in Los Osos.

Pre-Big Sit! Bird Walk — Saturday, October 12, 8:30 a.m 

Jim Royer will lead us on a bird inventory walk in preparation for Sunday's Big Sit!  This international event hosted by Birdwatcher's Digest pits participating groups of birders against one another to identify the most species of birds in one day. Our Big Sit! takes place at Bush Lupine Point. Join Jim on Saturday in finding and identifying sixty or more species of birds throughout the Elfin Forest and in the Morro Bay estuary. Regardless of your birding experience, you'll come away knowing more about birds, their calls, their habits and habitats.

Third Saturday Walk — October 19, 9:30 a.m.  CCC and the Elfin Forest

It's hard to walk anywhere in the Elfin Forest without being on or near a project of the California Conservation Corps.  The boardwalk?  They built it. Coastal scrub area near Bush Lupine Point?  They planted many of the plants.  Fences to protect sensitive habitat?  They put them up.  Join Mike Anderson, Conservation Supervisor of the Los Padres CCC for an eye-opening walk and talk about the positive impact of the CCC on the Elfin Forest and most of the rest of San Luis Obispo County.  Don't miss this rare opportunity to learn how the CCC makes our beautiful Central Coast even better.

Park at the north end of 15th Street (16th Street for wheelchairs) off Santa Ysabel in Los Osos. Walks begin on the boardwalk at the end of the 15th Street sand path.  Wear comfortable shoes, long sleeves and pants to avoid poison oak and mosquitoes.  Please park carefully, avoiding driveways and mailboxes.

Besides docent-led events, visit the Elfin Forest any day:  Experience the quiet natural beauty of this small wilderness area. Park at the north end of any street from 11th through 17th streets off Sta. Ysabel in Los Osos (please avoid blocking driveways or mailboxes) and take a sand path to the boardwalk or the wheel-chair accessible boardwalk entrance at 16th Street.

Coming Up in the Elfin Forest

October is the biggest month for arrival of birds in their fall migration — either to remain on our central coast for the winter or to pass through on their way further south to escape winter altogether in tropical climates. Bush Lupine Point and Siena's View along the boardwalk are excellent vantage points to observe year-round waterbirds as well as migrating arrivals. 

Dabbling ducks float on the surface of the estuary, dipping their heads way down to seek food with their tails pointing up in the air. Those to look for include Mallards, Northern Pintails, Gadwalls, many American and perhaps a few interloping Eurasian Wigeons, Northern Shovelers, and Teal (Blue-winged, Cinnamon, and Green-winged). Diving ducks plunge completely below the surface disappearing in search of their food.  They include Scaup (Lesser and Greater), Ring-Necked, Canvasback, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, and Ruddy Ducks.

Terrestrial species also arriving for winter include Fox, Lincoln's, and Golden-crowned Sparrows joining our year-round White-crowned Sparrows from October to March or April. Ruby-crowned Kinglets also settle in for the winter. American Robins and Hermit Thrushes replace our summer Swainson's Thrushes after those depart southward. Yellow-rumped Warblers peak in these months and Say's Phoebe joins its year-round relative, the Black Phoebe, for a winter visit. A dawn or dusk walker in the Elfin Forest may be lucky enough to see, or more likely hear, a wintering Short-eared Owl. Passing through in small flocks are Cedar Waxwings, Western Tanagers, and Pine Siskins.

October is minimal in colorful flowers, but a few species normally do continue to show some blossoms. Yellow and orange poppies are still in bloom. Dune Buckwheat may show some late opening white flowers, but most have aged to pink or rust and may even look more beautiful in these richer colors. California Asters have white to pinkish or even lavender petals around yellow central disks. Coyote Brush has yellow flowers on male plants and fluffy white flowers on female plants. Seaside Golden Yarrow may also still show the yellow flowers for which it is named. The black pompom balls on Black Sage are dead flowers that persist on the stems, but they can have a festive look, especially near Halloween!

Enjoy a pleasant stroll around the boardwalk.  Bid a fond but temporary farewell to flowers closing and birds leaving for the winter.  At the same time, joyously welcome the extraordinary birding opportunities provided by the migration season and look forward to the extravagance of wildflowers soon to open in the mild and sunny winters here on our Central California Coast.