Jean
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Elfin
Forest Activities
by
Jean Wheeler
Saturday October 4: 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. Wear comfortable shoes,
long pants and sleeves, and park at the north end of 15th Street in Los
Osos. Ron rewards his warriors with his delicious homemade cookies as
the morning's labors conclude!
Second Saturday Walk:
October 11,
8:30 am—Pre-Big Sit! Walk
In preparation for the
international Big Sit! birding event on Sunday, October 12,
coordinating birder Jim Royer will lead us on a bird inventory walk.
This international event, hosted by
Birdwatcher's Digest pits
participating groups of birders against one another to identify the
most species of birds from within a 17-foot circle in one day. Our Big
Sit! takes place at Bush Lupine Point in the Elfin Forest. Join Jim on
Saturday in finding and identifying 60 or more species of birds
throughout the Elfin Forest and in the Morro Bay estuary. You'll come
away knowing more about birds, their call, their habits and habitats.
Second Sunday Walk:
October 12,
10 am – Waiting for Rains
Vicky Johnsen will guide
us in
finding out how the plants and animals of the Elfin Forest get through
the dry times. AND IF some rain came before October 12, look at what
changes it brings!
Third Saturday Walk:
October 18,
9:30 a.m. – Reptile Walk
Join Cal Poly biologist
and
reptile specialist Tony Frazier as he tours the Elfin Forest in search
of the Coast Horned Lizard and maybe the Southern Alligator Lizard.
We'll be sure to find some Western Fence Lizards sunning themselves on
the boardwalk rails. Since most of the Forest's reptiles and amphibians
are hard to find, Tony will bring reptile skins and perhaps a live
critter or two so walk participants can see what some of those small
and retiring Forest inhabitants look like. Learn how these elfin
creatures behave, survive, and protect themselves from predators.
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 Santa Ysabel in Los Osos, avoiding driveways
and mailboxes.
Coming
Up in the Elfin Forest
Sagebrush |
Despite the extreme drought, the Elfin Forest is showing some floral
decorations for autumn. As shown in the center of the accompanying
photo, dune buckwheat flowers from the summer have dried to an
attractive rust color. They are flanked on both sides in that photo and
over much of the boardwalk area by pompoms of flowers on stalks of
black sage, the formerly white bursts of flowers now aged to black.
They give the landscape a distinctively Halloween look! California
asters continue to bloom, if in somewhat less profusion than usual,
with their white to lavender rays around yellow central discs.
Although our elfin live
oaks have
been defoliated by oak moth caterpillars and the drought and many
shrubs are very desiccated, some species are still bright green. Mock
heather appears the brightest green, and I notice California sagebrush
is showing up more against the fading gray-green of other shrubs around
and over it.
Teal |
October is the main arrival month for most of the ducks that virtually
cover Morro Bay National Estuary through the winter months, especially
for Mallards, American Wigeons, three species of teal, and Ruddy Ducks.
Canada Geese also begin showing up in October. Horned, Eared,
Pied-billed, Western, and Clark's Grebes arrive from September to
November and remain until March or April. Shorebirds like Sandpipers,
Dowitchers, and the American Avocet also reach peak populations in
winter with birds arriving from shorelines farther north that won't
support them in winter.
Gnatcacther |
On land, the Elfin Forest itself plays host to brush or woodland birds
either migrating through or wintering here. These include several
species of sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushes, Say's
Phoebe, Cedar Waxwings, Western Tanagers, and Pine Siskins. And, of
course, our year- round resident birds are still flitting, diving, or
scratching around among the shrubs such as Blue-gray Gnatcatchers,
California and Spotted Towhees, Bewick's Wren, Western Scrub-Jays, and
California Quail.
Enjoy an autumn walk
around the
boardwalk with the everyday activities of our year-around resident
wildlife as well as all the seasonal birds arriving, departing, or
passing through on their way to their tropical winter resorts.
Meanwhile let us hope that rains early and often will soon bring relief
to struggling shrubs and the wildlife dependent upon them.
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