Elfin Forest Activities

By Jean Wheeler

When parking near the Elfin Forest while visiting, please avoid blocking driveways or mailboxes.

Saturday, May 7:  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 sturdy shoes, long pants and sleeves, and park at the north end of 15th Street in Los Osos.

Third Saturday Walk—May 21, 9:30 a.m.

Wildflower Walk:  Regardless of whether there have been April showers, the Elfin Forest always has May flowers, because the Forest's hardy native plants are used to doing without water.  Dirk Walters will take us on a delightful tour of almost everything that's in bloom in the Elfin Forest.  There will be bright yellows of Fiddlenecks, Rush-roses, Deerweed , Golden Yarrow and, of course, California Poppies.  White Popcorn flowers, Pearly Everlasting and Yarrow plants are in abundance too, as well as pink Cobwebby Thistles and blue Wild Hyacinths.  The Silver Dune Lupines at Bush Lupine Point should be covered with pale blue blossoms, and alive with honeybees and Morro Blue butterflies.  Treat yourself to a springtime experience in nature's own garden.

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. 

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

Our Elfin Forest is never dull, but May is an especially colorful month with lots of flowers in bloom attracting many insects and birds.  Flowers to look for against the green backdrop include white California sagebrush, chamise, and popcorn flowers and the bright yellows and oranges of California poppies, dudleya, deerweed, fiddleneck, golden yarrow, and sticky monkey-flowers.  Slightly less common but worth looking for are pink California roses and native cobwebby thistles.  Red fuchsia-flowering gooseberries are just finishing their blooming season while in the understory are Indian pinks--red flowers with edges seemingly cut by pinking shears. Blue flowers blooming this month include blue dicks (wild hyacinth) and the lovely spikes of blue flowers on silver dune lupines around Bush Lupine Point.

Silver dune lupine bushes host caterpillars for the Moro Blue Butterfly.  This plant has been so displaced by urban development that it and these butterflies dependent upon it are found in few places now.  Their survival is of concern and it is encouraging that both the plant and the butterflies now appear to be thriving in the Elfin Forest.  Many other butterflies continue to flit around mating and laying eggs on the native plants around the boardwalk.  Bumble bees and honey bees are also busy around the many flowers in bloom.

Most of our year-round birds and the summer breeders that wintered in Central or South America are very busy building nests, incubating eggs, or already feeding their first clutch of chicks.  Perhaps easiest to see and hear are Anna's Hummingbirds, California Jays, California Quail, Spotted Towhees, California Towhees, Bewick's Wrens, Bushtits, at least five species of sparrows, and California Thrashers.  Wrentits are often heard but seldom seen, although I caught an unusual quick look at one while on our third Saturday walk in April. It was singing near Bush Lupine Point atop instead of hidden inside bushes as they usually are. Their songs are easily distinguished by sex, a series of notes staying at the same pitch for the females while the males' song is similar but descending as the song ends.

Don't forget your binoculars and camera as you enjoy a stroll around the boardwalk surrounded by the beautiful flowers and busy wildlife of springtime.

Unless otherwise attributed, all photos, including the Spotted Towhee banner image, are taken by Jean.