October 6: 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.
October 13, 8:30 a.m. – Pre-Big Sit! Bird Walk
(Second Saturday – Note earlier time)
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 60 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, habits, and habitats.
October 20, 9:30 a.m. – Archaeology
Archaeologist Barry Price will take us time traveling into the pre-Spanish past of Central Coast inhabitants, the Chumash and their ancestors. Barry is a vice president and principal archaeologist at Applied Earthworks in San Luis Obispo, and specializes in historical and prehistoric archaeology. Walking along the boardwalk, he will tell us the fascinating story of the ancient peoples who camped in the Elfin Forest 1,000 years or more ago. He will bring artifacts that show the industry and culture of the Chumash and other indigenous tribes on the Central Coast. This walk will reveal a complex world of the Elfin Forest's past inhabitants, one that we would never suspect today.
October 20, Noon-2:30 p.m.—SWAP Annual Celebration
Archeologist Ethan Bertrando will present his power point program "Prehistory of the Morro Bay Watershed." He will speak and show visuals about the lives, culture, and environment of the Chumash who camped along the south shore of Morro Bay for hundreds of years before the Europeans arrived. A light lunch will be given for all attending following a brief business meeting after the program. There is no charge for this event.
Black Pompoms of Black Sage and the Rust Flowers of the Dune Buckwheat
Coming Up in the Elfin Forest
Black sage shrubs now decorate the Elfin Forest for Halloween with black pompom balls on tall stems, the dried autumn version of their white summer flowers. Dune buckwheat blossoms have also darkened from white to their fall colors of pink to rust. California asters will continue to bloom in their usual white to pink or lavender rays surrounding yellow centers.
Green-winged Teal
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Meanwhile, the annual buildup to our spectacular winter ornithological extravaganza is under way! Some Northern Pintails, Gadwalls, and Northern Shovelers usually arrive in late August and September, but the main arrival month for most ducks is October, 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.
American Avocet
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Terrestrial species will also be settling into the Elfin Forest for the winter or migrating through on their way south. Fox, Lincoln's, and Golden-crowned Sparrows join our year-round White-crowned Sparrows from October to March or April. Ruby-crowned Kinglets come for the winter. American Robins and Hermit Thrushes replace our summer Swainson's Thrushes after those depart southward. Yellow-rumped Warblers peak in population 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.
Take an autumn walk in Elfin Forest and marvel in appreciation of our vegetation. It is so well adapted to thrive in this most difficult season at the end of months of drought. October often features some of our hottest days of the year. Enjoy the everyday activities of our year-around resident wildlife as well as all the seasonal arrivals, departures, and birds passing through on their way to their tropical winter resorts.
American Coots and Great Egret in the Creek
