February 2: Weed Warriors
The volunteer work party will meet from 9 am to about noon. Anyone is welcome to join in and work on projects to restore vegetation and reduce erosion. Wear comfortable shoes, long pants and sleeves, and park at the north end of 15th Street in Los Osos.
February 16 Walk– Fungus Foray
For our annual Fungus Foray in the Elfin Forest, intrepid leader and fungophile Dennis Sheridan will take us on an exploration of the Elfin Forest floor for wood bluetts, black elfin saddles, earthstars, golden caps, boletes, poisonous amanitas and many other fascinating fungi. Bring a magnifying lens and, if you have a mystery mushroom in your yard, bring a sample for Dennis to identify. This is not a mushroom collecting walk, as all plants in the Elfin Forest are protected by law. Only a very heavy rain will cancel the walk.
Coming Up in the Elfin Forest
Morro Manzanita
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California Poppy
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February features some of the most beautiful wildflowers in the Elfin Forest year. All around the boardwalk and sand paths buckbrush ceanothus shrubs are covered with their pale lavender to white blossoms. This is also a prime month for Morro manzanita. Several species of manzanitas are widespread in California, but this particular species has perhaps the smallest range of any of them. It occurs only between Montana de Oro and Morro Bay State Parks, with our Elfin Forest a major place to view them.
Brilliant red flower tubes of fuchsia-flowering gooseberries provide nectar for the long bills of hovering hummingbirds. Also red are the small drooping globes of California peonies. California poppies are also back in bloom, the coastal variety being more commonly yellow than orange.
Besides its floral wonders, February also provides some of the best birding opportunities in the Elfin Forest year. Brant Geese are still feeding on eel grass in the bay. Other water birds still enjoying their winter vacation in Morro Bay National Estuary are Canada Geese and diving ducks such as Scaup, Buffleheads, and Ruddy Ducks. Dabbling ducks include Northern Pintails, American Wigeons, Northern Shovelers, Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, and Green-winged Teal.
Northern Pintail Duck
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Golden-crowned Sparrow
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White-crowned Sparrow
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Brown and White Pelicans are common in the air and on the water, and all five species of grebes may be present, as are Great and Snowy Egrets, American Avocets, Marbled Godwits, Willets, and many other shorebird species.
Besides water birds, all the raptors and most of forest and brush birds normally seen in our area are also at peak populations in February. Golden-crowned Sparrows are wintering with our resident White-crowned Sparrows, and may be seen in mixed flocks with several other species of sparrows. Other small birds flitting around the bushes gleaning insects include warblers, wrens, bushtits. Among the larger birds in the brush are phoebes, thrashers, towhees, jays, quail, blackbirds, and doves.
Enjoy a springtime stroll on our Elfin Forest boardwalk surrounded by a beautiful flowering landscape with incredibly active bird life.
