Elfin Forest Activities

By Jean Wheeler

July 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. Wear comfortable shoes, long pants and sleeves and park at the north end of 15th Street in Los Osos.

July 20, 9:30 a.m.– Walking Backwards to the Future

Ecologist Les Bowker wants us to experience plant succession in the Elfin Forest.  We will follow him westward along the boardwalk from 15th Street until we are surrounded by plants of the Coastal Dune Scrub.  Then we'll turn around and walk eastward until we can observe that the types of plants around us have changed; we'll see Ceanothus shrubs, Chamise and Manzanita.  Now we are in Maritime Chaparral. Heading down (north) along the boardwalk from the Highest Point, we enter the area where Coast live oak trees are dominant – the climax community of the Elfin Forest.  Heading into what is called the Celestial Meadow, but is no longer a meadow, Les will talk about plant succession that is happening before our eyes.  Join Les for this fascinating blow-by-blow description of Elfin Forest ecology.

Besides docent-led events, visit the Elfin Forest any day to 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 and take a sand path to the boardwalk or the wheel-chair accessible boardwalk entrance at 16th Street.  The Bulletin Board along the boardwalk between 15th and 16th Streets includes photos (changing every month) of some plants and animals you might see.

Coming Up in the Elfin Forest

In this uncommonly dry year, the shrubs in the Elfin Forest are showing signs of the drought stress. Yet flowers still decorate many of them. Black sage, one of the most abundant shrubs, is in bloom with pompoms of pale lavender to white blossoms. Chamise is also in bloom with spikes of white flowers. Contrasting with these are bright yellow and orange of poppies, deerweed, sticky monkey-flowers, coastal dudleya, and golden yarrow (a different species than the infamous allergy producer). June's blue flowers of silver dune lupine and wooly star should continue into July, although much less abundantly than in wetter years. Pink flowers are spikes of California hedge nettle and cobwebby thistle. Indian pinks (flower edges serrated as if by pinking shears) are red flowers in the chaparral.

Flying Flowers" are the butterflies common in early summer.  Usually continuing to fly into July are Acmon Blue butterflies attracted to deerweed, Variable Checkerspots seeking sticky monkey-flowers and Gabb's Checkerspots around California poppies. Anise Swallowtails are also seen in the Elfin Forest even though their host plant, anise, is not a native within the preserve. Gray and Hedgerow Hairstreak butterflies may also still be seen in July. But the most numerous butterflies currently are the light brown oak moths.

There are still water birds around in mid-summer. Among waders, willets and killdeer remain. Also resident all year are Great Blue and Black-crowned Night Herons, along with Snowy and Great Egrets. Some ducks remain through summer even though most members of their species have gone north to summer nesting areas. Year-around resident American Coots become even more noticeable as the duck population has plummeted.

Five species of swallows may be seen only in the summer, while most of our raptor species are here all year. Many chaparral and oak woodland birds are busy raising young — such as hummingbirds, flycatchers, wrens, warblers, sparrows, thrashers, finches, scrub jays, blackbirds, and quail.

Western fence lizards are very active, doing their pushups along the toe rail of the boardwalk. Coyotes have been seen quite often lately. One or two have lately shown little fear of humans and may be protective of pups we are pretty sure are being raised in the Elfin Forest near Los Osos Creek.  This is of serious concern especially for visitors with small dogs.  Be sure to keep all dogs on leash in the Elfin Forest for their own safety as well as that of other visitors.

So a stroll around the Elfin Forest boardwalk rewards us with colorful scenes and activity in the middle of California's long dry summer, even with drier conditions now than in most years.

Photo of Jean by Ron Ascher
Unless Otherwise Attributed, All Other Photos, Including the Spotted Towhee Banner Image, are Taken by Jean.