exploring the coast 2011 and 2010

I know the seasons have changed from summer to winter upon hearing the chatter of the Black Phoebe in my yard. Racing to the window I catch a glimpse of him as he flits from telephone wire to the back fence. My birding guides tell me he is a year-round resident, but for the past 20 years or more a lone Black Phoebe has shown up in my yard midway through fall hanging around throughout the winter and disappearing altogether in spring.

August, 2011 Boating on the Bay

Where is the most unique watercraft on the West Coast located? In Morro Bay of course. The Beatles made it popular with their hit song Yellow Submarine and it has reached the top of the charts here on the Central Coast too.

Dubbed the Sub-Sea Tours, this craft is owned and operated from the Marina Square dock by Kevin Winfield and Rose Marie Battaglia. The bright little boat takes folks to special spots where the hidden undersea life of Morro Bay is revealed.

July, 2011 A Peer at a Pier

For a small town area Avila Beach has more than its share of ocean piers, but one in particular has played a major part in the development of the county.

Harford Pier, which sits at the end of the road in Avila, is a classic working pier. Other piers in California are pleasure piers geared to tourists. At Harford Pier commercial fishing still takes sway and on any given day you can watch a catch being unloaded from one of the Central Coast fishing vessels.

May, 2011 Day Trip to Lopez Lake

The hills are green and the days are gradually getting warmer. It is spring and the perfect time to visit one of our county's best attractions – Lopez Lake. The frenetic pace of the summer months when the lake is busting with boaters and water skiers is not yet upon us and there is a peaceful mood for you to enjoy the natural surroundings.

April, 2011 Soo-nah-mee

One thing cannot be denied—life in California is definitely shaky. Sooner or later, if you live here long enough, you are going to experience an earthquake. Sometimes these occur far out in the depths of the sea where the earth moves up or down, causing a bulge or depression in the water surface. The result can be the birth of a tsunami.

February, 2011 Beach Bungalow and Bivalves

What does an upscale inn and an oyster farm have in common? Well, the answer is a new package deal coming this spring for tourists in Morro Bay.

January, 2011 Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival

The Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival is nearly here again. It's our 15th year of fantastic field trips, entertaining workshops and programs, discussions, presentations, and vendor offerings, but this year it's not just the same things we always do. This year one whole day is devoted to families. What's our mantra? The family that birds together stays together! Well, maybe not, but they do have more fun.

December, 2010 It's the Number that Counts

Christmas is nearly upon us and every year at this time the National Audubon Society sends hordes of people out in all kinds of weather far and wide to count birds. The annual Christmas Bird Count— that replaces an old tradition of shooting birds on Christmas Day—gives biologists some idea as to the health and well being of the myriad of bird species in this country.

November, 2010 Change of Season

Where was summer? It never got here, at least not in Morro Bay. Today was the 185th gray day and you can count on one hand the days the temperature got over 60 degrees. Yes, it was those few days in September when the thermometer at my house read 103 degrees, but that was the first week of fall. Where was summer?

October, 2010 Apple Time

A gathering of blackbirds perched on the electric wires this morning. I could hear their insistent "scree-scree" calls. I had to shut down the window during the night—a bit of chill in the air. The pickleweed in the estuary is beginning to turn a rust color. It's September 20th and fall is but a few days away. With fall come apples! Time to head to See Canyon.

July, 2010 Wave Flyers of the Central Coast

When the wind is up on the Central Coast, a small cadre of individuals break out an interesting combination of equipment, go down to the ocean, and take flight.

April, 2010 Don't Tread On Me

To say that Snowy Plovers have a serious problem when it comes to nesting is an understatement. What sensible bird would pick the flat open beach to carve a little depression in the sand and lay an egg in it? How safe could that be? Not very. But this is just what the Western Snowy Plover does every year.

January 2010 Time for Birding

It's nearly upon us – the 14th Annual Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival is taking place January 15th through the 18th, 2010. This is the most popular winter event in Morro Bay and more than 500 participants enjoy viewing the more than 200 species of birds that migrate through this Central Coast location. Located on the Pacific Flyway, approximately halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Morro Bay is recognized as a globally important birding area and typically ranks in the top five nationally during the Audubon Christmas Bird Count.

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