Photo from one of the trail cameras at Sweet Springs Nature Preserve |
Taxidermy being used in Birds in Your Neighborhood class [photo by Tami Livermore, used with school's permission] |
Click above link or image to read article in Nat'l Audubon Series Survival By Degrees Photo: Dave Tyra
Click above link or image to contact MCAS Board Members and Chairs. Photo: Joanne Aasen
Click above link or image to read or download SLO County Bird Checklists. Photo: Teddy Llovet
Click above link or image to discover our trove of SLO County bird finding guides. Photo: Maggie Smith
Click above link or image to read about MCAS field trips. Photo: Paul Andreano
Click above link or image to read about monthly MCAS community programs. Photo: Al Schmirer
Photo from one of the trail cameras at Sweet Springs Nature Preserve |
Taxidermy being used in Birds in Your Neighborhood class [photo by Tami Livermore, used with school's permission] |
Morro Coast Audubon Society Presents San Simeon Day Use Area [photo by Bob Keally]
FIELD TRIP: San Simeon
DATE: Saturday, December 7, 2024
TIME: 8:30am to 11:30am
LEADER: Bob Keally and the Revel Team
Trip is limited to 12 participants - Signups will be taken for 24 hours. Participants will be randomly selected. The remainder will be put on standby status in case of cancellations. Only registered people may attend.
DESCRIPTION: Join Bob Keally for a moderate 2-3 mile walk to identify the birds of San Simeon State Park. The group will walk through riparian areas by creek, wetlands, shoreline, then into the chaparral and pine forest habitats to discover a variety of land, shore and ocean birds. We hope to see Snowy Plovers, Pygmy Nuthatches, terns and a variety of raptors. Terrain: Flat on boardwalk and meadow trail, becoming moderately strenuous as the trail climbs into the pine forest.
Restrooms are available at the trailhead.
ADA Accessible: No
Experience Level: All Levels Welcome
Registration and RSVP to confirmation Required!
Registration will open on the morning of NOV 27th. On that date, MCAS members will automatically receive an ALERT with the LINK to the Field Trip’s Registration Form.
Non-members can receive ALERTS from MCAS regarding Field Trips, Community Programs, and other MCAS activities. You will need to fill out the MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST sign up form in the footer of theMCAS website. You can also join the SLOCOBIRDING email list to get ALERTs via Groups.io. (Field Trip alerts only)
Please consider becoming a member of MCAS to support MCAS’s mission and activities, including Field Trips.
Questions? Email Robbie Revel robbie@morrocoastaudubon.org
South Africa's National Birds, Blue Cranes, on a carpet of native wildflowers in Namaqualand, South Africa [photo by Nishi Rajakaruna]
MCAS November Zoom Community Program
Date: Monday, November 18th, 2024, 7:00 pm
Title: Becoming a Birder in South Africa
Presenter: Nishanta Rajakaruna
Join Zoom Meeting Zoom Meeting ID: 918 9942 4958; Passcode: 615341
You can also find the link on the MCAS Events Calendar in our website’s header https://www.morrocoastaudubon.org/.
All MCAS Zoom Community Programs are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. No signup/registration required to attend.
Description: Nishi Rajakaruna fell in love with birding and wildlife photography during his 2022-2023 visit as a Fulbright US Scholar to South Africa. During his travels, he took photos of 402 bird species in southern Africa and is looking forward to sharing some of his photos and stories.
Bio: Nishi Rajakaruna was born and raised in Sri Lanka. He pursued his undergraduate education in human ecology at College of the Atlantic, Maine, and his MS and Ph.D. in botany at the University of British Columbia, Canada. He conducted postdoctoral research in plant ecology at Stanford University. He has taught at predominantly undergraduate teaching-focused universities for 20 years and is currently a professor in plant biology at California Polytechnic State University where he teaches general botany, ethnobotany, biogeography and geoecology. Nishi is currently a Fulbright US Scholar Alumni Ambassador, promoting opportunities for educational and cultural exchange among faculty and students across the United States.
If you are not already an MCAS member, please consider becoming a member to support our mission and activities, including Community Programs.
If you have questions, email Wendy McKeown, Community Programs Chair: CommPrograms@morrocoastaudubon.org
Migrating Birds Along the Strand [photo by Bob Revel] |
FIELD TRIP: Shorebirds and Gulls on the Strand
DATE: Saturday, November 30, 2024
TIME: 9:00am to 11:30am
LEADER: The Revel Team
Trip is limited to 12 participants - Signups will be taken for 24 hours. Participants will be randomly selected. The remainder will be put on standby status in case of cancellations. Only registered people may attend.
Description: Enjoy a leisurely stroll along Morro strand to look for arriving fall migrants and shorebirds on the beach. We will investigate the pond and outflow of Alva Paul creek looking for birds that flock to this freshwater source - gulls, terns and others. The walk will be on a flat trail and beach with some areas of deep sand. Expect to walk 2 miles at a slow pace. Restrooms are available.
ADA Accessible: No
Experience Level: All Levels Welcome
Registration and RSVP to confirmation Required!
Registration will open on the morning of NOV 20th. On that date, MCAS members will automatically receive an ALERT with the LINK to the Field Trip’s Registration Form.
Non-members can receive ALERTS from MCAS regarding Field Trips, Community Programs, and other MCAS activities. You will need to fill out the MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST sign up form in the footer of the MCAS website. You can also join the SLOCOBIRDING email list to get ALERTs via Groups.io. (Field Trip alerts only)
Please consider becoming a member of MCAS to support MCAS’s mission and activities, including Field Trips.
Questions? Email Robbie Revel robbie@morrocoastaudubon.org
Plantings at Las Pilitas Nursery (courtesy LasPilitas.com] |
FIELD TRIP: The Birds and Plants of Las Pilitas Nursery
DATE: Friday, November 22, 2024
TIME: 8:30am-11:00am
LEADER: Penny Nyunt
CO-LEADERS: Dale Ball and Freddy Howell
Trip is limited to 15 participants - Signups will be taken for 24 hours. Participants will be randomly selected. The remainder will be put on standby status in case of cancellations. Only registered people may attend.
Description: Observe and learn about native birds and their important interrelationship with the native plants, insects and habitat. Las Pilitas Nursery owner Penny Nyunt has a wealth of expertise to share. California native plants and seeds will be available to purchase. Walking is on uneven terrain of about one mile. Restrooms are available. Rain cancels
ADA Accessible: No
Experience Level: All Levels Welcome
Registration and RSVP to confirmation Required!
Registration will open on the morning of NOV 12th. On that date, MCAS members will automatically receive an ALERT with the LINK to the Field Trip’s Registration Form.
Non-members can receive ALERTS from MCAS regarding Field Trips, Community Programs, and other MCAS activities. You will need to fill out the MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST sign up form in the footer of the MCAS website. You can also join the SLOCOBIRDING email list to get ALERTs via Groups.io. (Field Trip alerts only)
Please consider becoming a member of MCAS to support MCAS’s mission and activities, including Field Trips.
Questions? Email freddy@morrocoastaudubon.org
The Morro Bay CBC is on Saturday, December 14th.
There is no fee to participate in the CBC and all skill levels are welcome. MB CBC Registration is required for you to participate. You are asked to register by Sunday, December 1st so that the 54 sectors can be organized in order to provide thorough coverage of the entire circle. After you register your Area Leader, who coordinates multiple sectors, will contact you in early December.
Please take a few minutes to Register Here and scratch it off your TO DO list.
A few Reminders...
Partner With:
If you are partnering with others, please check that those individuals have also registered. They must register separately from you.
Bird Feeders:
If you live within the count circle and have bird feeders, yet do not want to do a sector count, you can still participate and share your bird-watching talents by counting birds at your feeders (full-day sector counters can do Both). Just check "Only" (or “Both”) in the Bird Feeder question when you register. Read eBird article "Counting 102--birds at feed ers" for more information.
Los Osos Oaks Reserve [courtesy Hikes Peak.com] |
FIELD TRIP: Habitat: Los Osos Oaks Reserve
DATE: Wednesday, November 20, 2024
TIME: 10:00am to 12 noon
LEADER: Faylla Chapman
Trip is limited to 12 participants - Signups will be taken for 24 hours. Participants will be randomly selected. The remainder will be put on standby status in case of cancellations. Only registered people may attend.
Description: Tour the various habitats within the Oaks Reserve with leader, Faylla Chapman. Learn about both native and invasive plants and discover their uses for humans, animals and birds. There is poison oak throughout the walk. Some moderate up and down hill trails in loose sand. Trail itself is well delineated and easy to walk but narrow in areas. 2 miles round trip. Restrooms are not available.
ADA Accessible: No
Experience Level: All Levels Welcome
Registration and RSVP to confirmation Required!
Registration will open on the morning of NOV 10th. On that date, MCAS members will automatically receive an ALERT with the LINK to the Field Trip’s Registration Form.
Non-members can receive ALERTS from MCAS regarding Field Trips, Community Programs, and other MCAS activities. You will need to fill out the MCAS ALERT EMAIL LIST sign up form in the footer of the MCAS website. You can also join the SLOCOBIRDING email list to get ALERTs via Groups.io. (Field Trip alerts only)
Please consider becoming a member of MCAS to support MCAS’s mission and activities, including Field Trips.
Questions? Email Freddy Howell freddy@morrocoastaudubon.org
MCAS Members will automatically receive alerts. JOIN HERE.