Birding the Morro Bay Estuary
Identify many of the migratory, over-wintering, nesting, and year-long resident bird species that occupy the many diverse habitats here on the Central Coast. Practice bird watching skills that rely on observing characteristic field marks, bird behavior, and the acquired skill of 鈥榖irding by ear鈥�. Participants will observe and identify passerine (perching) birds, shorebirds such as sandpipers and plovers, waterbirds such as ducks, geese, loons, grebes, gulls, pelicans and cormorants, long-legged waders such as herons and egrets, and birds of prey, including the famous locally nesting peregrine falcons at Morro Rock and sightings of fish-hunting osprey over the bay. The annual Morro Bay Christmas Bird Count ranks among the highest counts in North America for the numbers of bird species found within a 15-mile diameter count circle, and the annual Big Sit birding survey overlooking Morro Bay from the Elfin Forest is also nationally renowned. Van field trip to Morro Bay estuary and its 48,000-acre watershed. Morro Bay's coastal salt marsh, mudflats, estuary, beach, dunes, and associated upland watershed are recognized as vital feeding and resting habitats for thousands of birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway, arriving and departing from as far away as the arctic tundra to the north and the Neotropical rainforests to the south. Make stops at several of the accessible and popular birding locations along the perimeter of the bay, including Morro Rock, the Heron Rookery, State Park Marina, the Elfin Forest boardwalk and Audubon Overlook in Baywood Park, and the Sweet Springs Nature Preserve in Los Osos.
Bring a sack lunch, water, snacks, binoculars, and field guides. Dress in warm layers. Van transportation provided. A parking permit is required to leave your vehicle on campus during the field trip.
WEATHER POLICY...If a class is canceled due to safety or weather issues, students will be notified by Cuesta 51爆料 Program....the class will be rescheduled or full refunds will be given. If the class or program is on the weekend, the instructor will make the decision and call all registered.
Cancelled
DATES: 1 Saturday. September 20, 2025
TIME: 9:00am-3:00pm
FEE: $68
LOCATION: San Luis Obispo Campus Room 4117
INSTRUCTOR: Steve Schubert
QUESTIONS: Contact instructor at S_schub1@msn.com
Class Schedule 鈥� Please Note:
Our class schedules may be subject to change. You can view the most current class
status anytime on the 51爆料 Programs website. To stay up to date after registering,
please monitor your email, as any changes will be sent to the email address we have
on file.
| Meet the instructor | |
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Steve attended college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and received a Master鈥檚 degree in Field Biology and a Life Sciences Secondary Teaching Credential. He taught high school biology and earth sciences for several years, has taught natural history courses for 51爆料 51爆料 Programs more than 25 years and works as a naturalist instructor at a local residential outdoor school program called Camp KEEP (Kern Environmental Education Program), attended by more than 3,000 6th grade students each school year. He served on the committee that published the book 鈥淲ildflowers of San Luis Obispo鈥� and the eBook 鈥淧lants of the Carrizo Plain鈥�. Steve authored the book entitled 鈥淭he Peregrine Falcons of Morro Rock 鈥� A 50-year History鈥�, available at Amazon.com. He is past-President of Morro Coast Audubon Society and is the Volunteer Coordinator of the Hi Mountain Lookout Project (www.facebook.com/condorlookout), a restored fire lookout in Los Padres National Forest where volunteers and college interns radiotrack the movements of California Condors and conduct biological field research projects. He has been a speaker and field trip leader for the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival each year since its inception more than 20 years ago. Steve enjoys kayaking, running, biking, hiking, playing basketball, and wildlife and landscape photography (photos at: |