Morro Coast Audubon Society

Morro Coast Audubon Society Promoting the appreciation, conservation, and restoration of the ecosystems and birds of the Central Coast since 1966.

We are composed of volunteers devoting time, energy, and resources to enjoying and protecting the environment through conservation, research, education, expansion, and diversity.

Explore the world birds depend on. 🐦Curious about the plants, wildlife, geology, and ecosystems that make the Central Co...
09/06/2026

Explore the world birds depend on. 🐦

Curious about the plants, wildlife, geology, and ecosystems that make the Central Coast what it is? Registration is now open for Cuesta College’s Fall 2026 UC California Naturalist course!

This eight-week course combines classroom learning with field experiences around San Luis Obispo County, giving participants the chance to explore our region’s natural communities while learning about ecology, stewardship, and community science.

At Morro Coast Audubon, we know that protecting birds means understanding and caring for the habitats and ecosystems they depend on. Conservation, environmental education, stewardship, and community science are central to our work, and they’re also at the heart of the UC California Naturalist program.

📅 September 18–November 6
🌿 Eight Fridays, 9 am–3 pm
📍 Cuesta College Community Education

Whether you’re a birder, native plant enthusiast, community scientist, conservation volunteer, or simply curious about the natural world around you, this is a great opportunity to broaden your view of the Central Coast and deepen your connection to the places we work to understand and protect.

See the flyer for details. Register at https://www.cuesta.edu/communityprograms/

September birding is here! 🐦A few of our September field trips still have space, including Snowy Plovers at Villa Creek,...
09/04/2026

September birding is here! 🐦

A few of our September field trips still have space, including Snowy Plovers at Villa Creek, a look at habitat along the Marina Boardwalk, and an Oso Flaco trip especially for beginning birders.

Come get outside with us!

Find trip details and register at morrocoastaudubon.org.

Throwback Thursday: Brown Pelicans, 1966From the first year of the Flyway Express: “Getting Acquainted with Morro Coast ...
08/20/2026

Throwback Thursday: Brown Pelicans, 1966

From the first year of the Flyway Express: “Getting Acquainted with Morro Coast Birdlife,” a regular feature by Leonard B. Penhale.

In the summer of 1966, Penhale reported something extraordinary. Brown Pelicans normally arrived along the Central Coast in flocks of about 500 or more. But on June 28, more than 5,000 were counted along the coast between Point Buchon and Lion Rock. When observers returned on July 12, they estimated 8,000 to 10,000 Brown Pelicans resting on headland cliffs and offshore rocks.

Why so many? Penhale wrote that the reason was “yet to be determined.”

Penhale’s observations reached beyond the pages of the Flyway Express. His name also appears among the contributors to Audubon Field Notes, part of a regional network of observers documenting birdlife throughout California’s Southern Pacific Coast Region.

And the pelicans, of course, are still very much part of Morro Bay. Our second image, taken by Steve Schubert in Morro Bay Harbor during a 2008 pelagic trip, captures a rather more recent gathering.

Nearly 60 years later, the Flyway Express archives offer a remarkable record of the birds, people, and places of the Central Coast, and of a tradition of careful observation that was part of Morro Coast Audubon from its earliest days.

As MCAS approaches its 60th anniversary, we’ll be sharing more glimpses from our archives.

Read the 1967–68 Audubon Field Notes report:
https://californiabirds.org/AFN/AFN_22_476-480_Winter_1967-68_SPC.pdf

📷 Brown Pelicans, Morro Bay Harbor, 2008. Steve Schubert.

SLO County birders, UC Davis researchers want to hear from you!Grasslands and oak savannahs are among California’s most ...
08/19/2026

SLO County birders, UC Davis researchers want to hear from you!

Grasslands and oak savannahs are among California’s most threatened habitats, and many of the birds that depend on them have declined in recent decades. Researchers at UC Davis, in collaboration with USDA, are conducting a survey to better understand birdwatchers’ views on habitat conservation, restoration, and ways to support this work in California.

You do not need to be an expert birder or regularly visit grassland or oak savannah habitats to participate. Whether these landscapes are close to home or farther afield, your perspective matters.

The survey takes about 15–20 minutes. Participation is voluntary and anonymous.

Help inform bird conservation and habitat restoration in California.

🔗 Take the survey here: https://tinyurl.com/UCDavis-Survey-2026

Please complete the survey only once, even if you receive it from more than one Audubon or Bird Alliance chapter.)

08/18/2026

This young artist knows the drill. 🤎

One year ago this week, the Gifford Fire reached Hi Mountain Condor Lookout.Fire is part of California’s natural history...
08/17/2026

One year ago this week, the Gifford Fire reached Hi Mountain Condor Lookout.

Fire is part of California’s natural history, but its effects on landscapes and communities can be profound. As the fire approached, Hi Mountain became an active part of the suppression effort, with crews and equipment working from the lookout area and along Hi Mountain Road.

Nicole Gaudenti, Wildlife Biologist and USFS Program Manager for the Hi Mountain Lookout Project, documented suppression activities during the fire. During an escorted site visit in September, the marks of the fire were everywhere. And already, only weeks later, so were signs of new growth.

Morro Coast Audubon Society’s relationship with Hi Mountain reaches back decades. In 1996, MCAS board member Steve Schubert and U.S. Forest Service wildlife biologist Kevin Cooper began the effort to restore the abandoned lookout as a biological field station. That effort grew into a longstanding partnership supporting biological research, wildlife monitoring, and the recovery of the California Condor.

Today, that stewardship continues. Plans are underway for a new, multi-year effort to restore the Hi Mountain Lookout Tower and sustain its role in California Condor recovery.

A year after the Gifford Fire, Hi Mountain reminds us that resilience takes many forms: in landscapes and wildlife, in people and partnerships, and in the sustained work of caring for wild places.

The marks of fire remain. So does the work of caring for what comes next.

Photos: Nicole Gaudenti (August 2025) and Steve Schubert (September 2025).

Find a comfortable spot. Stay awhile.These Clark's Grebe chicks seem to have the right idea. Spotted on this week’s MCAS...
08/16/2026

Find a comfortable spot. Stay awhile.

These Clark's Grebe chicks seem to have the right idea. Spotted on this week’s MCAS pontoon boat field trip at Santa Margarita Lake.

Many thanks to our field trip crew for getting us back out on the water! Check out our website to see what other field trips and activities are coming up.

Photo: Ben Kolstad.

We made it. Happy Friday, everyone. 🐦 Photo credit: Ben Kolstad
08/14/2026

We made it. Happy Friday, everyone. 🐦

Photo credit: Ben Kolstad

Greetings from Sweet Springs! 🐌📬Meet Morty, the Morro shoulderband snail, one of our most local locals.How local? Morty ...
08/14/2026

Greetings from Sweet Springs! 🐌📬

Meet Morty, the Morro shoulderband snail, one of our most local locals.

How local? Morty is endemic to the Morro Bay area, which means his entire natural range is right here, and nowhere else in the world.

Over the next few weeks, Morty will be checking in from his very small corner of the Central Coast.

He has opinions about his universe.

From 93402 with love. 💌

📷 Photo supplied by Marie Goeritz, MCAS Lands Chair
🗺️ Range map: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

School is back in session for many local students, and we can’t wait to get back in action with Birds in Your Neighborho...
08/13/2026

School is back in session for many local students, and we can’t wait to get back in action with Birds in Your Neighborhood! 🐦📚

The program begins in the classroom, where MCAS volunteers introduce students to the birds they might find right outside their doors. Students learn what to look and listen for, examine specimens, nests, and other materials, and practice their observation skills.

Then, about a week later, we come back and head outside together for a bird walk, putting those new skills to work in their own neighborhood.

As we get ready for a new school year, here’s a look back at some of the fun from last year.

A huge thank you to all our Birds in Your Neighborhood volunteers, including many former educators, who make these classroom visits and bird walks possible.

And to all the students who explored with us: thank YOU for going bird watching with us! ❤️

Interested in bringing Birds in Your Neighborhood to your classroom, or simply want to know more about the program? Get in touch with us!

Photos: Marcella Munson

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601 Embarcadero, Suite 14
Morro Bay, CA
93442

Opening Hours

Wednesday 1pm - 3pm
Thursday 1pm - 3pm
Friday 1pm - 3pm
Saturday 12pm - 3pm

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