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 ‘birding by ear’. 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 Community 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.
Enroll Now
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 – Please Note:
Our class schedules may be subject to change. You can view the most current class
status anytime on the Community 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 | |
|---|---|
|
Steve Schubert |
Steve Schubert has a Master's Degree in Biological Sciences. He has worked as an instructor at the Audubon Camp in Maine and as a naturalist on cruise ships through the Inside Passage to Alaska. Steve teaches at an outdoor school for 6th graders and has taught high school biology and earth science courses. He is the volunteer coordinator for the Hi Mountain Lookout Project. He began teaching natural history classes for Cuesta College Community Programs in 1993. |