Adelaide Bald Eagles Flying High

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County  Conservation Project Manager Cain Silvey spotted this bald eagle while working on a land conservation project in the Adelaide area, W of Lake Nacimiento. Shortly after this eagle flew out of the tree it was joined by two more bald eagles and the three of them circled overhead for a few minutes before flying off toward the lake. 

California's oak woodlands provide homes for more than 300 vertebrate species, including these bald eagles. Seeing these magnificent birds reminds us of the value of The Land Conservancy's work to conserve land for the benefit of wildlife, nature and people.

Nature close to home

 Thanks to volunteer Bill K. for sharing these photos from his Arroyo Grande critter camera.

A fawn asking, "Where's mom?" 

A deer checking out the camera up close

A finch showing off for the camera

Red-winged blackbird choir sings good night

LATO docent ~ nature photographer Mike Klatt shared these observations and photos: 

"The last couple of evenings a bit after sunset, large numbers of red-winged blackbirds have been flying to roost for the night in the Italian cypresses in our backyard.  We're not sure where they are coming from, but we do see them in a large valley oak tree that's about 50 yards away from the Italian cypresses before they fly to the cypresses.  The sound is truly beautiful.  It's like a choir of red-winged blackbirds all singing good night to each other.  There must be at least 100 or more of them."

Happy new homes for Santa Margarita Ranch LATO trail songbirds

September 4, 2020

Young Santa Margarita Elementary School nature photographer Emily and her Oak Ambassador sister were on hand this morning with their mom Jen to help Morro Coast Audubon Society volunteers Freddy and Cheryl install eight new songbird nest boxes along the Santa Margarita Ranch Learning Among the Oaks (LATO) Trail. Emily shared these photos and videos!

Western bluebird parents at work

On June 3, 2020, LATO nature photographer Michael Klatt shared these beautiful photos of Western bluebirds nesting in the Klatt's Atascadero backyard. The bluebird family vacated the nest - baby birds successfully fledged - a few days later.

Male Western bluebird returning to the nest box with a meal for the chicks. 

Both the male and the female Western bluebird at the nest box. 

The female Western bluebird leaving the box.

Male leaving the box with droppings from the chicks. We parents work hard to keep the nest clean.

Male leaving the box to find more food.

Now the female leaves the nest to find food.

One of the nestlings looking out into the world. I'll soon be ready to fly!

Cooper's Hawk looking at you

What does this Cooper's Hawk see? Click on the name to find out more about this skillful flier. It is easily confused with the Sharp-shinned Hawk, another small hawk found in woodlands, suburban areas and even backyards. Photo by Michael Klatt.

Secret house finch nest discovery

April 30, 2020

Ocean View School Oak Ambassador Natalie T. was surprised to discover this nest with eggs hidden behind a light fixture at her house on April 30, 2020.

Morro Coast Audubon Society friends helped us identify this as a house finch nest. The house finch is known for using a variety of interesting nesting spots.

Look below to see what Natalie found in the nest on May 12!

Update: See Natalie's May 27 photo of the almost ready to fledge baby finches!

May 12, 2020

May 27, 2020

A bright splash of yellow in the oak canopy

Look for the splash of yellow among the spring oak leaves! 

Docent Mike Klatt spotted this yellow-rumped warbler in the oak canopy.

The tiny dangling male flowers (catkins) on this oak tell us it's springtime!

Rufous hummingbird up close!

Rufous Hummingbird sticking her tongue out at Alison Watt Jackson!🤣Alison shared this video and said, "Hope she gets some R & R hanging out in my yard on her very LONG migration!" 

California condors need our help

California condor photos taken by Michael Klatt during a March 2016 trip up the coast to San Simeon. In 2013 nine condors released in central California died.  Lead toxicosis, when it could be determined, was the cause of the deaths.  During that same year, 22 other condors tested high in lead and would have added to the fatalities had they not received treatment.  We need to further educate those using guns to not use lead bullets in their hunting and shooting activities.  The condors need our help.  

Micro trash is also a problem for the condors.  They sometimes ingest small pieces of plastic that they find.  It is important to keep our cars clean when traveling along the Big Sur coastline.  The high winds that are frequent in the area, blow the trash and tiny pieces of plastic out of our cars when we open doors.  The condors eating the trash and plastic can get sick and die.  When we see trash alongside the roadside, we can help the condors by picking it up and disposing of it properly. 

Winter visitors

February 9, 2016 post from Mike and Ruby: This evening we watched cedar waxwings catching and eating insects in flight.  They usually eat fruit, but sometimes they will eat insects.  There must have been about fifty of them in the small oak trees in front of our house.  Quite beautiful birds that visit us in winter.  Their summer home range looks to be just a bit north of us.  We have only seen them once before in our yard.

Basic Birding Skills for Oak Ambassadors and Docents

These are great Oak Ambassador training resources from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

Eyes on majestic bald eagles

LATO wildlife camera volunteers and friends enjoyed a special tour of this bald eagle nest on May 30,2015. The tour was guided by Margarita Adventures Naturalist and Wildlife Educator Sherryl Clendenen. Sherryl also serves as technical advisor for the LATO wildlife camera project. We're grateful to Sherryl and Margarita Adventures for this amazing experience. Photos by Katrina Sharon.

White-breasted Nuthatch has a fitting name

The White-breasted Nuthatch gets its name from its habit of jamming large nuts and acorns into tree bark, then whacking them with their sharp bill to “hatch” out the seed from the inside.

They eat mainly insects, including weevil larvae, wood-boring beetle larvae, other beetles, tree hoppers, scale insects, ants, gall fly larvae, caterpillars, stinkbugs, click beetles, and spiders.  They also eat seeds and nuts, including acorns, hawthorn, sunflower seeds, and sometimes crops such as corn.

The clutch size is 5-9 eggs.  They have one brood.  The incubation period is 13-14 days and the nesting period is 26 days.

Females build the nest on their own, lining the nest cavity with fur, bark, and lumps of dirt.  She then builds a nest cup of fine grass, shredded bark, feathers, and other soft material.  White-breasted Nuthatches often reuse their nest holes in subsequent years.

They build their nests in natural tree cavities or abandoned woodpecker holes.  They sometimes enlarge these holes but rarely excavate them entirely on their own ( as Red-breasted Nuthatches often do).

These photos were taken on May 2, 2015, on the LATO trail.

Ash-throated Flycatchers are busy now

The Ash-throated Flycatchers are busy getting some of the birdboxes ready for their nests.  The clutch size is 2-7 eggs. 

Ash-throated Flycatchers eat arthropods and small fruit.  Sometimes, they eat small reptiles and mammals.  It captures insects off vegetation and on the ground.  It's a “flycatcher” somewhat less often.

These photos were taken on May 2, 2015, on the LATO trail. mk 

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Bushtit nest discovery

This Bushtit nest was first noticed on the LATO trail on Sunday, April 25, 2015, by Ruby Klatt.  I took the photos on Friday, May 1, 2015.   

The male and female Bushtit spend a month or more building their hanging nest.  The nest may hang up to twelve inches below the anchor point.  There is a hole near the top that leads down into the nest.  The nest is made using spider webs and plant material.  Bushtits stretch the nest downward by sitting in it as the nest is being constructed.  Feathers, fur, and downy plant material are used to insulate the nest.  The outside is camouflaged using bits taken from nearby plants and the tree the nest is built in.  

The male and female Bushtit plus helpers sleep in the nest while it is active.  The nest is often used for a second brood each season.  There may be from 4-10 eggs in the nest.  The incubation period is 12-15 days, and the nestling period is 18 days. mk

Quail chicks on the move

Today, April 30, I saw new quail chicks for the first time this season.  Quail are hatched ready to peck and run around following their parents.  So, these 15 may have just hatched today.  There are usually 12-16 eggs in a nest.  It’s not a great picture because they run as soon as they know I am there with my camera, but it is always exciting to see the new young quail.  

What do 15 quail chicks do when another bird passes overhead?  

Run and try to hide under their male guardian. mk

Oak titmouse family has fledged!

On Monday, April 20, 2015, we had a pair of oak titmouse in a birdbox at our house in Atascadero.  I watched them for a couple of hours as they flew in with food for their new young family and out with droppings keeping things clean and tidy inside the box.  On Tuesday, April 22, they were gone.  The young birds have fledged. M. Klatt

Welcome spring!

Hooded Orioles have arrived for the spring nesting season.  I took this photo out of our kitchen window this afternoon. The photo is a bit fuzzy because of the glass.  I remember one of our students asking about the bright yellow bird that they saw.  I think this is what they were talking about. M. Klatt/April 7,2015

More food on the fly

Mike shared these amazing raptor reports on December 8,2014:

Yesterday while walking of the walkway near the Bayside Cafe in Morro Bay, I saw an osprey way off in the distance on the ground in the estuary.  As the osprey flew off, I was able to get this photo. We were pretty far away, but you can see that there is a fish in its talons.

On my way back from Morro Bay this morning, I saw a hawk on the ground in a field near our house in Atascadero.  I had my camera, so I stopped to take a photo.  Unfortunately, I stopped my car too close and startled the bird.  I was only able to get one shot.  I believe this red-tailed hawk has a band-tailed pigeon in its talons.