Viewing Morro Rock from Sweet Springs Nature Preserve in Los Osos

Sweet Springs Nature Preserve of Los Osos in San Luis Obispo County, California, is located at the southern end of Morro Bay, from where you can view the Sand Split and Morro Rock. You do not need to look that far if you are just interested in watching birds. A boardwalk brings you to an observation deck next to the bay shore. Presence of shorebirds and waterfowl depends on the tide.

Birds that live in or visit the estuary include the Long-billed Curlew, Bryant's Savannah Sparrow, California Black Rail and Swainson's Thrush. A bird watching board featuring many other species is located next to the observation deck.

As the name of the preserve indicates, natural freshwater springs occur here, found in upland areas. A small but stable population of Southwestern Pond Turtles lives in the this aquatic habitat. Other rare or endangered species, whose range is now mostly limited to sand dune and scrub areas in the Montaña de Oro State Park, also live in the Sweet Springs Preserve.

Getting there
From Highway 1, take the South Bay Boulevard exit and go south to Los Osos. Pass Pismo Avenue and turn right on Ramona Avenue, pass 4th Street and find parking on Ramona Street, when you arrive at the preserve, which is to your right. There are different entry points. One trail begins at the “A Morro Coast Audubon Society Sanctuary” marker with the illustration of a belted kingfisher on it.

References
[1] Sweet Springs Nature Preserve.
[2] Sweet Springs Nature Preserve in Additional Audubon Facilities in California.

Montaña de Oro State Park in San Luis Obispo County

Montaña de Oro State Park is located south of Morro Bay in San Luis Obispo County in California. The park includes magnificent beaches, secluded coves, sand dunes, maritime chaparral and hillsides with great vistas. The migratory path for blue whales and gray whales is out there in the ocean. The park is a perfect place for hiking, biking, horse riding, surfing, or birding. Its Spanish name means “Mountain of Gold,” referring to the seasonal coverage of hill slopes with golden-looking flowers. Besides plants such as wildflowers and the Morro manzanita, you may also want to look out for animal life on the beach and in the sand dune scrubs. Depending on day-time, season and your patience, you will be able to spot sandpipers, the Western snowy plover, the Morro Bay kangaroo rat, the Morro blue butterfly, and the Morro shoulderband snail. Notice that some of these species are threatened or endangered. Make sure that they have their habitat undisturbed so they can reproduce while you recreate!

Getting there, staying there
From Highway 1, take the South Bay Boulevard exit and go south. Pass the Quarry and Park Ridge trailheads on your left. Drive through Baywood Park and turn right on Los Osos Valley Road that continues as Pecho Valley Road into the State Park. Trails are accessible at various sites. If you plan to stay on camp grounds in the park, notice that currently the availability of certain campsites and services has been reduced.

Morro manzanita

The Morro manzanita (Arctostaphylos morroensis, Ericaceae family) is a narrowly endemic plant species restricted to a portion of coastal area in San Luis Obispo County, California. It is an erect shrub, which becomes arborescent with old age. It can be distinguished from other species of co-occurring manzanitas by its persistent shreddy bark and densely hairy lower leaf surfaces [1]. The leaves are ovate to elliptic in shape. Morro manzanitas are typically flowering between December and March.
Habitats of Morro manzanitas are sand dune areas and maritime chaparral, which are found south of Morro Bay, for example, in Montaña de Oro State Park and the Elfin Forest Preserve in Los Osos, where they occur along with ancient pygmy coastal live oaks (Quercus agrifolia) and wedgeleaf ceanothus (Ceanothus cuneatus) [2]. A Montaña de Oro State Park interpretative board gives the following information:

Morro manzanita is a unique shrub of limited distribution occurring primarily on ancient sand dunes only in the South Bay region. This coastal species is associated with maritime chaparral, coast live oak, and dune scrub plant communities. It provides an excellent wildlife habitat for resident and migratory species.

Guided walks are offered occasionally through the Elfin Forest nature preserve. The nearby State Park has various trailheads from where you can start a self-guided tour by staying on the marked trails through the sand dunes.

References
[1] C. Tyler, D. Odion and D. Meade: Ecological Studies of Morro Manzanita (Arctostaphylos morroensis), Seed Ecology, and Reproductive Biology. Marine Sciences Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, August 1998. PDF.
[2] R. W. Halsey: Chaparral: Pure California. Fremontia Fall 2007, 35 (4), pp. 2-7.
[3] Bureau of Land Management, California: Morro Manzanita (Arctostaphylos morroensis).

Morro shoulderband snail

The Morro shoulderband snail (Helminthoglypta walkeriana), also named banded dune snail, is living in a small section of the Pacific Coast south of Cayucos in San Luis Obispo County, California [1]. It is endemic to this area and endangered due to habitat loss. Its preferred host plant is mock heather (Ericameria ericoides), found, for example, in coastal dune scrub vegetation of Montaña de Oro State Park. The park service provides the following information:

The Morro shoulderband snail, a native land mollusk, is found in the stabilized, vegetated dunes in the park. Mock heather, a preferred host plant, provides food and shelter. Loss of coastal dune habitat and competition from the introduced European brown snail have significantly reduced the population.

The Morro shoulderband species may also use areas with non-native veldt grass (Ehrharta calycina), European beach grass and ice plants. It also occurs further inland in coastal sage scrub areas, grasslands and swales with shrubs that provide canopy and leaf litter [2]. The Morro shoulderband lives together with and/or in competition with the non-endemic common garden snail or brown garden snail (Helix aspersa) and the endemic Big Sur shoulderband snail (Helminthoglypta umbillicata), which is typically found more inland in grassland and coastal sage scrub plant communities.

References
[1] California State Parks: Morro shoulderband snail (in comparison with European garden snail and Big Sur shoulderband snail).
[2] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: PROTOCOL SURVEY GUIDELINES for the Morro shoulderband snail (Helminthoglypta walkeriana). June 2003. PDF.
[3] Other snail species in the Family Helminthoglyptidae of the Order Stylommatophora (terrestrial snails and slugs).

Morro Bay kangaroo rat

The Morro Bay kangaroo rat (Dipodomys heermanni morroensis) is a subspecies of Heermann's kangaroo rat, named after physician and naturalist Adolphus Lewis Heermann (1827-1865). This rodent is endemic to areas along the Pacific Coast in San Luis Obispo County, California [1]. Montaña de Oro State Park near Los Osos is a good place to see the kangaroo rat, although it is endagered and it living range today is very limited, as explained on an information board (showing photos by Glenn R. Stewart) in the State Park:

The coastal dune scrub plant community within the Morro Dunes Natural Preserve provides critical habitat for the endangered Morro Bay kangaroo rat. This species, once common throughout the South Bay region, is now limited to a small area south of Los Osos. The degradation of suitable habitat has led to the species decline.

The Morro Bay kangaroo rat is the smallest of nine subspecies of Heermann's kangaroo rat [2]. It is brown-colored, typically darker brown than other subspecies. It bears an incomplete, white hip stripe, and a black stripe across its nose. Its tail with a about 7 inch (17.5 cm) is much longer than its head and body, together measuring 4 to 5 inch (10-13 cm).
If you don't succeed in spotting any kangaroo rats jumping around, you may still see hints of their “engineering” activity. Kangaroo rats build tunnel systems in soft or sandy soil, where they live, breed and store food. They are primarily seed eaters.

References
[1] U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Species Profile: Morro Bay kangaroo rat (Dipodomys heermanni morroensis).
[2] Comparison of different Kangaroo Rats (Dipodomys sp.).
[3] Justin Congdon and Aryan Roest: Status of the Endangered Morro Bay Kangaroo Rat. Journal of Mammalogy August 1975, 56 (3), pp. 679-683. Abstract.

Morro blue butterfly

The Morro blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides moroensis, Family Lycaenidae), like the Pheres blue butterfly and the San Francisco tree lupine moth, lays its eggs on lupines. The name indicates that its range is found in the Morro Bay area in California. This butterfly depends on the presence of silver dune lupines (Lupinus chamissonis), a salt- and sand-tolerating plant species growing in coastal dune areas, such as those that are part of the Montaña de Oro State Park, south of Morro Bay and Los Osos. Visitors to the park will find the following information:

The life cycle of the Morro blue butterfly is associated with a single host plant, the dune lupine, where the species finds shelter, feeds and lays eggs. Its range is limited to a narrow strip of coastal dunes that have been significantly impacted by development and degradation.

References and resources
[1] W. T. Williams and J. R. Potter: The coastal strand community at Morro Bay State Park, California. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club July-August 1972, 99 (4), pp. 163-171. Abstract.
[2] California Coastal Commission: California's Coastal Sand Dunes.
[3] ZipcodeZoo.com: Icaricia icarioides moroensis.

Western snowy plover

Plovers (Charadriidae) are short-billed birds, typically found along open shorelines where they forage on small prey.
A western snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) may be spotted on a beach hike along the central or southern Californian coast. Their habitat includes beaches, the sand dune hinterland, and—further inland—stream, pond, and lake environments. Natural predators of snowy plovers and their tiny eggs are coyotes, raccoons, and other birds such as falcons and owls. The snowy plover population of the Pacific Coast has been designated a threatened species—not so much because of those predators, but of habitat loss. An interpretive board at a trailhead in the Montaña de Oro State Park, south of Morro Bay and Los Osos, provides the following information:

The coastal strand provides excellent nesting habitat for the threatened western snowy plover. Nests and fledglings are susceptible to loss from human-caused disturbance and predators. Loss of habitat along coastal California has caused concern for the survival of the species.

In the park you'll find certain sand dune areas marked as protected and temporarily closed during the nesting season. Those areas provide spaces wherein the plovers build their nests from kelp, driftwood, shells and whatever else they may find along the shore.

References and resources
[1] California State Parks: Western Snowy Plover • Sharing the Beach
[2] Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office: Western Snowy Plover
[3] Western Snowy Plover • Tools & Resources for Recovery