Just north of Guadalupe and three miles west of Highway One, birders will find Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area, which is teeming with life. The lake is part of a nature preserve within the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (Parking Fee $5) and is a prime location for bird watching with an easy 2-mile out-and-back trail.
Birding Along the Trail to Oso Flaco Lake
Just getting out of the car in the parking lot, will afford visitors an eyeful of bird-life with multi-species flocks of swallows, chickadees, and sparrows soaring overhead and Red-tailed Hawks and possibly Peregrine Falcon's visible in the distance. In addition, forest species like Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Downy Woodpeckers are common along the path leading to the boardwalk. Keep an eye out for nesting Chestnut-backed Chickadees and Black-capped Chickadees as well.
Male Allen's Hummingbird's pose beautifully in the bushes alongside the trail and may be seen performing their courtship displays with the pendulum shaped beginning to the breathtaking ascent and graceful dive. Be sure to listen for Marsh Wrens and Soras and keep an eye out for Black Phoebes as the trail leads past the marshy areas along Oso Flaco Creek.
Birds on Oso Flaco Lake
On the boardwalk above the lake, watch for pairs of Bufflehead Ducks, Ruddy Ducks, and groups of American Coots, Cinnamon Teals and Mallard Ducks and various other waterfowl. Look for Double-crested Cormorants perched on the pilings south of the boardwalk and Western Grebes diving for food. Pied-billed Grebes are also common to the area.
Bird Watching Beyond the Lake
Birders able to continue the hike past the boardwalk into the coastal scrub may spot Wrentits, California Thrashers, and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. Watching the ocean may reveal Sooty Shearwaters, Loons, Terns (Caspian and Forster's) and Scoters. Lucky visitors may see endangered California Least Terns foraging nearby.
Oso Flaco Lake is a wonderful site for bird watching from the wooded path to the boardwalk over the lake and beyond to the sandy coastal scrub. It is accessible to visitors of all abilities, although beyond the boardwalk deep sand and harsh winds make hiking more difficult. Further information is available from the Morro Coast Audubon Society, which has produced a bird watching guide for San Luis Obispo County that includes information on Oso Flaco Lake. For ideas on other birding sites along the Central Coast read Bird Watching on California's Central Coast - Nojoqui Falls.
Rory Bratcher - Rory is currently a freelance writer and mother of two. Rory travels frequently and has taken her family on a variety of trips including ...
Join the Conversation