Hidden Treasure

There are 2 hidden treasures in this video,

1. Elfin Forest

   A compact, windswept world of ancient oaks and deep cultural roots

   The Elfin Forest in Los Osos—formally the El Moro Elfin Forest Natural Area—is one of the Central Coast’s most distinctive ecological preserves. It’s small in acreage but huge in character, with a landscape shaped by wind, salt, sand, and thousands of years of human presence.

   The preserve covers 90 acres of prehistoric sand dunes rising above the southeastern edge of Morro Bay.

   Its signature feature is the pygmy Coast live oak woodland, where normally tall oaks are stunted to 4–20 feet due to harsh coastal conditions—salt spray, nutrient-poor soil, and constant wind.

   The area supports:

   • 200+ plant species, including the rare Morro manzanita

   • 110 bird species

   • 22 mammals

   • 13 reptiles and amphibians

2. The Morro Bay State Park Rookery

   A dense, noisy, spectacular nesting colony perched above the estuary

   The Heron Rookery Natural Preserve in Morro Bay State Park is one of the Central Coast’s most active and visible bird‑nesting sites. It’s especially famous for its Great Blue Herons, Great and Snowy Egrets, and Double‑crested Cormorants, which return year after year to raise their young in the same cluster of tall trees.

   You can spot it easily by the cluster of dead or bare trees—the result of decades of acidic droppings from the birds, which slowly killed the foliage.

   A short dirt path (about 100 feet) leads to a viewing area with clear sightlines into the nests.

   From February through June, the trees are alive with activity:

   • Courtship displays

   • Nest building

   • Adults feeding chicks

   • Fledglings testing their wings

     According to local guides and park descriptions, the rookery hosts:

     • Great Blue Herons

     • Great Egrets

     • Snowy Egrets

     • Black‑crowned Night Herons

Matierial from Wiki. Video by Jon Pinter