Birding Outing: San Elijo Ecological Reserve

San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve

9-11a Birding Outing

Registration capped at 10 attendees.

• RESTROOMS: OPEN at the Nature Center
• ENTRANCE: 2710 Manchester Ave, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA 92007.
• PARKING: Paved parking lot with 19 spots, including ADA-, carpool-, and EV-marked parking stalls (9 am–5 pm daily). Bike rack available.
• TERRAIN: Flat, wide, and even path. Suitable for strollers and wheelchairs.

San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve is a peaceful place to enjoy nature. You can run, hike, birdwatch, take photos, or paint. It is one of the largest wetlands in San Diego. The 979-acre reserve is mainly a shallow-water estuary. It is where the Escondido and La Orilla Creeks meet the Pacific Ocean.

San Elijo Lagoon was formally dedicated as a county park and state ecological reserve in 1983. By conserving rare habitats, they ensure the survival of native plant and animal species, as well as the preservation of public recreational opportunities.

The LEED Platinum-certified Nature Center is a great place to explore the San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve. You can see fun exhibits that teach about the history of the reserve and the plants and animals that live there.

Twice a day, the incoming tides cover much of the landscape with salt water. As the tide goes out, mudflats are exposed, full of invertebrates that provide food for shorebirds and ducks. Freshwater from creeks and storm drains mixes with the saltwater. The plants and animals in this area have adapted to live where land and ocean meet.

Since the parking lot opens at 9:00 am, we will not be able to park before 9 so we will meet in front of the Nature Center between 9 and 9:15 am. There are also restrooms at the Nature Center.

We will cross bridges that go over the channels in the lagoon.

More than 290 bird species have been documented at the reserve. Photographs of 52 of the species are provided at this link  Animal Type: Birds | Nature Collective