Whale Rock Reservoir - Cayucos
Old Creek - Cottontail Creek - Santa Rita Road
Click to return to Los Osos Birding Spots

Click the WHITE 'CIRCLES' for VIDEOS! Whale Rock Reservoir was created by damming Old Creek 1961 supplying SLO, Cal Poly & Calif Men's Colony SLO's other major water sources include Lake Nacimiento 1957 and Santa Margarita Lake 1941 Notice Old Creek flows into a north reservoir ARM and really only exits the southern spillway in rare overflow years. So what stream runs beside Old Creek Road into the Pacific? Willow Creek! The fun part is finding this little outlet Beach Access is off Studio Drive Here's the MAP! We stayed at the Beachwalker Inn years ago and once tried to hike the Reservoir Trail but the access gate is often locked! and one more detail... That little outlet wasn't at Cayucos Beach but part of Morro Strand State Beach

BIRDS??? So where were the BIRDS???

A Long-billed Curlew followed us along the beach! Not the smaller Whimbrel has a striped head and shorter beak	Sanderlings are the famous frenetic wave runners! But... what we saw could have been? Spotted Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Least Sandpiper	Black Phoebe with sharp beak on bare branches or rocks flycatcher often near water Not the Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) with short pink beak ground foraging for seeds

SCENIC DRIVES around the north(inland) end of Whale Rock Reservoir

Cottontail Creek & Santa Rita Roads Click the RED CIRCLES for photos Cottontail Creek Ranch is a working ranch also providing luxury vacation rentals Old Creek Ranch is also a working ranch specializing in grassfed organic beef and growing Hass Avocadoes & Valencia Oranges Still owned and run by family and friends