My wife Sue and I planned a 3-week stay in California as partly business and partly birding. We are keen birders, but not hard core, so some days were leisurely with exploration of a new part of the US as much an interest as the birds – though they always took precedence. We stayed mainly in rental houses rather than motels as it gave us independence and allowed us to explore a given patch in more detail.
We recorded 178 species of birds over this period. We enjoyed some visible migration in some areas but we knew we were too early for the mountains and too late for the wintering geese, cranes and raptors. Plenty of gaps to be covered by future trips.
As reference for the trip I used:
www.naturali.com and www.valleywild.com for Kernville and Lake Isabella
Birdwatching in Northern California by John Kemper for the rest of the trip
Plus other birdwatching link sites, especially:
http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/county.htm
which took me to a number of local pages for Monterey county and Marin County.
Travel:
Virgin Atlantic Heathrow – San Francisco. 10 hour flight, but almost bearable with at seat TV, movies and music. Car – Alamo rentals special, booked in advance, approx. £430 for 3 weeks. Choice of any mid size SUV in garage. Went for a Toyota Rav4, rather than a big Chrysler, on the basis that the 4wd might be useful. This proved to be a wise choice….
Common species:
Common birds, seen almost everywhere across California were: Red-tailed hawks, Turkey Vultures, Brewers’ and Red-winged blackbirds, Starling, Raven and American Crow, Scrub Jay, California Quail, House Finch. The common sparrows were Savannah, Song and White Crowned. On the coast, Western gull was everywhere.
Day 1:
Arrive at SFO in warm sunshine (70f). Drive 2 hours to Santa Cruz. With the inevitable jet lag, a short hop to our first night B&B was welcome. On the freeway, many red-tailed hawks - a short stop to check the map also produced California quail. On the road over the hills to Santa Cruz, 3 Turkey Vultures glided over the road.
Stayed at Adobe B&B – recommended
Day 2:
Cool start, overcast. Walk into Santa Cruz to buy a hat (for birding in the desert!). In the local gardens:
Stellar’s Jay
Mourning dove
Band Tailed pigeon
Female Anna’s hummers bathing in fountain
Tree Swallow
Bronze headed cowbird
Bush tit
Chestnut backed chickadee
Drove to Pinnacles National Monument on State Highway 25.
Acorn woodpeckers nesting in car park just above the car
Western bluebird
Oak titmouse
American robin
Wood peewee
Dark eyed (Oregon) junco
Olive crowned warbler
Anna’s hummer
Black phoebe
Lots of White-throated swift
Drove on 25, then on Peach Tree road and Indian Valley road through rolling hill country with scattered oaks and grassy fields.
Western meadowlark – lots
Western kingbird – lots
Yellow billed magpies – a number of small parties
Cliff Swallow
American kestrel
Loggerhead Shrike
Western Bluebird – Bullocks Oriole - on cattle watering trough
3 Wild turkeys
and a coyote…..
Arrived Paso Robles Holiday Inn Express – OK for a chain hotel
Day 3;
Cool and overcast, but driving inland the sun broke through. Fresh breeze but upper 60’sF. Headed South East to La Panza Road and then Route 58. Stopped where we crossed San Juan Creek, which had some flowing water in it;
Violet green swallow
Cliff swallow
Rough winged swallow
Northern flicker
Ash throated flycatcher
Western bluebird
Lark sparrow
Lawrence’s goldfinch
Arrived at Corrizo Plain area;
Golden Eagle on roadside pylon – took off over the car.
Drove up Branch Mountain road through agricultural fields;
Horned lark
American pipit
Loggerhead shrike
7 pronghorn antelopes..
Spent some time looking for Le Conte’s thrasher at a site in Corrizo plain, but nothing moving. Carried on to Bakersfield, via Maricopa and Taft intending to check Petroleum road for Le C but decided it was too late in the day. Irrigated fields near Bakersfield – lots of Snowy Egrets and a few Great White Egrets. Arrived at rental house, Golden Eagle, in Wofford Heights in the Kern Valley. Staying for a week.
Day 4;
Weather for week dry, sunny, but cool – upper 60’sF in afternoons – cold wind on some days, chilly at night. Up to the mountains along Highway 109, but could not get to the top due to lying snow. Turned right at Johnsondale on forest road 22582 and spent some time amongst the redwoods at a picnic site by a stream.
3 White-headed woodpeckers
Hairy woodpecker
Mountain chickadee
American kestrel
Cassin’s finch
Stellar’s jay
Black phoebe
American dipper
Yellow rumped warbler
On way down stopped at bridge over gorge:
Cliff Swallow
Mallard
Rough winged swallow
Vaux swift – hundreds along the valley
Stopped in Kernville and parked by the small park in centre of town:
Lesser goldfinch
Yellow Warbler
White breasted nuthatch
As we left south on 155 an Osprey flew over the road carrying a fish!
Day 5;
Day at Kern River Audubon Preserve. Many of the birds noted below were around the car park and feeders:
Tri-coloured blackbird
Bullock’s Oriole
Black chinned and Anna’s hummer
House wren
Ash throated flycatcher
Hammond’s flycatcher
Gray flycatcher
American, Lesser and Lawrence’s goldfinch
Olive crowned warbler
Bronze headed cowbird
Pine siskin
Black headed grosbeak
Cassin’s vireo
Around the shores of Lake Isabella, including a flooded field next to the road;
Great tailed grackle
American coot
Spotted sandpiper
Western Grebe
Cinnamon teal
Gadwall
Horned grebe
Great white egret
Rock wren
White pelican
Killdeer
A mystery wader feeding in small stream – very dunlin like but with no hint of dark or black on the belly. Brown streaked chest, wing bar, dark legs, and dunlin type bill. Decided it was a dunlin, but still in winter plumage.
Day 5;
Early morning, opened curtains, a coyote padded past the house and down the road. First stop, Migrant Corner at the Preserve on Sierra Way;
Cassin’s vireo
Grey flycatcher
Ash throated flycatcher
Wood peewee
Yellow-rumped warbler
Yellow throat
Wilson’s warbler
Black throated grey warbler
Possible Nashville’s – female
Lawrence’s goldfinch
House wren
Rock wren
White crowned sparrow
Western tanager
Bullock’s oriole
Flooded field next to 178;
7 Greater yellowlegs
Great White Egret
Kelso Valley drive through the Joshua trees;
White-crowned Sparrow
Downy Woodpecker
Heard Cactus Wren, but did not manage to see one all week.
Attempted the drive down the valley and then up Jawbone Canyon Road to the top of Piute Mountain, the Eastern Kern County loop in A birder’s guide to Southern California . This was more challenging than necessary and only a 4wd got us up the rutted, steep and winding track, with unprotected drops into the scrub covered slopes – not recommended! Adrenaline levels off the scale and even a Red breasted Sapsucker was not sufficient compensation! Too stressed for any more birding -we were pleased to get down in one piece.
Day 6:
Business appointment in LA. Drove down Interstate 5 into East Hollywood. Was able to spend an hour birding in Deb’s Park, a scrubby hilltop.
California towhee
Spotted towhee
California Thrasher
Bewick’s wren
Nuttall’s woodpecker
Allen’s Hummer – female
Took a circuitous route back to Kern Valley, via Palmdale and Mojave on Route 14, and then decided to go ‘inland’, via Butterbredt Springs. Not the right time of day but very interesting to see the place and understand how good it could be if you could get there early enough:
Wilson’s warbler
Hammond’s Flycatcher
Black headed grosbeak
Possible vireo
Another off road adventure – you really must have a SUV for accessing this area whatever it might say in the birding guides and I apologise for my carbon footprint. Suitable trees will be planted.
Day 7:
We decided to have a quiet day after the long drive yesterday. Drove up to Greenhorn Mountain on state route 155 and walked through the pine woods for a couple of hours. Birding hard work – too early I suspect for this altitude. Snow still present in patches;
Spotted towhee
Dark eyed junco – common
White headed woodpecker
Black headed grosbeak
Yellow rumped warbler
Mountain chickadee
Anna’s hummer
American robin
3 short sightings of Goshawk gliding through forest
Day 8;
We wanted a day of exploration in the desert. I have been to Arizona and seen the saguaro cactus desert, but not the high, Mojave Desert. Early morning headed east on 155and stopped at a little pull in at Mile post 74, as recommended, finding some migration underway in the trees and bushes;
Yellow-rumped warbler
Wilson’s warbler
Olive crowned warbler
A number of Empid flycatchers, at least one a Hammond’s, but none showing much of a yellow tinge
Ash throated flycatcher
Bullock’s orioles
Western tanagers
Downy and Nuttall’s’ woodpeckers
Unidentified vireo – quite pale and plain, but not enough detail to identify. Hutton’s?
Drove through Ridgecrest and then along a desert track to the Tufa hills near Trona – do not try this in a normal car. Not much moving in the desert, but good views of:
Horned lark
Black throated sparrow
Bendire’s thrasher
Long drive through the Panamint valley and past Owens Salt Lake in bright sunshine and heat – amazing desert scenery but pretty much bird less. Back at Kern we spent an hour looking in the South Fork Wildlife Area for roadrunner that we were told was there. No luck, but some other good birds:
Lark Sparrow
Bewick’s Wren
Western Tanager
Osprey – sat on tall post next to pylon with nest, looking south to Mtn Mesa.
Great Blue Heron
Day 9;
Our last day in the Kern Valley. Up early and over to Migrant Corner –similar species to previous visit but also;
Yellow Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Downy Woodpecker
Brown Creeper
Warbling Vireo
Wood Duck
After a couple of hours, moved over to Kern Audubon preserve and walked nature trail. Weather now getting hotter – into 70sF – and wind has dropped. Again, species similar to before, but also:
Swainson’s thrush
Another trip to South Fork Wildlife Area in search of Roadrunner. No Roadrunner but all previous species, plus, in trees flanking track:
Blue Grosbeak
Black-throated Sparrow
Loggerhead Shrike
On lake at end of track:
White pelican – 8
Great Blue Heron
Western grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Black-winged Stilt
Finished birding around 2.00pm – 85F – and drove to Kernville for some shopping and internet café. On way, near Kernville airport, male roadrunner ran across the road! Beers at the Kern Valley Brewery all round…….
Day 10:
Up early to drive up Highway 5 to our next stay near Santa Cruz. I had business meeting at Ano Nuevo State Park. This took the form of a walk with a group round a small farm/ranch overlooking the Pacific, so not really birding, but still noted:
Wren tit
California Thrasher
Olive-sided flycatcher
Barn swallow
Ruddy duck
Western sandpiper
Song sparrow
Killdeer
Caspian tern – 18
We rented a house in Aptos, on the hills above Highway 1. From the back porch, in the garden shrubs and flanking trees, over the 3 days:
Northern mockingbird
Golden-crowned sparrow
Hooded Oriole
Oak titmouse
Chestnut backed chickadee
Day 11
A day birding down the Monterey coast, with a drive along Big Sur, just for the experience. Started with the estuary inlet and marshes at Moss Landing State Beach:
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
Pied billed and Western grebe
Willett
Marbled godwit
Mallard
Snowy Egret
Dunlin
Snowy plover
Semi-palmated plover
Canada goose (not sure which one)
Red headed avocet
Black bellied plover
Ruddy turnstone
Whimbrel
Common loon
Brown pelican
A number of gulls in various plumages. I’m not really a gull person, so did not have the time or patience to go through them all, but certainly noted Western gull as the dominant one, with a few California and herring gulls.
A great place for a couple of hours birding! In the open waters of the harbour itself, looking over towards the seafood restaurant;
Western and Clarke’s grebes
Pigeon guillemot
Black scoter
Brandt’s cormorant
And a few hundred sea lions and sea otters…..
Drove up the south side of Elkhorn Slough. The reserve was closed but we went on to Kirby Park car park and the short trail along the estuary. A number of similar species, plus:
Forster’s Tern
Great Egret
Double crested cormorant
5 Least Sandpiper – spent a while checking these little peeps out, but eventually saw yellow legs – result
Just back on the road from here, there was a handy pull in to look over an area of shallow saline lagoons behind the railway line. A great spot as it turned out:
Black-necked stilts – many
Green winged Teal
Blue winged teal
Cinnamon teal
Red headed avocet
Big Sur turned out to be winding, slow and with some good views but hardly life expanding – perhaps if you were from Nebraska….
Day 12:
The day of the Whale cruise. Not really the best time of year for a full Pelagic and Sue is not the greatest sailor, so we went for a 3 hour cruise with Sanctuary Cruises out of Moss Landing. Highly recommended for this type of cruise- easy access and parking and 15 minutes out we had spotted our first whale. We followed 5 humpbacks all told and had great views of spouts and flukes etc. Then it got a bit windy and more than a bit choppy so a straw poll of passengers turned us round and back to harbour. Oh, and the birds:
Red throated, Pacific and Common loon – hundreds, most in summer plumage
Common Murre – lots
Brandt’s and Pelagic cormorants – lots
Sooty Shearwater – common
Black footed albatross – a few flying by, 6 on the water close to the boat
Caspian tern – a few
Forster’s tern - lots
Back in the harbour;
Horned Grebe
5 Glaucous-winged gulls
Day 13;
A travelling day, from Santa Cruz to Point Reyes Seashore to our next house rental. On the way, we stopped at Ano Nuevo State Park for the 1 mile walk to see the elephant seals. They were just fantastic, a beach full only a few metres away. Quite breezy again and not much time to stop, so only a couple of birds;
Wren tit
Bank Swallows over the pond
Brant goose
Western and Glaucous-winged gulls
Day 14
Staying in a unique tree top house in the middle of the Bishop pines of Point Reyes. Designed and built in 1960 it is a glass modernist masterpiece – highly recommended (Thetreesbytomalesbay.com). In the pines around the house over our week stay;
Raven
Osprey
Turkey vulture
Western bluebird
Black phoebe
Ruby crowned kinglet
Empid flycatchers
Hairy woodpecker
Pygmy nuthatch
All week the weather was sunny and dry, a couple of days with light early cloud, and occasional hot sun. Excellent birding weather. From the house, we took a 3-mile walk along Pierce Point road and then down to Indian Beach and the Tomales Bay State Park;
California towhee
Wilson’s warbler
Olive Crowned warbler
Greater Yellowlegs
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Ospreys – 2 pairs, each in turn were trying to see off an interloping male. Incredibly close and easy views of a nest.
Bald Eagle – adult male flying down Tomales Bay
Anna’s hummer
Northern flicker
In the afternoon, we drove to Inverness supermarket. Noticed that the car park has great views of the Bay:
Lesser Scaup
Bonaparte’s’ gull
White pelican
Marbled Godwit
Caspian Tern
Great Egret
Plus other ducks noted above
Day 15
I had a business meeting at the Audubon Centre on Richardson Bay in the morning. As we arrived a White Tailed Kite hovered over the meadow! In the afternoon we birded at the Galinas Ponds – top site:
Northern Harrier – 3 adults, very close views
White Tailed kite
Western Sandpiper
Marbled godwit
Long billed dowitcher
Red headed avocet
Black winged stilt
Shoveler
Gadwall
Green winged teal
American wigeon
Cinnamon teal
Purple finch
Marsh wren
Green Heron
Two final raptor contacts that day - As we left Gallinas ponds, putting stuff back in the car, 2 Prairie Falcons flew past, chasing each other! Driving past Inverness on the way back to the house, an adult Golden eagle flew over the road.
Day 16
A day exploring parts of the Point Reyes National Seashore. We started at the Bear Valley visitor centre on the Earthquake and Woodpecker Trails. Good raptors, but not the Red-shouldered hawk that supposedly nests in the area;
Wilson’s warbler
Spotted towhee
Acorn Woodpecker
Sharp-shinned hawk
White tailed Kite
Osprey
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut backed chickadee
Empid sp.
Brown Creeper
Drove out to Chimney Stack Point late in the afternoon and walked down to the quay and then along the path to the point;
Lots of Surf Scoter
Common loon
Lots Western Grebe
Eared grebes
Usual Western gulls, plus Glaucous-winged, Herring and 1 Glaucous Gull
Collared doves, at the lighthouse and by the last farmstead
And rather surprisingly, in the big tangled conifers beside the path, a Lewis’ Woodpecker!
Day 17;
Drove up the coast alongside Tomales Bay and then up to Bodega Bay on highway 1:
Black crowned Night Heron
Spotted sandpiper
Prairie Falcon
Osprey
12 Brown and 9 White Pelicans
Lots of Pigeon Guillemot
Red-breasted merganser
8 Brant Geese
1, lonely, White-fronted goose (feral?)
Ring-billed Gull
Black Oystercatcher
200 Marbled godwit
6 Red Knot
4 Dunlin
3 Long-billed Dowitcher
Willet
20+ Caspian terns
Some Common terns
Day 18:
Last birding day, checking out the ponds and estuary at Limantour beach/ Muddy Hollow. Sunny but cold wind from North blowing.
Allen’s Hummer
Olive crowned warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Black phoebe
Green winged teal
Gadwall
Wilson’s snipe
Red-necked phalarope
Barn and Violet Green Swallow
Any missing days were spent sightseeing in towns or just lounging when ‘birded out’…..
Day 19:
Packed and ready for home – drove to SFO over the Golden Gate for a flight at 16.30.
Graham Burton
May 2008