West Coast of California
- Nicholas Turner
- Sep 19, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 3
1st - 14th September 2022
The plan was to spend a few days in Santa Barbara in Southern California and then drive northwards via Moonstone Beach to Carmel where we would spend a week. From there on to San Francisco before returning back to the UK.
Thursday 1st September: Having arrived the previous evening at Los Angeles airport and then taken a bus to the University of California at Santa Barbara we were keen to explore the birdlife around the University campus. In the middle of the campus is a large lagoon which leads to the beach and the ocean. On and around the lagoon we found Snowy Egret, Greater Yellowlegs, Black-necked Stilt, Least Sandpiper, Black Phoebe, Brown Pelican and Killdeer. On the beach were Sanderling, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Grey Plover, a Least Tern with oil on its feathers and a Great Egret.
A number of new butterflies were found including the tiny Western Pygmy Blue, several Skippers and Fiery Skippers as well as a Gray Hairstreak, Marine Blue and Mournful Duskywing.
Friday 2nd September: A quick morning stroll around Santa Barbara Lagoon produced some more Greater Yellowlegs and a Great Blue Heron. We then headed off to the airport to pick up the rental car and drive to Moonstone Beach where we had rented an apartment very close to the beach. A pre-dinner walk along the beach resulted in the discovery of some Semipalmated Plover, Western Sandpiper, Brewer’s Blackbird, Common Grackle and a few Turkey Vultures hunting along the beach.
Saturday 3rd September: Moonstone Beach takes its name from the moon shaped pebbles that historically were deposited along the beach during storms and which are collected by tourists. For certain sections of the beach there is a boardwalk that runs close to the water. We spent the early part of the morning walking northwards and saw Heermann’s Gull, a flock of Elegant Tern, a pair of Snowy Plover one of which was ringed, Double-crested Cormorant, Brown Pelican, Whimbrel and Long-billed Curlew. Near our apartment in the early evening we found some more of the delightful Western Sandpipers and as well as a few Killdeer.
Sunday 4th September: Harmony Headlands State Park is a large coastal park south of moonstone beach with plenty of hiking opportunities in the woods as well as coastal views from the rocks. Upon arrival we found a Red-tailed Hawk sitting in a tree and saw a distant White-tailed Kite and Northern Harrier fly by. On the coast were a Brandt’s Cormorant, a few Pelagic Cormorants, Western Gulls and an American Kestrel. Butterflies included Mormon Metalmark, Mylitta Crescent and Gray Buckeye mostly landing on the sunny paths.
During the late afternoon at Moonstone Beach we found a Black Oystercatcher, Willet, Painted Lady and an Anna’s Hummingbird nectaring on the flowers near our apartment.
Monday 5th September: Today we were off again continuing our journey northwards making a brief stop at San Rimeon where an Osprey flew along the beach and we saw a California Scrub Jay and Spotted Sandpiper. For lunch we parked up at the famous Big Sur and on our 2 hour walk found an Acorn Woodpecker and a Long-Billed Curlew on the beach. By the evening we had reached our next destination of the very attractive town of Carmel where we had rented an Airbnb for the next 6 days.
Tuesday 6th September: Carmel is a great base from which to explore both north and south. On the first morning we headed south to Point Lobos State National Reserve which is a very large coastal park with diverse habitat including woodland, scrubland and rocky coastlines. A Red-tailed Hawk was sitting in a tree close to the car park and on the circular walk we found Hairy Woodpecker, Bewick’s Wren, Pygmy Nuthatch and Dark-eyed Junco together with a Field Crescent, Gray Hairstreak and American Lady.
Wednesday 7th September: Today we ventured north to Asilomar SB on the Monterey Peninsula and walked northwards along the coast to Point Pinos. The light was superb with clear blue skies and the shorebirds were remarkably approachable sitting on the rocks in groups. New sightings can in the form of a single Surfbird and a pair of Black Turnstone, both ‘lifers’. There were plenty of Grey Plovers, some in summer plumage, together with Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Whimbrel, Great Egret, Heermann’s Gull and Cowbird. A West Coast Lady in good condition was found on the way back.
Thursday 8th September: Whale Watching from Monterey is an essential activity in this part of the world and we had some excellent views of Humpback Whales and California Sea Lions. On the sea were several Red-necked Phalaropes, albeit at a distance, a single Rhinoceros Auklet and some Common Murre, whereas Sooty Shearwaters continuously flew around the boat.
Friday 9th September: Carmel River State Beach was within easy walking distance of our Airbnb so we headed off there early in the morning where several Song Sparrows were singing and also a California Towhee. The highlight on the beach was a Baird’s Sandpiper together with some Western Sandpipers. In the reeds and on the lake we saw a Sora, Virginia Rail, Black-necked Grebe and Pied-billed Grebe.
Saturday 11th September: Time to depart once again, this time for the short drive to San Francisco where I dropped Sabine off at the airport as she made her way home. I had a 1 day meeting to attend in San Francisco on the following day so decided to spend the afternoon at Crissy Lagoon & Beach where there were a few Marbled Godwits, a Great Blue Heron and some European Starlings.
Saturday 13th September: The conference finished at midday after which I headed north to Point Reyes, an area north of San Francisco well known for its wildlife. In the afternoon I visited Tomales Bay where I found a Western Bluebird, Turkey Vultures, House Finch and California Scrub Jay together with a pristine looking Lorquin’s Admiral butterfly.
Sunday 14th September: The next morning I visited Limantour Beach but it was extremely foggy for most of the morning. When the mist eventually cleared I saw a family of California Quail, a Northern Flicker and a Common Yellowthroat. In the afternoon I stopped off briefly at Stinson Beach where a Turkey Vulture and some Marbled Godwit were present before heading off to the airport.
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