Highlights
Both Point Reyes National Seashore and Bodega Bay host diverse and abundant terrestrial, wetland, and estuarine habitats. Consequently, it’s not surprising that more than 319 species have been detected within the Seashore and 339 at Bodega Bay. Both totals qualify these “hot spots” as two of the best West Coast birding areas for birders seeking to elevate their life list totals.
Key Bird Species and Families
- Loons (Periodic to rare sightings of Yellow-billed Loon and Arctic Loon)
- Shorebirds (Periodic to rare sightings of Surfbird, Wandering Tattler, and Bar-tailed Godwit)
- Ducks (Periodic to rare sightings of Tufted Duck and Long-tailed Duck
- Rails (Periodic to rare detections of Ridgway’s Rail and Black Rail)
- Songbirds (Vagrant “trap” area annually from mid-August through November)
Best Regions for Birding
Point Reyes National Seashore Lighthouse area
Best Birding Season
Winter, Spring, Autumn
Birding Trip Suggestion(s)
Point Reyes: Best “hot spots” include Drakes Beach, South Beach, Chimney Rock, Fish Docks, and the lighthouse. For vagrants, Monterey Cypress groves offer refugium habitat within the Outer Point area at several dairy farm ranches. Here’s a link to a map that shows all the ranches’ locations.
Bodega Bay: To visit the best birding spots, it’s a good idea to note eBird “hot spots” for the Bodega Bay region, including the following ones: Bodega Bay pelagic; Bodega Bay–Diekman’s Store area, Sonoma; Bodega Bay–Gaffney Pt. – includes Marine Lab and residence entrances; Bodega Bay–Porto Bodega; Bodega Bay–Tides Wharf to Lucas Wharf, Bodega Bay–harbor and immediate vicinity; Bodega Bay–north shore (includes rail ponds); Bodega Canyon (SON Co.); Bodega Dunes Campground; Bodega Farm Pond; Bodega Harbor–Spud Point and marina; and Bodega Head – offshore species and the bluff only.
Practical Tips
- Spotting scope (recommended)
- Dress in layers because fog is often present in the A.M., but sunshine/warmth occurs by midday.
- A windbreaker is often essential
Books
American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of California
Links
By Daniel Edelstein
Based in the San Francisco Bay area, Daniel Edelstein is a freelance Consulting Biologist (who is a Certified Wildlife Biologist Asc.) who has led birding tours for more than 25 years and presented public birding presentations in more than 20 states. He can be reached at Daniel Edelstein@att.net
Illustration: “Wpdms usgs photo point reyes large 2” by Georgewilliamherbert at en.wikipedia is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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