Morro Bay

Planning my epic road trip – the Middle and North California leg

/ Bret Newton / Leave a comment

This has been the hardest part to plan so far.

Day 14 – Part 2 (Wednesday June 25) – Morro Bay

  • From the stop of the ferry from Santa Cruz, I will head north to Morro Bay.  I will camp here for the night.
  • Morro Bay is known for its large colony of Elephant Seals.
  • Target Birds
    1. Brant*
    2. Surf Scoter*
    3. California Quail
    4. Red-Throated Loon*
    5. Pacific Loon*
    6. Common Loon
    7. Western Grebe
    8. Clark’s Grebe
    9. Brandt’s Cormorant
    10. Pelagic Cormorant
    11. Black Oystercatcher*
    12. Pigeon Guillemot*
    13. Western Gull
    14. California Gull
    15. Band-Tailed Pigeon
    16. Allen’s Hummingbird
    17. Nuttall’s Woodpecker
    18. Peregrine Falcon
    19. Pacific-Slope Flycatcher
    20. Hutton’s Vireo
    21. Violet-Green Swallow
    22. Chestnut-Backed Chickadee*
    23. Oak Titmouse*
    24. Bushtit
    25. Wrentit
    26. California Thrasher
    27. Wilson’s Warbler
    28. California Towhee
    29. Black-Headed Grosbeak
    30. Blue Grosbeak
    31. Lazuli Bunting*
    32. Purple Finch

Day 15 (Thursday June 26) – Morro Bay part 2 and Sequoia

  • I plan to bird the Morro Bay area for the first half of the day.  From there, I will travel inland to Sequoia National Park.
  • I will camp at Sequoia National Park
  • Target Birds
    1. Mountain Quail*
    2. Sooty Grouse*
    3. Band-Tailed Pigeon
    4. White-Throated Swift
    5. Red-Breasted Sapsucker*
    6. White-Headed Woodpecker
    7. Western Wood-Pewee
    8. Hammond’s Flycatcher
    9. Cassin’s Vireo*
    10. Pacific Wren
    11. American Dipper
    12. Townsend’s Solitaire
    13. MacGillvray’s Warbler
    14. Hermit Warbler*
    15. Wilson’s Warbler
    16. Green-Tailed Towhee
    17. Western Tanager
    18. Black-Headed Grosbeak
    19. Purple Finch
    20. Cassin’s FInch

Day 16-18 (Friday June 27, Saturday June 28, Sunday June 29) – Yosemite

  • After the glory of the greatest trees in the world, I will venture to see yet another of the country’s great places.
  • Most of this stop, like at Sequoia, will be sightseeing.
  • Target Birds
    1. Mountain Quail*
    2. Sooty Grouse*
    3. Band-Tailed Pigeon
    4. White-Throated Swift
    5. Williamson’s Sapsucker*
    6. Red-Breasted Sapsucker*
    7. White-Headed Woodpecker
    8. Western Wood-Pewee
    9. Hammond’s Flycatcher
    10. Pacific-Slope Flycatcher
    11. Cassin’s Vireo*
    12. Violet-Green Swallow
    13. Chestnut-Backed Chickadee*
    14. American Dipper
    15. Townsend’s Solitaire
    16. MacGillivray’s Warbler
    17. Black-Throated Gray Warbler
    18. Hermit Warbler*
    19. Green-Tailed Towhee
    20. Western Tanager
    21. Black-Headed Grosbeak
    22. Cassin’s Finch

Day 19 (Monday June 30) – Monterey Bay

  • From the giant trees, I head back to the coast.  This time to Monterey Bay.  In particular, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, considered by many to be the best aquarium in the country – perhaps the world.
  • Target Birds
    1. Surf Scoter*
    2. California Quail
    3. Pacific Loon*
    4. Western Grebe
    5. Black-Footed Albatross8
    6. Sooty Shearwater
    7. Brandt’s Cormorant
    8. Pelagic Cormorant
    9. Black Oystercatcher*
    10. Black Turnstone*
    11. Common Murre*
    12. Pigeon Guillemot*
    13. Rhinoceros Auklet*
    14. Heermann’s Gull
    15. Western Gull
    16. California Gull
    17. Band-Tailed Pigeon
    18. Allen’s Hummingbird
    19. Nuttall’s Woodpecker
    20. Olive-Sided Flycatcher
    21. Pacific-Slope Flycatcher
    22. Hutton’s Vireo
    23. Violet-Green Swallow
    24. Chestnut-Backed Chickadee*
    25. Oak Titmouse*
    26. Bushtit
    27. Wrentit
    28. Wilson’s Warbler
    29. California Towhee
    30. Black-Headed Grosbeak
    31. Purple Finch
  • Camp at Monterey Bay

Day 20 (Tuesday July 1) – Point Reyes National Seashore

  • From one seaside paradise, to another.  This time, I will drive north to Point Reyes passing through San Francisco and over the Golden Gate Bridge.
  • Target Birds
    1. Surf Scoter*
    2. California Quail
    3. Pacific Loon*
    4. Common Loon
    5. Western Cormorant
    6. Brandt’s Cormorant
    7. Pelagic Cormorant
    8. Common Murre*
    9. Pigeon Guillemot*
    10. Heermann’s Gull
    11. Western Gull
    12. California Gull
    13. Band-Tailed Pigeon
    14. Allen’s Hummingbird
    15. Nuttall’s Woodpecker
    16. Peregrine Falcon
    17. Olive-Sided Flycatcher
    18. Western Wood-Pewee
    19. Pacific-Slope Flycatcher
    20. Hutton’s Vireo
    21. Violet-Green Swallow
    22. Chestnut-Backed Chickadee*
    23. Oak Titmouse*
    24. Bushtit
    25. Pacific Wren
    26. Wrentit
    27. Wilson’s Warbler
    28. California Towhee
    29. Black-Headed Grosbeak
    30. Purple FInch
  • I plan to camp at Point Reyes

Day 21 (Wednesday July 2) – Humboldt Bay

  • From Point Reyes, I travel north to Humboldt Bay and the town of Eureka.
  • Target Birds
    1. Brant*
    2. Surf Scoter*
    3. California Quail
    4. Common Loon
    5. Western Grebe
    6. Brandt’s Cormorant
    7. Pelagic Cormorant
    8. Virginia Rail
    9. Pigeon Guillemot*
    10. Rhinoceros Auklet*
    11. Western Gull
    12. California Gull
    13. Glaucous-Winged Gull*
    14. Band-Tailed Pigeon
    15. Vaux’s Swift*
    16. Peregrine Falcon
    17. Western Wood-Pewee
    18. Pacific-Slope Flycatcher
    19. Violet-Green Swallow
    20. Black-Capped Chickadee
    21. Chestnut-Backed chickadee*
    22. Pacific Wren
    23. Wrentit
    24. Wilson’s Warbler
    25. Western Tanager
    26. Black-Headed Grosbeak
    27. Purple Finch
    28. Red Crossbill*
  • I need to find a good spot in the redwoods to find some birds as well.