Monterey Bay area (1 Viewer)

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SellyoakBirder

hantsbirder

• Aug 29, 2013

• #1

Hi I'm planning a trip to Monterey bay for April 2014. I hoping to be able to see the Sea Otters and go on a whale trip, but I'm also a bird watcher and would like to be able to spend some time bird watching. I was wondering if any one could suggest a few good sites for bird watching. I haven't been able to find any on the internet so your help would really help.

 

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yellowleg

New member

• Sep 3, 2013

• #2

SellyoakBirder, you might wanna check out the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. It's about a half hour drive north of Monterey. The National Audubon Society includes this slough in its Globally Important Bird Areas. Fall to Spring are the best time for shorebirds and waterfowls; there are also otters and seals year round.

BTW I hope you're visiting the Aquarium too; it's one of my fav indoor wildlife watching spots !!!

http://www.elkhornslough.org/

Edited to add: if you have time check out the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve also. It's about half hour south of Monterey right past Carmel. The Monarch butterflies may have already left by April, but you may be in time for the blooming wildflowers. The whole area is just plain beautiful.

http://www.pointlobos.org/

 

Last edited: Sep 3, 2013

wimvdam

Well-known member

• Sep 3, 2013

• #3

SellyoakBirder said:

Hi I'm planning a trip to Monterey bay for April 2014. I hoping to be able to see the Sea Otters and go on a whale trip, but I'm also a bird watcher and would like to be able to spend some time bird watching. I was wondering if any one could suggest a few good sites for bird watching. I haven't been able to find any on the internet so your help would really help.

Click to expand...

This did not help?
http://creagrus.home.montereybay.com/MTY.html

Wim --

 

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SellyoakBirder

hantsbirder

• Sep 4, 2013

• #4

Thank you for these I will have a look at them

 

joannec

Well-known member

• Sep 4, 2013

• #5

I had a birding trip to Monterey Bay a few years ago. This is a rather old thread of my trip report. They Monterey bit starts about half way down the first page. There is some useful site information. Be sure to go to Elkhorn Slough and a whale watching trip out from Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=94046

 

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etudiant

Registered User

Supporter

• Sep 6, 2013

• #6

Just back from a week long Monterey birding trip with Happy Warblers, a small NYC based birding trip operator.
The 2012 trip summary here: http://www.happywarblers.com/RepMonterey12.html
pretty much lays out the stops and the birds. The 2013 trip had 3 Condors and several South Polar Skuas, but dipped on the Quails.
It is a good template for a visit, lots of birding and not too much driving.

 

ulfg

Well-known member

• Nov 30, 2013

• #7

I am also planning a trip to California. I received this link for watching sea otters (and I plan to go there):

http://www.seizetheday-monterey.com/monterey-california-sea-otters-secret-hangout-d.html

 

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TaylorJ79

Member

• Apr 28, 2014

• #8

hey there. You are probably in the middle of your trip or done already and I sincerely hope you are having, or had, a great time. I actually grew up in Monterey County and visit often. Above are the obvious places to visit, but I would also recommend the Pinnacles National Park. It's about an hour and a half drive from Monterey, but the birds you can see out there are much different than the coastal birds due to the different terrain. Here's just a description of birds there

http://www.nps.gov/pinn/naturescience/birds.htm

they also have camping and some good hiking trails that get you up into the mountains and have some incredible views.