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Mountain Plover California (1 Viewer)

Chabi

Well-known member
Hi:

First sorry but my english is not too very good. I´m a spanish birder that I´m going to a birding trip to California from 19 nov to 2 dec. I´m going from San Francisco to San Diego visiting the best places.

I wanna ask for the best places to watch two species that I wanna see a lot, mountain plover and varied thrush. I know that could be better places northern San Francisco but I think that could be good places in the south.

Regards
my email: [email protected]
 
golden gate park in SF seems to have a lot of varied thrush, i've seen them there before. the best place for mountain plover is directly to the south of the salton sea, according to ebird there is a large concentration of sightings in that area. good luck.
 
I saw Varied Thrush at Jack's Peak (Iris/Rhus Trail) near Monterrey, which is probably the southernmost place where you have a reasonable chance.
I had 130 Mountain Plovers along Bannister Road / Pellett Road near Westmorland, at the southern tip of the Salton Sea. Although Salton Sea stinks and is full of dead fish, it is a very nice area to bird. Knowing Spanish comes in handy too!
 
golden gate park is also a good spot for townsend's warbler and california towhee, both of which are definetely worth seeing. also, a stop at pigeon point would be worthwhile, as it's a good place to see wandering tattler, and I suppose surfbird and black oystercatcher could be seen as well.
 
Thank you very much for all. Our stimate trip is this....

20- Pelagic in Half Moon Bay
21- Half moon bay- Elkhorn Slough- Point Piedras Blancas- San Luis Obispo
22-Morro Bay, Shell Bech, Lopez Lake
23- Condor Country
24- Santa Barbara Area
25- San Diego Area
26- San Diego Area (south and inland)
27- Azna Borrego Desert
28- Salton Sea
29- From Mecca to Bakersfield. Stops with few time in Coachella Valley, Big Morongo, Big Bear Lake.
30- Mt. Pinos Area- Maricopa- Carrizo Plains- Night in Half Moon Bay
1 Dec- Return to Spain


Is a good option?

Regard
 
Hi-
Since you will be in Half Moon Bay, I would look near there for Varied Thrush. On the south side of town, turn left (inland) onto Higgins-Purisma Road (might now be called Higgins Canyon Road). Follow this road for a few miles, going past Burleigh-Murray State Park. The road will continue up over a hill and then descend into a an area with redwoods. The road will make a very sharp 270° turn and you'll see a small parking lot. If full, continue on the road a short ways and park along the roadside. This area, and the trail into Purisma Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve can be good for Varied Thrush. You might luck into them on the road if you are there early in the morning. Pacific Wren will be in this area as well. At the sharp road bend the road name changes to Purisma Creek Road. Follow it back to Hwy 1 (the main north-south road along the immediate coast of California).

I recommend using Google maps or something like it to get drive time estimates between some of the places you would like to go. California is a big state! Good luck.
 
If you don't have it already, you should consider getting this excellent book for your trip: "A Birder's Guide to Southern California", Brad Schram, revised 2007 edition. It's very well written and would be extremely useful for the kind of trip you are planning.

Wim van Dam
 
Hi, I.don't know the status of that birds but I think that could
be of interest. In the Sibley guide put that are summer birds.

25nov- Summer Tanager in Famosa Slough -San Diego-
24nov- 2 Elegant Terns at Goleta Beach.

Finally we saw the varied thrush in Waller Park (Santa Maria)

Thanks!!
 
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