California (& Nevada) - August (2 Viewers)

[foresttwitcher]

I will be doing a short road-trip Las Vegas - San Francisco - Los Angeles in the second half of August. Any tips for good birding locations to visit on that vague route?

 

[MelospizaMelodiaFan]

This thread will be of interest to you: Bay Area Work Trip - Birding Suggestions

 

[connorco]

Any specific targets? Shorebirding will be a good at that time, and passerine migration should be starting back up.

 

[foresttwitcher]

Any specific targets?

Thanks for the response. My main targets are Condor (I've already ear-marked Pinnacles NP), Roadrunner, Burrowing Owl & any Hummingbirds - but as I've only been birding in US once (a week in Florida), plus a couple of ski trips with incidental birding, a lot of western species will be new to me.

I've got a couple of days around Vegas, then four days to travel between each of the three cities and a couple of spare days around LA before leaving. So far I'm planning on visiting Grand Canyon, Yosemite, the Californian coast & Salton Sea and have checked Ebird hotspots but I'll be happy to hear of any other not to be missed locations.

 

[foresttwitcher]

This thread will be of interest to you: Bay Area Work Trip - Birding Suggestions

Thanks, some useful information there. I'll keep an eye on it.

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

I saw Burrowing Owl by the Salton Sea in May this year.

 

[MelospizaMelodiaFan]

Thanks for the response. My main targets are Condor (I've already ear-marked Pinnacles NP), Roadrunner, Burrowing Owl & any Hummingbirds - but as I've only been birding in US once (a week in Florida), plus a couple of ski trips with incidental birding, a lot of western species will be new to me.

I've got a couple of days around Vegas, then four days to travel between each of the three cities and a couple of spare days around LA before leaving. So far I'm planning on visiting Grand Canyon, Yosemite, the Californian coast & Salton Sea and have checked Ebird hotspots but I'll be happy to hear of any other not to be missed locations.

Fyi, pinnacles will be hot as hell in August. They are also seen on the coast at Big Sur, which is much more pleasant. Do some research on where the best spots are.

I've seen a burrowing owl in Berkeley, but that was in December. Dunno where they are in the summer. Good luck!

 

[denisparkes]

Thanks for the response. My main targets are Condor (I've already ear-marked Pinnacles NP), Roadrunner, Burrowing Owl & any Hummingbirds - but as I've only been birding in US once (a week in Florida), plus a couple of ski trips with incidental birding, a lot of western species will be new to me.

I've got a couple of days around Vegas, then four days to travel between each of the three cities and a couple of spare days around LA before leaving. So far I'm planning on visiting Grand Canyon, Yosemite, the Californian coast & Salton Sea and have checked Ebird hotspots but I'll be happy to hear of any other not to be missed locations.

I did a winter trip last Jan with much more time than you have but can let you know where I saw stuff/how easy or not (eg thrashers and gnatcatchers and so forth). NB on Pinnacles. I couldn't get there as the road was full. It was a Sunday, fine weather, and I'd spent the morning birding a bit further NW. So maybe would have got up the road if earlier in the day but bear this possibility in mind - I ended up missing the Condor.

 

[foresttwitcher]

I did a winter trip last Jan with much more time than you have but can let you know where I saw stuff/how easy or not (eg thrashers and gnatcatchers and so forth). NB on Pinnacles. I couldn't get there as the road was full. It was a Sunday, fine weather, and I'd spent the morning birding a bit further NW. So maybe would have got up the road if earlier in the day but bear this possibility in mind - I ended up missing the Condor.

Hi Denis, thanks, I'd be grateful for any information you are able to share.

[I've just realised that my initial post may have been a little misleading on the timescale - I have 17 days in all: 3 days in the Vegas area; 4 days to travel from there to San Francisco; 4 days from there to LA & then 4 days before the flight back + 2 international travel days.]