#370-372 at Año Nuevo (+ Elephant Seals)
After leaving Santa Cruz, I headed north up U.S. 1 toward Ano Nuevo. I considered stopping at Natural Bridges State Beach for Heermann’s Gull, but I didn’t want to take a chance on missing my 2:30 P.M. Elephant Seal walk appointment. I did scan various coastal pull-offs along the way, and stopped at Waddell Beach where I added Whimbrel to my day list. However I never did spot a Hermann’s Gull. Maybe next trip.
I arrived at Año Nuevo about 2:00 P.M. with plenty of time to spare. It was still drizzling, so I hung out inside the visitor’s center and watched a video about the elephant seal’s and the site while I waited for the walk to start. They were a little short on docents, though, so they combined the 2:15 and 2:30 walks, and we still had to cover the first half of the trail out to the seals without a guide. This was a little troublesome because the path that you couldn’t miss actually forked at the shipwreck and none of us knew whether we were supposed to go left or right. The correct answer was left, so of course we went right, and barely met up with our docent Barbara on time. However this proved to be fortuitous because on the right fork I spotted an Allen’s Hummingbird, my first life bird for the day. (Given the time of year and the chaparral habitat I really don’t think it was a Rufous.)
We met our docent Barbara, who gave us the speech about how elephant seals are completely uninterested in humans, and pretty much ignore us no matter what. This unconcern for humans led to their near-extinction in the 19th and 20th centuries. However, that unconcern also means that they ignore us even if we’re between where they are and where they want to be, which can be a problem when a half-ton bull is charging at another bull behind you. With that warning given, we were on out way.
There were some gorgeous views from the cliffs, and we got our first looks at the seals from above. This is called “Loser Beach”. It’s where the males that don’t achieve alpha status and gather a harem often end up:
This is also where I spotted a cormorant with clear white patches flying by. I initially miscalled it as a Brandt’s, but after checking my Sibley’s, I realized that the white patches meant it was a Pelagic Cormorant, my second life bird for the site. Several more flew by throughout the afternoon.
Shortly after that, we arrived at the beach. There were seals everywhere, mostly youngsters but a few older females and a bull or two as well. There’s no way I can properly describe the experience of walking among dozens, perhaps hundreds of seals. You really have to experience it for yourself. The young are just some of the cutest things you’ve ever seen. Anyway, here are a few pictures:
Toward the end of our seal time, I started scanning the beach and rocks. It was low tide which is usually good for shorebirds. There were some Sanderlings running back and forth on the beach. I did not have a scope, but I did manage to spot two Black Oystercatchers foraging on the rocks. The orange carrot bill was distinctive, as well as the overall black coloration. This was my third life bird at the site, and fifth for the day and trip.
We walked back to the site. This time I took the correct, shorter path and passed by a pond that was hosting four Eared Grebes, as well as some Marsh Wrens in the reeds. I left Año Nuevo shortly after 5:00. There’s no good route from Santa Clara to Año Nuevo, so I headed north toward Half Moon Bay, where I could drive east on 92 and then south again.
Pigeon Point
I still had a couple of hours of daylight left, so I made some quick stops on the way. First was Pigeon Point. I only spent about 20 minutes here, but it looked good for shorebirds and gulls. For the day I added Snowy Egret and Red-breasted Merganser. I also had two more Black Oystercatchers and another Pelagic Cormorant. The flowers were pretty too:
There was a hostel here that looked friendly. Possibly I’ll try to stay here for a night or two next year, so I can be a little closer to the coastal sites.
Pescadero Beach and Marsh
Further up the road I stopped at Pescadero Beach. I was still hoping for Hermann’s Gull, but none were evident. In the marsh east of U.S. 1 I did hear Song Sparrow, and spot some distant Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, American Crows, and Snowy Egrets. However, it was getting late so I drove into down for dinner and the last bird of the day:
(Not really. I did spot one more: a Great Egret, from the car on the way home.)
Total count for the day was 52 species. This was over multiple sites in three counties: Donald M. Somers Water Pollution Control Plant in Sunnyvale, Neary Lagoon, Santa Cruz Municipal Pier, Waddell Beach, Año Nuevo, Pigeon Point, and Pescadero Marsh as well as a couple of birds seen briefly from the highway. Not bad considering it was raining for most of it, and I didn’t even spend the full day on this:
- American Coot
- American Crow
- American Goldfinch
- American Robin
- Barn Swallow
- Black Oystercatcher
- Black Phoebe
- Black-crowned Night-Heron
- Bonaparte’s Gull
- Brandt’s Cormorant
- Brewer’s Blackbird
- Brown Pelican
- Bushtit
- California Gull
- California Quail
- California Towhee
- Canada Goose
- Cedar Waxwing
- Common Loon
- Common Moorhen
- Common Murre
- Double-crested Cormorant
- European Starling
- Gadwall
- Golden-crowned Sparrow
- Great Egret
- Green-winged Teal
- Mallard
- Marsh Wren
- Mourning Dove
- Northern Mockingbird
- Northern Shoveler
- Pelagic Cormorant
- Pied-billed Grebe
- Pigeon Guillemot
- Red-breasted Merganser
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Red-throated Loon
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Ring-billed Gull
- Rock Pigeon
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Ruddy Duck
- Snowy Egret
- Song Sparrow
- Steller’s Jay
- Surf Scoter
- Western Gull
- Western Scrub-Jay
- Whimbrel
- White-crowned Sparrow
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
That includes five life birds, my best single day since the pelagic out of Freeport last February.
2007-03-20
March 30th, 2007 at 1:02 PM
With respect to the “pretty flowers” — that’s iceplant, which is such a successful invasive species that California has large-scale eradication projects underway trying to find ways to curtail it.
See wikepedia for example, or Google “iceplant invasive”
Similarly, the Bay Area in California has eucalyptus trees as another major invasive plant problem – one story was that former mayor Adolph Sutro got conned into planting a bunch for use in construction, railway ties, firewood, … And of course they are too fragile for construction or railway ties, to ‘sappy’ for firewood, you get the iidea.
The massive firestorm in the Oakland hills in ’91 was the result of high temperatures and winds, but a major factor was the eucalyptus trees which ignited in the hot air driven ahead of the fire (without a direct flame or spark) and spread the fire at an uncontrollable rate. The resulting firestorm was so intense that cars melted down to slag on the roads in the area, and I would guess that there was far more actual house damage in that area from the firestorm than from the ’89 earthquake.
March 30th, 2007 at 3:20 PM
I;m sorry to hear that’s an invasive, and Lord knows I saw enough Eucalyptus trees while I was there. here’s another flower from Pigeon Point.
Maybe this one’s native?