On the first Saturday in March, we had a layover in San Francisco on our way to New Zealand. With a flight scheduled for later that evening, Mike planned for us to have a full eight hours to bird the beautiful California coast.
A Delicious Start
We arrived to a drizzly rain, so our first stop was a local gem: Dinosaurs Sandwiches in Pacifica. Known for their incredible Vietnamese Banh Mi, the sandwiches are made with fresh ingredients on amazing French bread. We shared the “Shaking Beef” first and saved the “Grilled Chicken with lemongrass” for later.
The rain stopped just in time for us to bird the area near the Pacifica Municipal Pier. The crashing waves made sea birding a challenge, but we still managed to spot two Surf Scoters. We were thrilled to pick up three key West Coast gull species: California Gull, Mew Gull, and Western Gull. Common Ravens and Brewer’s Blackbirds were also great additions to our list.
A Stop at Mori Point
Our next stop was Mori Point, which offered a variety of habitats, including coastal scrub, ponds, and the shoreline. This spot was a sparrow paradise, and we found White-crowned, Golden-crowned, and the beautiful Sooty Fox Sparrow, a species rarely seen far from the beach. We were also able to tick off many other West Coast specialties: California and Spotted Towhee, Bushtits, Black and Say’s Phoebes, California Scrub-Jay, and the stunning Anna’s Hummingbird with its vibrant pink gorget. Many of the birds were perched in pussy willows, creating a perfect backdrop for photos.
Shorebirds and a Rainbow
Continuing down the coast, we headed to Pillar Point Marsh, hoping to add a few more sea birds. This was another successful stop, with sightings of both Black and Surf Scoters, as well as Western Grebe and Brandt’s Cormorant. The rain started again, but the subsequent sunshine gave us a beautiful rainbow—a perfect moment on the coast.
Our final birding stop was at Pescadero State Beach, which quickly became our favorite stop of the day. We couldn’t have been happier to find some of our target shorebirds, including Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, and Surfbird.
From there, we went to the Pigeon Point Light Station State Park, a beautiful lighthouse. We didn’t expect much bird variety but were surprised to find our first raptors of the day: a White-tailed Kite and several Red-shouldered Hawks.
Before heading back to the airport, we stopped to enjoy the Pacific sunset one last time for the year. As if on cue, a family nearby was watching Gray Whales just off the coast—the perfect end to a perfect day.
We turned in the rental car, grabbed some dinner, and prepared for our flight to New Zealand.
Trip Birds: 44
Life Birds: 0
Next up: New Zealand
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