Our first birding trip to the Temecula Wine region was a memorable one. We stayed at the beautiful Carter Estate Winery, enjoying stunning views of rolling vineyards, snow-capped mountains, and…
An unexpected business trip to Burbank, California, turned out to be the highlight of September! This cool city, with its nearby canyons and mountains—not to mention its great food scene—also…
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…
Our 2015 Little Big Year pushed us across deserts, mountains, coastlines, and countless miles of weekend travel. Along the way we met incredible guides, discovered unforgettable places, and learned just how much you can accomplish with planning, persistence, and a love for birds. We ended the year with 519 species—and a lifetime of memories.
Our final Big Year adventure took us to Southern California, where coastal preserves, urban parks, and mountain trails delivered the last birds of 2015. From grebes and loons along the Pacific to a lifer California Gnatcatcher and the unforgettable Williamson’s Sapsucker on Mount Wilson, this trip was the perfect finale to an incredible year of birding.
Just days after leaving Arizona, we traded desert canyons for the California coast. From Pinnacles National Park to Carmel River State Beach and a spectacular Monterey Bay pelagic, the weekend delivered Elegant Terns, albatrosses, murrelets, and a final lifer Pacific Wren in Big Sur.
A spring migration trip to California followed by a spontaneous dash to Texas added 16 year birds and moved our 2015 list from 176 to 192 by April 11. These back‑to‑back trips marked the moment our Little Big Year truly began to take shape.