California
From the Pacific Ocean to the mountains of Yosemite
Saturday 6 - Saturday 20 September 2008 (15 days)
California is widely recognized as the richest area of the US for biodiversity. This is a perfect tour for September combining high altitude, coastal and pelagic birdwatching in some of America’s most amazing scenery, designed for us by our American colleague Peg Abbott.
© Zach Smith/Nature Portfolio
Marbled Godwit
We spend a day on the ocean off Monterey where up to thirty species of seabirds have been seen on a single trip at this time of the year. We also hope to see Humpback Whales and dolphins among the cetaceans with sea lions [including both Steller’s and California Sea Lions] and possibly Southern Sea Otter too.
Yosemite National Park is one of the great biological and geological attractions of the region where we will spend several days enjoying its birds and mammals. The bird list is more than 300 species long and includes Clark’s Nutcracker and Blue Grouse. But there will be mammals to look for too, with top predators including Mountain Lion and Black Bear.
The high altitude Mono Lake will help us cool off from the excitement of the trip but also has its gems such as migrating shorebirds, lingering California Gulls and numerous new world waterfowl species.
The tour will be accompanied by local resident ornithologist Greg Smith.
Price: £ 3,295
Single supp. £ 665 per room
Deposit: £ 400 per person
The price is per person, and is fully inclusive of return flights London – San Francisco, full-board accommodation, transport, tips, and the services of the leaders.
The price excludes travel insurance, drinks and other personal expenses.
Leaders: Greg Smith and Tim Earl
Itinerary
Day 1
We fly direct to San Francisco arriving late afternoon.
Overnight San Francisco
Day 2
We set off for our first birds and wildlife, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and heading for Point Reyes Station, a quaint town close to Point Reyes National Seashore. We will visit a few of the small state parks on our way in and which also act as some of the research areas for Point Reyes Bird Observatory. We shall be looking for chaparral plants such as ceanothus and birds including Wrentit and Lawrence’s Goldfinch.
Overnight Point Reyes Station
Day 3
An easy day as we explore Tomales Bay, Bodega Bay and area parks looking for such local goodies as Black Rail, Allen’s Hummingbird, Nuttall’s and Acorn Woodpeckers, Yellow-billed Magpie and Tri-colored Blackbird.
Overnight Point Reyes Station
Day 4
Today we will visit Point Reyes National Seashore, an amazing area of protected dunes and foreshore which attracts flocks of waders and is the visual highway for small birds migrating south. Among our target species will be Wandering Tattler, Heermann’s Gull, Chestnut-Backed Chickadee, Hutton’s Vireo, Townsend’s and Hermit Warblers along with the native population of Tule Elk.
Overnight Point Reyes Station
Day 5
We spend a day in Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay with a visit to the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium to see some of the marine wonders otherwise hidden from view when we venture out on the ocean. Among today’s highlights should be White-tailed Kite and Allen’s Hummingbird.
Overnight Monterey
Day 6
We have an all-day pelagic trip from Monterey Bay with Debra Love Shearwater, who is a legend in her own time and rightly so. This extraordinary woman runs the top seabird-watching trips in the USA and, many say, the world. This will be one of the highlights of the tour: it is not uncommon for thirty different species of seabirds to be seen on this trip. It will not be high season for whales but we could see Humpbacked Whale, Orca and several species of dolphins, Southern Sea Otter, California and Steller's Sea Lions, Northern Elephant Seal, Harbour Seal and Dall's Porpoise.
Overnight Monterey
Day 7
The dramatic scenery of the coastal of Big Sur area will be our starting point this morning although it will not just be the views which call for all our attention: we will spend time looking for California Condor, released in the area from the captive breeding programme which has saved them from extinction. We will then drive down to Morro Bay where we hope for Black Rail amongst other species.
Overnight Morro Bay
Day 8
There will be a party feel about the day as we will be visiting sites at Morro Rock, Morro Bay and Montana de Oro State Parks. This is our guide Greg Smith s home town and many of the local biologists at the parks are friends of his. Some may join us in the evening for an informal dinner or barbecue.
Overnight Morro Bay
Day 9
Another highlight day as we drive up to Yosemite National Park and the Sierras, birding along the way. Top of our list will be the rare White-headed Woodpecker among lots of mountain species. This will be a complete change of scene and habitat with mountain specialities such as Vaux’s and White-throated Swifts, Hammond’s and Dusky Flycatchers and Clark’s Nutcracker on our ‘challenge’ list. With a little luck we may walk up on a Sooty Grouse (newly split from Blue Grouse) along a forest trail, or find a Black-backed Woodpecker.
Overnight Yosemite
Day 10
We will not be moving far as we explore the wildlife-rich Yosemite Valley and its close environs. Here we will hope for a few of the five species of hummingbird: Allen’s, Black-chinned, Calliope, Anna’s and Rufous; Phainopepla, Peregrine Falcon, Western Scrub and Steller’s Jays and the star of many a Hollywood movie: Roadrunner. In the evening we will go out to look for Great Grey Owl.
Overnight Yosemite
Day 11
We head up to the higher elevations of Yosemite to Tuolumne Meadows. It will be time to spin a dime… do we watch birds or do a little sightseeing amidst the mountains above Mono Lake? Both, naturally, with Mountain Chickadee, Western Tanager, Pine Grosbeak, Gray-crowned Rosy Finch, Fox and Lincoln’s Sparrows to look for and breathtaking scenery up to 12,000ft.
In the surrounding sagebrush, pine and aspen woods we will search for Song Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Loggerhead Shrike, Sage Sparrow, Clark’s Nutcracker, Pinyon Jay, Brown Creeper, Mountain Chickadee, Western Wood Peewee, and several species of nuthatches.
Overnight Mono Lake
Day 12
Mono Lake is at least 700,000 years old – one of the oldest continuously existing lakes on the continent. Fed by huge glaciers during the last ice age, Mono Lake was 60 times larger than the 66 square miles it covers today. The lake is naturally salty and alkaline because it has no outlet. It hosts breeding and migrating waders at the time of year and we will hope for Wilson’s and Red-necked Phalaropes, Killdeer, Kentish [Snowy] Plover, Marbled Godwit, Western and Spotted Sandpipers, Willet, Black-necked Stilt, and Black-necked [Eared] Grebes, Snowy Egret and Green-backed Heron on the lake while the sagebrush flats surrounding the lake are home to Pronghorn, Sage Grouse and Mountain Bluebirds.
Overnight Mono Lake
Day 13
San Luis Wildlife Refuge consists of more than 7,000 acres of intensively managed wetlands, native grass uplands and riparian habitat. The tree-lined Salt Slough and meandering San Joaquin River nearby enclose the lush grasslands of this refuge. Canals and water control structures take advantage of the natural topography to produce marsh habitats for wintering waterfowl. Birds hoped for include Tri-coloured Blackbird, American Bittern and Blue-winged Teal.
Overnight San Francisco
Day 14
There may be a little time for some local birdwatching before our flight home, arriving on Day 15.
Accommodation: Hotels and lodges with all rooms en suite. Please note that all meals are included.
Numbers: Max. 14 clients
Day 1
We fly direct to San Francisco arriving late afternoon.
Overnight San Francisco
Day 2
We set off for our first birds and wildlife, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and heading for Point Reyes Station, a quaint town close to Point Reyes National Seashore. We will visit a few of the small state parks on our way in and which also act as some of the research areas for Point Reyes Bird Observatory. We shall be looking for chaparral plants such as ceanothus and birds including Wrentit and Lawrence’s Goldfinch.
Overnight Point Reyes Station
Day 3
An easy day as we explore Tomales Bay, Bodega Bay and area parks looking for such local goodies as Black Rail, Allen’s Hummingbird, Nuttall’s and Acorn Woodpeckers, Yellow-billed Magpie and Tri-colored Blackbird.
Overnight Point Reyes Station
Day 4
Today we will visit Point Reyes National Seashore, an amazing area of protected dunes and foreshore which attracts flocks of waders and is the visual highway for small birds migrating south. Among our target species will be Wandering Tattler, Heermann’s Gull, Chestnut-Backed Chickadee, Hutton’s Vireo, Townsend’s and Hermit Warblers along with the native population of Tule Elk.
Overnight Point Reyes Station
Day 5
We spend a day in Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay with a visit to the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium to see some of the marine wonders otherwise hidden from view when we venture out on the ocean. Among today’s highlights should be White-tailed Kite and Allen’s Hummingbird.
Overnight Monterey
Day 6
We have an all-day pelagic trip from Monterey Bay with Debra Love Shearwater, who is a legend in her own time and rightly so. This extraordinary woman runs the top seabird-watching trips in the USA and, many say, the world. This will be one of the highlights of the tour: it is not uncommon for thirty different species of seabirds to be seen on this trip. It will not be high season for whales but we could see Humpbacked Whale, Orca and several species of dolphins, Southern Sea Otter, California and Steller's Sea Lions, Northern Elephant Seal, Harbour Seal and Dall's Porpoise.
Overnight Monterey
Day 7
The dramatic scenery of the coastal of Big Sur area will be our starting point this morning although it will not just be the views which call for all our attention: we will spend time looking for California Condor, released in the area from the captive breeding programme which has saved them from extinction. We will then drive down to Morro Bay where we hope for Black Rail amongst other species.
Overnight Morro Bay
Day 8
There will be a party feel about the day as we will be visiting sites at Morro Rock, Morro Bay and Montana de Oro State Parks. This is our guide Greg Smith s home town and many of the local biologists at the parks are friends of his. Some may join us in the evening for an informal dinner or barbecue.
Overnight Morro Bay
Day 9
Another highlight day as we drive up to Yosemite National Park and the Sierras, birding along the way. Top of our list will be the rare White-headed Woodpecker among lots of mountain species. This will be a complete change of scene and habitat with mountain specialities such as Vaux’s and White-throated Swifts, Hammond’s and Dusky Flycatchers and Clark’s Nutcracker on our ‘challenge’ list. With a little luck we may walk up on a Sooty Grouse (newly split from Blue Grouse) along a forest trail, or find a Black-backed Woodpecker.
Overnight Yosemite
Day 10
We will not be moving far as we explore the wildlife-rich Yosemite Valley and its close environs. Here we will hope for a few of the five species of hummingbird: Allen’s, Black-chinned, Calliope, Anna’s and Rufous; Phainopepla, Peregrine Falcon, Western Scrub and Steller’s Jays and the star of many a Hollywood movie: Roadrunner. In the evening we will go out to look for Great Grey Owl.
Overnight Yosemite
Day 11
We head up to the higher elevations of Yosemite to Tuolumne Meadows. It will be time to spin a dime… do we watch birds or do a little sightseeing amidst the mountains above Mono Lake? Both, naturally, with Mountain Chickadee, Western Tanager, Pine Grosbeak, Gray-crowned Rosy Finch, Fox and Lincoln’s Sparrows to look for and breathtaking scenery up to 12,000ft.
In the surrounding sagebrush, pine and aspen woods we will search for Song Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Loggerhead Shrike, Sage Sparrow, Clark’s Nutcracker, Pinyon Jay, Brown Creeper, Mountain Chickadee, Western Wood Peewee, and several species of nuthatches.
Overnight Mono Lake
Day 12
Mono Lake is at least 700,000 years old – one of the oldest continuously existing lakes on the continent. Fed by huge glaciers during the last ice age, Mono Lake was 60 times larger than the 66 square miles it covers today. The lake is naturally salty and alkaline because it has no outlet. It hosts breeding and migrating waders at the time of year and we will hope for Wilson’s and Red-necked Phalaropes, Killdeer, Kentish [Snowy] Plover, Marbled Godwit, Western and Spotted Sandpipers, Willet, Black-necked Stilt, and Black-necked [Eared] Grebes, Snowy Egret and Green-backed Heron on the lake while the sagebrush flats surrounding the lake are home to Pronghorn, Sage Grouse and Mountain Bluebirds.
Overnight Mono Lake
Day 13
San Luis Wildlife Refuge consists of more than 7,000 acres of intensively managed wetlands, native grass uplands and riparian habitat. The tree-lined Salt Slough and meandering San Joaquin River nearby enclose the lush grasslands of this refuge. Canals and water control structures take advantage of the natural topography to produce marsh habitats for wintering waterfowl. Birds hoped for include Tri-coloured Blackbird, American Bittern and Blue-winged Teal.
Overnight San Francisco
Day 14
There may be a little time for some local birdwatching before our flight home, arriving on Day 15.
Accommodation: Hotels and lodges with all rooms en suite. Please note that all meals are included.
Numbers: Max. 14 clients