California
From the Pacific Ocean to the mountains of Yosemite
Sunday 6 - Sunday 20 September 2009 (15 days)
California is widely recognized as the richest area of the US for biodiversity. Designed for us by our American colleague Peg Abbott, this is a perfect tour for September combining pelagic, coastal and high altitude birdwatching in some of America's most amazing scenery,
© 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, and will be run in conjunction with Peg Abbott's wildlife tour company, Naturalist Journeys.
Price: £ 3,595
Single supp. £ 565 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.
This trip will be run in conjunction with Naturalist Journeys
Principal Leader: Greg Smith
Itinerary
Day 1
We fly direct from London to San Francisco, a beautiful city on a bay of the Pacific Ocean.
Overnight San Francisco
Day 2
We set off for our first birds and wildlife, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and heading for Point Reyes National Seashore and surrounding areas. Thunderous breakers crash into a section of California that, until recently in geologic time, was a part of the Mexican mainland now separated by action of the San Andreas fault. With more than 1,000 plant and animal species, this outstanding mosaic of Californian habitats is ours to explore. On our way in we will visit a few of the small state parks which are used as 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. We will finish the day with a visit to Point Reyes Bird Observatory and visit staff ornithologists to discuss their research projects.
Overnight Petaluma
Day 3
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. Point Reyes eases into the Pacific Ocean on the sea side of the San Andreas Fault and can attract, among other species, Wandering Tattler, Heermann's Gull, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Hutton's Vireo, Townsend's and Hermit Warblers. It also hold a population of native Tule Elk.
Overnight Petaluma
Day 4
We take an easy day to explore Tomales Bay, Bodega Bay and area parks looking for such local specialities as Black Rail, Allen's Hummingbird, Nuttall's and Acorn Woodpeckers, Yellow-billed Magpie and Tri-coloured Blackbird. Tomales Bay lies on the San Andreas Fault and as such, the geology and soils provide for different habitats on the inland side of the bay. We can enjoy fresh seafood and the ambiance of small coastal towns as we explore.
Overnight Petaluma
Day 5
We spend the day in Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay and visit the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium to see some of the area's sea life. Among today's highlights should be White-tailed Kite, Allen's Hummingbird and Sea Otters feeding in the kelp if we keep our eyes open. The scenery is superb along this part of the coastline and we'll enjoy watching surf pound against offshore stacks.
Overnight Monterey
Day 6
Today we venture out on an all-day pelagic trip from Monterey Bay with the legendary Debra Love Shearwater. This extraordinary woman runs the top seabird-watching trips in the USA and 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
In a class of its own for dramatic scenery, the coast of Big Sur is a world-renowned area in which to start our morning. We will spend time looking for California Condors released in the area from the captive breeding programme which saved them from extinction. We will then drive down to Morro Bay where we hope for the endangered Black Rail among other species. This will be the final evening for some of our American friends who joined the tour for just one week. As Morro Bay is home to our guide, Greg Smith, we can expect some great dining hospitality here.
Overnight Morro Bay
Day 8
Today we visit sites at Morro Rock, Morro Bay and Montana de Oro state parks. Morro Bay is one of the only wild estuaries left on the coast of California. Great birds and beautiful scenery are highlights of this day. Local park biologists join us this evening for an informal catered dinner or barbecue.
Overnight Morro Bay
Day 9
We travel and bird our way up to one of the United States' finest scenic wonderlands, Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada range. Top of our list for birds 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, plus Clark's Nutcracker on our 'wish-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. We may also encounter a bit of autumn colour with high elevation aspen stands starting to turn. This is the park made famous by the writings of John Muir. We will soon understand why he was so inspired.
Overnight Yosemite
Day 10
We will not be driving far today as we explore the wildlife-rich Yosemite Valley and its close environs. Here we will hope for a few of the park's five species of hummingbird - Allen's, Black-chinned, Calliope, Anna's and Rufous, as well as Phainopepla, Western Scrub and Steller's Jays, Peregrine Falcon, and Roadrunner, the star of many a Hollywood movie. After an early dinner at the historic Awhanee Hotel, 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 coinÉ do we watch birds or do a little sightseeing amid the mountains above Mono Lake? Both, naturally, with Mountain Chickadee, Western Tanager, Pine Grosbeak, Grey-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. Mono Lake surrounds weathered spires of rock - truly extraordinary scenery.
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 a significant portion of the world's breeding California Gulls. It hosts breeding and migrating waders at this time of year. 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 deer, Sage Grouse and Mountain Bluebirds. Dinner is at the historic Mono Inn.
Overnight Mono Lake
Day 13
Today we return to the bay area, crossing over the Sierras. Close to San Francisco, we visit San Luis Wildlife Refuge which consists of more than 7,000 acres of intensively managed wetlands, native grass uplands and riparian habitat. Here, 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. On this final day of our tour we hope to see Tri-coloured Blackbird, American Bittern and Blue-winged Teal. In the evening we have a celebratory final dinner.
Overnight San Francisco
Day 14
There may be a little time to see something of the city 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 from London to San Francisco, a beautiful city on a bay of the Pacific Ocean.
Overnight San Francisco
Day 2
We set off for our first birds and wildlife, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and heading for Point Reyes National Seashore and surrounding areas. Thunderous breakers crash into a section of California that, until recently in geologic time, was a part of the Mexican mainland now separated by action of the San Andreas fault. With more than 1,000 plant and animal species, this outstanding mosaic of Californian habitats is ours to explore. On our way in we will visit a few of the small state parks which are used as 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. We will finish the day with a visit to Point Reyes Bird Observatory and visit staff ornithologists to discuss their research projects.
Overnight Petaluma
Day 3
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. Point Reyes eases into the Pacific Ocean on the sea side of the San Andreas Fault and can attract, among other species, Wandering Tattler, Heermann's Gull, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Hutton's Vireo, Townsend's and Hermit Warblers. It also hold a population of native Tule Elk.
Overnight Petaluma
Day 4
We take an easy day to explore Tomales Bay, Bodega Bay and area parks looking for such local specialities as Black Rail, Allen's Hummingbird, Nuttall's and Acorn Woodpeckers, Yellow-billed Magpie and Tri-coloured Blackbird. Tomales Bay lies on the San Andreas Fault and as such, the geology and soils provide for different habitats on the inland side of the bay. We can enjoy fresh seafood and the ambiance of small coastal towns as we explore.
Overnight Petaluma
Day 5
We spend the day in Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay and visit the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium to see some of the area's sea life. Among today's highlights should be White-tailed Kite, Allen's Hummingbird and Sea Otters feeding in the kelp if we keep our eyes open. The scenery is superb along this part of the coastline and we'll enjoy watching surf pound against offshore stacks.
Overnight Monterey
Day 6
Today we venture out on an all-day pelagic trip from Monterey Bay with the legendary Debra Love Shearwater. This extraordinary woman runs the top seabird-watching trips in the USA and 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
In a class of its own for dramatic scenery, the coast of Big Sur is a world-renowned area in which to start our morning. We will spend time looking for California Condors released in the area from the captive breeding programme which saved them from extinction. We will then drive down to Morro Bay where we hope for the endangered Black Rail among other species. This will be the final evening for some of our American friends who joined the tour for just one week. As Morro Bay is home to our guide, Greg Smith, we can expect some great dining hospitality here.
Overnight Morro Bay
Day 8
Today we visit sites at Morro Rock, Morro Bay and Montana de Oro state parks. Morro Bay is one of the only wild estuaries left on the coast of California. Great birds and beautiful scenery are highlights of this day. Local park biologists join us this evening for an informal catered dinner or barbecue.
Overnight Morro Bay
Day 9
We travel and bird our way up to one of the United States' finest scenic wonderlands, Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada range. Top of our list for birds 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, plus Clark's Nutcracker on our 'wish-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. We may also encounter a bit of autumn colour with high elevation aspen stands starting to turn. This is the park made famous by the writings of John Muir. We will soon understand why he was so inspired.
Overnight Yosemite
Day 10
We will not be driving far today as we explore the wildlife-rich Yosemite Valley and its close environs. Here we will hope for a few of the park's five species of hummingbird - Allen's, Black-chinned, Calliope, Anna's and Rufous, as well as Phainopepla, Western Scrub and Steller's Jays, Peregrine Falcon, and Roadrunner, the star of many a Hollywood movie. After an early dinner at the historic Awhanee Hotel, 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 coinÉ do we watch birds or do a little sightseeing amid the mountains above Mono Lake? Both, naturally, with Mountain Chickadee, Western Tanager, Pine Grosbeak, Grey-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. Mono Lake surrounds weathered spires of rock - truly extraordinary scenery.
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 a significant portion of the world's breeding California Gulls. It hosts breeding and migrating waders at this time of year. 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 deer, Sage Grouse and Mountain Bluebirds. Dinner is at the historic Mono Inn.
Overnight Mono Lake
Day 13
Today we return to the bay area, crossing over the Sierras. Close to San Francisco, we visit San Luis Wildlife Refuge which consists of more than 7,000 acres of intensively managed wetlands, native grass uplands and riparian habitat. Here, 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. On this final day of our tour we hope to see Tri-coloured Blackbird, American Bittern and Blue-winged Teal. In the evening we have a celebratory final dinner.
Overnight San Francisco
Day 14
There may be a little time to see something of the city 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