Bust Out the Binoculars for This Wildlife-Fueled California Adventure

I spy a jaw-dropping view.

Mountain lions and seals get all the attention inCalifornia . But a little , more colorful animal exists all over the Golden State that more and more tourists are stress to catch glimpse of . Like Pokemon Go , trying to spot the varieties of this wildlife amid California ’s 16 distinct climate zones and more than 800 miles of coastline has pretty much become a sport . Yes , we’re talking about bird watching — or “ bird ” for the initiated .

Birding may have become a course ahead of time on in the pandemic , and those who busted out the binoculars understand why . It ’s like a treasure hunt of beautiful , engrossing creatures , all while getting to see the magnificent wonders of Mother Nature in the backdrop — in other words , all the perk of being alfresco with an sum up purpose and simply satisfying reward . Lucky for us , the roughly 600 avian specie of California have been showing off their shimmering feathers and swoop dives for centuries without a maintenance about their popularity ranking .

Santa Barbara , San Luis Obispo , and Monterey in especial have a trifecta of birdlife , gorgeous landscapes , androad - slip - ability(yep , unexampled parole ) . Visitors can explore arid scrubland , rolled dune , and towering redwood forest , all while scavenging for these fly Easter orchis .

train bridge and rock

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As the summer heat begin to ebb and outdoor risky venture becomes much more palatable , be sure to prepare your eBird account and tick out thisroad trip routefor some of the finest birding to be found across the Lower 48 .

Santa Barbara

Whether you make the two - hr drive from Los Angeles or catch a flight into SBA , Santa Barbara serves as the double-dyed base for start your California birding journeying . This seaboard metropolis is home to a salient intellectual nourishment , drink , and hospitality scene , withEl Encantoserving as one of its finest accommodations . Though it ’s definitely a binge situation , guests will be rewarded with ample snort sighting all across the property , with no shortage of hummingbird and other pollinators darting through the hotel ’s absolutely - manicured peak garden .

For a more budget - favorable choice , theInn At East Beachis located steps away from the seacoast , offering peck of opportunity for former morning bird when the animals are most active .

To plain off the festivities , be sure to head into the nearby city of Goleta to find one of Santa Barbara County ’s newest winner stories : North Campus Open Space . This sprawling piece of UC Santa Barbara was once home to a golf game line , but lengthy environmental restoration travail have wrench this once - sterile sweep into more than 100 landed estate of native wetland habitat , serving as a haven for autochthonic wildlife . Upon arrival , visitors are welcome to trek along the drawn-out Marsh Trail , with the crimson - crown Anna ’s hummingbird , dry pint - sized flossy woodpecker , and North America ’s belittled raptor — the American sparrow hawk — serving as just a few of the potential species to be observe .

harbor at sunset

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For those who prefer to bind closer to the city heart and soul , it ’s knotty to find a better birding destination thanAndrée Clark Bird Refuge . Though small in height , this tranquil lake is loaded with a astonishingly diverse regalia of avian species , count colorful water birds like the tufted eared grebe , the black and white - blotch bufflehead , and even the grim Panama — a pterodactyl - like sea bird that ’s known for its serious underbite — as some of the potential encounters during a morning visit . And as an sum up bonus , theSanta Barbara Zoois just a few minutes away in face your bird excursion was n’t particularly successful , provide guarantee sighting of Rhinoceros hornbill , toco toucans , and tawny frogmouth .

Santa Maria Valley

Once you ’ve had your filling of Santa Barbara proper , it ’s metre to cruise up to one of the county ’s most underrated regions for wildlife spotting . After a abbreviated pitstop inthe Danish - theme town of Solvang , head up the 101 to find Orcutt , a tranquil town place in the kernel of Santa Maria Valley . Using the charmingWine Stone Innas a bag , visitant can hop onto the Santa Maria Wine Trolley to get a look for the vale ’s roaring wine scene — but do n’t go overboard , as there ’s a lot of bird to be done once morning time comes .

Once the sun peeks over the view , traveller can get their birdwatching on just a few miles east atLos Flores Ranch Park . Measuring in at more than 1,700 acres , this sprawling property is a top pip for encountering the vale ’s native wildlife across more than 15 miles of hike trails . Once you ’ve parked , the East La Cuesta Trail , Manzanita Trail , and Acorn Trail are just a few of the paths available . Each one offers the potential drop to see classic Golden State coinage like the California quail — a round earth dweller with a white streaks and a dramatic feather — and the scouring - jay , a dazzling blue bird that ’s found only on the western slide of North America .

While the ranch is a top destination for spotting inland passerines ( or perching birds ) and raptor ranging from black vultures to golden eagles , nearbyOso Flaco Lakeis a treasure trove for recognize shorebirds and waterfowl . Located just past the Santa Barbara County perimeter , this water feature makes up a diminished portion of the pristine Guadalupe Nipomo Dunes Complex and comes fit out with drawn-out boardwalks and interpretive signs to serve place native dame .

fisherman on the pier with pelican

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During a sojourn , swooping b swallows , male ruddy ducks with blue bills on full display , and large swathes of flocking sanderling are nigh - guarantees . And lucky visitant may be able to catch a glance of two federally - protected mintage that call the region home — the western snowy plover and California least tern , to be precise . "

California Discovery Route

For those hoping to match their avifauna with a side of spectacular seaside vistas , theDiscovery Routeis the perfect path . This scenic stretchability ofHighway 1near San Luis Obispo runs about one hundred geographical mile along the California coast , offer visitors some of the finest seal , butterfly stroke , and bird watch chance find in the integral state .

Before heading to your hotel , be sure to save some space in the itinerary to visit the Discovery Route ’s biodiversity hot spot : Morro Bay . This protect estuary has served as a wintertime haven for transmigrate birds for millenary , though there ’s no famine of resident species to find no matter the season .

For wintertime visitors , dark brant geese and long - charge curlews are two specially interesting migrant species to observe thanks to their lengthy journeys — the first come from the northernmost compass of the Arctic and the second visiting from the interior of the North America . On the other bridge player , black - crowned night herons and belt kingfishers are just a few of the many shuttle that call Morro Bay home throughout the integral yr .

scrubjay

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Just a few minutes north of the bay , the small small town of Cambria is equipped with a wealth of picturesque accommodations , withOceanpoint Ranchperfectly lay for former morning birding . Located stride out from Leffingwell Landing Park , guests can kick off the cockcrow with a sunrise hunting for seabird , then head south to the 437 - acreFiscalini Ranch Preserveto spot birds , rabbit , and even the casual sea otter paired with striking cliffside perspective .

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Monterey County

Once you ’ve departed Cambria ( and made a nimble cavity diaphragm at San Simeon ’s Elephant Seal Vista Point for National Geographic - worthy pinniped seal of approval sightings ) it ’s clip to come in one of the most picturesque regions in the Golden State — if not the entire country . The bulk ofBig Suris located in Monterey County , and this populace - renowned stretch of coastline is packed with voltage for spotting aboriginal avian mintage .

This parcel of the Monterey County coast is rule by two preserves in particular : Julia Pfeiffer Burns State ParkandAndrew Molera State Park , both of which measure in at several thousand Akka of protect wild . Both parkland are home to several hundred dame species , but be sure to keep your eye towards the skies in hopes of spotting one of the Golden State ’s most iconic avian specie . know as the California condor , this colossal vulture hover at the brink of extinction just decades ago , and now serve as an awing — though fabulously uncommon — mega - tick to bestow to your living lean .

Beyond the salient born beauty , the northern stretch of the county are home to a wealthiness of charming Town and city , withCarmel - By - The - Seaand Monterey serving as two particularly beguiling speckle to jaw . Though nearby Moss Landing is a paradise for limicoline bird , visitors do n’t take to stray far from business district Monterey to observe plenteous amounts of wildlife . Once you ’ve watch in at the abundantly cozyVagabond ’s House Inn , head into Pebble Beach to take a easy cruise along 17 - Mile Drive , where visitant can spot monumental amount of shorebirds on the aptly - identify Bird Rock , with no famine of endearing sea otters curtsy through the water nearby .

wooden beach boardwalk through sand dunes