birding

West Cliff Birding Surprise

Brown pelicans and cormorants off West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. Photo by Maria Grusauskas.

No wonder birds travel thousands of miles just to visit Monterey Bay while others stay all year. It’s a full-on party out there.

Birding Student, Birding Teacher

Retired UCSC professor and legendary local birder Todd Newberry points to the silken strands of an orb-weaving spider's creation.

Some birders sit still for hours, waiting for nesting parents to return. Others competitively catalogue birds. Todd Newberry practices the art of deliberate observation.

Quail Hollow Ranch

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Quail Hollow hikers entering a 'forbidden area' zone. Photo by Hilltromper.

This hidden gem is a hotbed of biodiversity.

Schwan Lake

Surrounded by eucalyptus and oak, Schwan Lagoon is home to egrets, cormorants and a host of other birds. Eric Ressler photo.

A hidden sanctuary for birders and dog lovers.

West Cliff Drive

The Surf Museum at Lighthouse Point.

A sweet three-minute video by Michael Horn.

Natural Bridges State Beach

The last remaining "natural bridge." Photo credit: Eugene Zelenko/Creative Commons.

Possibly the ultimate Santa Cruz beach.

Green Birding, Adventure Birding

Birders line up to see a common cuckoo in a Watsonville slough in September 2012. Photo by Scott Smithson.

At some point, the idea of flying to the Olympic Peninsula at the drop of a hat to see a rare bird started to conflict with Scott Smithson's values as an environmentalist. So he started the Green Big Day.

In Bird Census, Signs of Warming

A barn swallow perches on a wooden railing. Photo by John Haslam by Creative Commons.

Results of the Great Backyard Bird Count are in, and among the gee-whiz infonuggets (like the flock of 5 million redwinged blackbirds spotted in Missouri) are signs of climate change.

Elkhorn Slough

A mass of terns (white seabirds) taking flight over a wetlands. Photo by VIcki and Chuck Rogers/Creative Commons.

A global birding destination on Monterey Bay.

Manresa State Beach

Wisps of evening fog settle over the sand at Manresa State Beach. Hilltromper photo.

Miles of empty beach in either direction.

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