In May of 2022 my sweet missus of 25 years and I spent some time on the coast of California, in the Carmel-by-the-Sea and Carmel Valley areas. We did a bunch of hiking in state parks and elsewhere and drove a stretch of Highway 1. We stayed with some wonderful people and thoroughly enjoyed the local culture, including the robust array of wine offerings. Here's a species list from that trip. As always, many of the photos are not great, but it's more a checklist than a gallery.
Photos were captured with Canon's 7D mark II and 100-400 f/4-5.6L II, my standard birding kit for a few years now.
Bird identification can be a challenge, since individuals can vary and I'm new to California's fauna. If you have corrections, please do let me know. Click for larger versions, and scientific names are linked for more information.
Acorn Woodpecker
American Crow
American Robin
Anna's Hummingbird
Bewick's Wren
Black Oystercatcher*
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Black Phoebe
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Brandt's Cormorant
Brown Creeper
Brown Pelican
California Quail
California Scrub-Jay
California Towhee
Cedar Waxwing
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Dark-eyed Junco
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
House Sparrow
House Wren
Hutton's Vireo
Lazuli Bunting
Lesser Goldfinch
Mourning Dove
Northern Flicker
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Oak Titmouse
Orange-crowned Warbler
Osprey
Pacific Slope Flycatcher
Pelagic Cormorant
Peregrine Falcon
Pigeon Guillemot
Purple Finch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Steller's Jay
Surf Scoter
Turkey Vulture
Violet-green Swallow
Western Bluebird
Western Gull
Western Grebe
White-crowned Sparrow
White-tailed Kite
Wilson's Warbler
Wrentit
Unknown Birds
Please let me know if you recognize these species.
* I didn't notice the drone until I got home.
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