How to Go Birdwatching at Point Reyes National Seashore

Serious birders know Point Reyes National Seashore well. The Point Reyes Peninsula juts out into the ocean in such a way that it tends to act as a landing pad for lost birds. Further, even though it is right next to the San Francisco Bay Area, Point Reyes has a remarkable diversity of habitats that are nearly unchanged from the way they were before San Francisco came into existence. You do not, however, need to be a serious birder to enjoy the avian life at Point Reyes. Even a casual visitor will see a wide variety of birdlife at the following places.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Map of Point Reyes National Seashore
• Field guide to birds
• Binoculars or spotting scope

1. Go to the Point Reyes Peninsula. You will enter the peninsula near the tiny town of Olema, and near Olema is the National Park Service Bear Valley visitor center. Go to the visitor center (follow the signs as you get closer). You can get a map of the area here, and the rangers at the visitor center will answer any questions you have. Further, you will find a museum in the visitor center with information about birds, and the bookstore here has books on the subject.

2. Drive into Point Reyes National Seashore on its main road, Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn north on Pierce Point Road and follow it to the Abbotts Lagoon trailhead. Park and walk past the lagoon, a large body of water separated from the ocean by a narrow beach. This is a good place to look for ducks in the winter, and you will also see birds of prey here, and a variety of other kinds of bird life—the list is long.

3. Return to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, turn right, and drive further into the national seashore. You will shortly notice Drakes Estero, a large expanse of water on the left side of the road, connected to the ocean by a narrow channel. Here again you will see waterfowl, and wading birds like herons and egrets.

4. As an alternative, turn left as you exit, when you first leave the Bear Valley visitor center, and drive on Bear Valley Road to the junction with the Limantour Road. Drive it to the end of the pavement: the road will end at Limantour Beach. Here, the advantage is the variety of different environments in a very small area: beach, sand dune and marsh, all within a hundred yards or so of the car. Watch for pelicans and gulls on the beach.

5. Try Bolinas Lagoon, if you find yourself in the southern part of the national seashore. This is another place to see egrets and herons, which nest in a nearby canyon. The canyon is preserved as part of the Audubon Canyon Ranch, open to the public for limited hours between March and July. Call them at [phone] to see if they are open.

Resources

• Point Reyes National Seashore website