I have lived in California 18 years but never visited the famed Mendocino Coast. I picked a good weekend; it was sunny but being winter few visitors. It takes about three hours to drive from my home in San Francisco to Fort Bragg. I took Highway 101 north to highway 128 which winds along through oak woodlands before entering a redwood grove and then opening up to the coast where the Navarro River pours into the Pacific Ocean and up Highway 1. I stopped at the beach side of Van Damme State Park and checked a small gull flock but only saw GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, MEW GULL, CALIFORNIA GULL, and WESTERN GULL. There was one CANADA GOOSE, PELAGIC CORMORANT, and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS in the ocean. Behind me in the trees I heard a NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER calling. I continued up the coast to Russian Gulch State Park, a part of Mendocino Headlands State Park. I walked a trail along the coast to the "Blow Hole" which was not blowing because the tide wasn't high enough. But I was the only person to behold this wondrous and magnificent coastline. I saw another RED-BREASTED MERGANSER in the ocean and one lone PIGEON GUILLEMOT flew by. Along the trail I saw TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, FOX SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, STELLER'S JAY, AMERICAN ROBIN, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, and one HERMIT THRUSH. I started up the trail to the waterfall but turned back when I realized there was insufficient time. I continued up Highway 1 and stopped at Caspar Pond the the small town of Caspar. There were some domestic geese, MALLARD, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, TRI-COLORED BLACKBIRD, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, GREAT BLUE HERON, KILLDEER, and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS.
Next I came to the small town of Fort Bragg where I stopped at Glass Beach. It was getting late in the afternoon and the wind was picking up significant speed. I walked to the point and scoped the ocean and found three HARLEQUIN DUCKS. There were also some BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS in the ocean but the wind was too intense. Along the trail to the overlook were WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, and one NORTHERN HARRIER.
For my last stop I turned down Ward Avenue driving to a coastal access. I parked the car and walked down to the beach with my scope. The wind was blowing easily 35-40 MPH by this point. It was very difficult to stand up in the fierce wind. I inspected every single nook and cranny, every little flock of BLACK TURNSTONES and SURFBIRDS and SANDERLINGS but nothing rare revealed itself to me. Finally when the sun got low and the wind became too much I left the beach to find a hotel for the evening. I found some flea bag place on the beach with an ocean view. The room smelled bad so I opened the sliding glass window and watched the ocean darken.
Sunday, December 17. I got up and left so early that it was still dark out when I got back to Ward Avenue. High tide was at 8:00 AM and I wanted to be there for it. I walked the beach north until it was light enough to see and then took my scope and walked as far south as the rocks would allow, again inspecting every single BLACK-BELLLIED PLOVER, Black Turnstone and Surfbird but still nothing unusual. The tide was crashing all around the rocks and the sky was orange and black as the sun came up in the east. The only additional bird I could see in the huge crashing waves was a SURF SCOTER. I returned to my car and drove to the entrance to MacKerricher State Park. I checked Cleone Pond but it was mostly American Coots and a few RING-NECKED DUCKS. Then I took the boardwalk out to Laguna Point with my scope in hand. There were some BROWN PELICANS, WHIMBRELS, more SURFBIRDS, and BLACK TURNSTONES. But nothing rare and I was just about to give up when there it was one lone ROCK SANDPIPER clinging to the rocks with its little beak tucked under its arm pit-- my first official ROCK SANDPIPER! I walked out on the rocks as far as I dared and got some photos (posted to my web site www.mdbrodie.com) and some video. Laguna Point is inspiring and it was hard to tear myself away but after I had had my fill of the huge crashing waves, the gorgeous rocky coast, and the many shorebirds regaling its rocks I headed back to the car. I took the trail around Lake Cleone and saw three ACORN WOODPECKERS, one SPOTTED TOWHEE, and a HORNED GREBE and WESTERN GREBE in the lake.
I pulled out of MacKerricher State Park and drove south on Highway 1, Shoreline Highway, stopping again at Van Damme to check the gull flock. I found a Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid and a first year THAYER'S GULL, and one RING-BILLED GULL. Then I continued south on 101 stopping at Navarro River State Beach where I expected to see more gulls; there were only a few flying out over the ocean. Again the waves were gigantic and I was unable to scope the ocean for seafaring birds. The only additional birds I saw here were COMMON GOLDENEYE and BUFFLEHEAD in the river mouth. I continued down 101 stopping at Greenwood State Beach to take some pictures of this picturesque coastline. I continued down Highway 1 all the way to Point Arena stopping to check Miner Hole Road. I took it to the end and parked where a chain was pulled across the dirt road. As soon as I got out of my car I noticed a warbler and was thrilled to find a PALM WARBLER. It was out in the open and I was able to get some pictures and video of it. I looked up to see a PEREGRINE FALCON flying overhead as well as a NORTHERN HARRIER. There was also a HUTTON'S VIREO in the willow trees. I walked down the road to where it connects to the road to the Lighthouse but only saw one SAVANNAH SPARROW. I continued down 101 to the Point Arena Pier where I hoped to see Al the Laysan Albatross that has returned to this spot for 17 straight years. I stood out on the pier for an hour but she never made an appearance. I wasn't too disappointed as I have seen one once before at Monterery Bay but I felt bad for the poor guy who had driven down from Montana. I walked back to the car sad to leave this special place that left my heart full of pride and the joy of knowing how lucky I am to live here. I turned out of the Point Arena Pier parking lot heading south thinking there must be an outlet back to Highway 101 from Highway 1. If there is one I never saw it and ended up driving all the way south on winding narrow Highway 1 south from Point Arena to Bodega Bay before turning inland to Petaluma and back to Highway 101 to San Francisco. I watched the sun set over the Pacific Ocean as I drove the magnificent Pacific Coast home to my city by the bay.
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