Birding the San Diego area
If birding in San Diego, Point Loma is the best spot for migrant landbirds in late April and the first half of May. The Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is also worth checking out for migrants. One of the best saltmarshes in southern California can be found at the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge. Clapper Rails are commonly seen at high tide. Border Field State Park is a good spot for a number of the California ‘specials’. California Quail, Gnatcatcher, Thrasher and Towhee are all found here, as are Wrentit. These birds can also be found on the northern side of San Diego at the Torrey Pines State Reserve.
North of Los Angeles
Malibu Creek State Park is a good birding site 25 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, accessed by taking the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu Canyon Road. Follow Malibu Canyon Road for about 7 miles to the park entrance. Much of the park is chaparral- covered hillsides. California Quail, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Tricolored Blackbird and Lesser Goldfinch are all resident. On the way to the park, time permitting, stop at Malibu Creek, a coastal lagoon about a mile before the turn off to Malibu Canyon Road. This is a good site for waders and gulls, particularly in winter.
Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Area is located just northwest of the intersections of the I-101 and I-405. The trails here make for a pleasant and easy walk and there are viewpoints to the reservoir. Nuttall's Woodpecker is resident, and Black-chinned, Rufous and Allen's Hummingbirds can be seen during passage or in summer. Warblers are also present in good numbers in summer and in passage.
Salton Sea
Birding the Salton Sea and surrounding valley is going to take you at least a day to do it justice. In winter it is home to huge numbers of ducks and some 15 species can be observed here. The Salton Sea is one of the most important wetlands along the Pacific Flyway and several million birds migrate and inhabit the area every year. Over 400 species of birds have been counted at the Sea, including eared grebes, endangered brown pelicans, great blue herons, ospreys, burrowing owls, gulls, ducks, geese and terns. A visit to the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge headquarters is recommended. The staff are very helpful and can point you in the right directions. This area is a good place to see Crissal Thrasher. Look for them in the brushy salt-flats off Highway 195 near the intersection with Lincoln Street. Another site for this bird is on Quay Road near Ramer Lake. Check the mesquite just before you reach Highway 111. Birding here is good all year round, but summer temperatures can be very high, often reaching 110° F (43°C) or higher. Be sure to have plenty of water with you if you are birding here in the summer months.
South of Los Angeles
An hour south of Los Angeles in Orange County there are some excellent birding spots. Huntington Central Park has a bird list of well over 200 species. Bolsa Chica State Ecological Reserve is a saltmarsh and mudflat estuary, with excellent year round birding. This is the place to see the Belding’s Savannah Sparrow. Tricoloured Blackbird is resident here and in passage, rare gulls and terns are often sited. Winter months bring in good numbers of waders and ducks. Newport Beach and in particular the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve is always a very pleasant hour or two’s birding. Back Bay Drive unfortunately has been partially blocked off due to landslides, but where accessible offers great views of the bay and the multitude of waterbirds, particularly in winter. This area is also one of the easiest places to find California Gnatcatcher in the brush along the road. Crystal Cove State Park, a few miles south of Newport Beach is a good place to see Wrentit, California Thrasher and California Towhees.