They call themselves birders, and come in almost as many varieties as the avian species they find so fascinating. There are the most serious, the semi-scientific birders who take part in highly coordinated documentation research and tracking. Their favorite app is eBIRD, where every day’s (and night’s) sightings can be recorded and compared.
Then, there are the photographers armed with lenses slightly smaller than a school bus attached to state-of-the-art camera gear capable of burst shooting and auto-focusing that can freeze every feather of an eagle in flight as well as the panicked gaze in the eyes of the salmon he has just captured.
In between is the vast population who simply enjoy the almost meditative pace of birding because it requires a heightened degree of concentration and patience. It isn’t surprising that the interest in birding expanded immensely during the pandemic since it was one of the few activities in which one could indulge safely.
It’s possible to plan a full day of vacationing around birding—say in the quaint village of Cambria on California’s Central Coast. All you need is a good pair of binoculars and sturdy shoes and you’re ready to hit the trail. You also might want to add eBIRD and its companion app, Merlin, to your phone. These will allow you to identify the birds you see as well as the ones you hear.
One of the wonders of birding is that you’re almost as likely to find an interesting subject in the parking lot of your motel as you are in a designated park or reserve. Or, in the case of the serenely secluded Oceanpoint Ranch, you can just walk across the road with your morning cup of coffee and watch seabirds from the clifftop.
Within an easy drive of Cambria are three excellent wild areas for birding. Sweet Springs Nature Reserve in Morro Bay abounds in wooded glens, piney woods, and coastal marshes ideal for spotting flocks of snowy egrets or a graceful great blue heron.
A gift to the village of Cambria, the 437 acres of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve roll down from the coastal mountains like a green carpet, ending in a coastline of wave-crashing rocky inlets. It’s the ideal habitat for observing swooping colonies of gulls and majestic cormorants.
“Look, there’s a double-crested cormorant in breeding plumage,” my friend Annie (an avid birder and photographer) shouted with glee.
By this point, a nice lunch combined with wine tasting is the ideal choice. And there is nowhere more scenically situated than the Hearst Ranch Winery in San Simeon off state Highway 1 with its seaside tasting “room.” Pick out one of the cozy couch nooks overlooking the bay. And the wines are excellent. Be sure to sample the Bunkhouse cabernet sauvignon, the Pergola petite sirah, and their Chileno tempranillo. Hearst Ranch Winery is far from a secret, but so many people are focused on getting to the castle that they never discover this hidden treasure.
Heading back to Cambria, you'll come to San Simeon State Park. A favorite for car camping, the vast park offers an abundance of hiking trails that wind their way into the mountains. Look for soaring red-tailed hawks, multiple varieties of wrens and warblers, woodpeckers, and mourning doves.
After your full day of birding, the most popular dining destination is, without question, the Sea Chest Oyster Bar on the coast road in Cambria. It has been described as “the ultimate Central Coast chow-down!” Fancy it’s not. Homey and delicious it is, featuring an ample menu of delectably fresh seafood. The best seats are at the long counter. That’s where the action is—a ballet of plates and platters orchestrated by owner Steve Kniffen.
