Birding in Big Sur

I was in Big Sur this weekend for a wedding (congratulations Sara and Sean). I drove up and down the coast from LA. I have to admit I saw many many birds that I couldn't positively i.d.

Here's a list of the ones I did:

- Steller's Jay (these were everywhere in Big Sur. They're scavengers looking for people food)
- Western Gull
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Black throated hummingbird (my first hummingbird!)
- Golden Eagle
- Turkey vulture (saw more of these than probably ever in my life combined)
- Brown Pelican
- Spotted towhee
- Common grackle
- American Kestrel

The big question was if I saw a California condor or not. Some of the birds I assumed to be Turkey vultures were far enough away that perhaps they were actually condors. Condors are known to live in Big Sur, and there is even a nesting pair according to this article. I like to think that perhaps we saw some, but some of the large, black, soaring birds we saw were too far to be sure.

Steller's Jay in an outdoor restaurant. This guy was particularly haggard and bold.