The Chestnut-backed Chickadee was my spark bird or the bird that got me into birding. They were a regular visitor at our first home in the Santa Cruz Mountains. They are native to the Pacific coast of North America, recognizable by its rich chestnut-colored back and flanks contrasted with a black cap and bib. The one below I captured at Lighthouse Field along the Santa Cruz coast a couple of miles north of the downtown area. It was partly foggy so I needed to lower the shutter speed to 1/640s and an f-stop of 5.6 resulting in an ISO of 1100.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens) - Lighthouse Field SB, SCZ (CA)
EQ: Nikon D850, Nikkor 500mm f/4.0, with 1.4 TC, Taken: 9-18-2025 at 11:58
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/640s, f/5.6, ISO1100, +1 EV, Conditions: foggy

On the second day in Santa Cruz, I found this Red-tailed Hawk at Lighthouse Field and was surprised to find the guy feasting on a snake.

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) - Lighthouse Field

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) - Lighthouse Field

Palm Beach is a few miles south of Santa Cruz offers a serene coastal experience with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. When I was living in the area, this beach was one of my favorite locations for the sandy beach and a couple of miles south the Pajaro River flows into the ocean. There are plenty of shorebirds, gulls, terns, and the Snow Plover nests in the dunes along the River. You can also see whales, dolphins, and Sea Otters.

Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) - Palm Beach

Another area of interest is the Struve Slough where you can find White-American Pelicans, which are found in the fresh water compared to the salt water Brown Pelican.

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) - Struve Slough - Lee Road

Neary Lagoon is a serene wetland located a few miles north of downtown Santa Cruz. The lagoon serves as an important ecological reserve, supporting various plant and animal species native to the Central Coast region and is the best place to find Wood Ducks at the Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility. You can also find Warbler, Hummingbirds, Jays, Sparrows, Flycatchers, and Hawks to name a few.

California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) - Neary Lagoon

Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) - Neary Lagoon

Common Murre (Uria aalge) - Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) - Neary Lagoon

One of the reasons for the trip was hook up with the Big Basin Volunteer Trail Crew (bbvtc.org). I joined the Crew in 1996 became the co-leader in the early 2000s and now I’m the BBVTC webmaster. It was a surreal experience being the the park since this was the first time back after the 2000 SZU Lighting Fire that burned almost all of Big Basin. The Coastal Redwoods in Big Basin State Park is the state’s oldest park and some of the Redwoods exceed 200 feet in height. The 1,800 year old Mother of the Forest was the tallest at 329 ft but she lost some of that height after the SZU Fire but it hasn’t been remeasured as of this post.

Coast Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) in Big Basin State Park 5 years after the CZU Lighting fires in 2020.

Lighthouse Field in Santa Cruz is another great place for photographing birds and offers coastal cliffs where you can find shorebirds and pelagic species. This is where the historic Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse is located and it’s a very short walk across West Cliff Avenue where you will find grassy fields, trees, and shrubs that frequently draw in rares birds and I was able to find one: the American Redstart.

American Redstart, female (Setophaga ruticilla) - Lighthouse Field

Western Flycatcher, Pacific-slope (Empidonax difficilis) - Lighthouse Field

The Santa Cruz Mountains was my home for 20 years while working the Silicone Valley and I would still be there except for the over population and lack of high capacity roadway but it is always a great place to visit.

Your comments are welcomed and if you have any questions about these photos or any other leave me a message.

Santa Cruz, CA

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