CA Trip?

I am finally getting out to CA for 2 weeks starting April 24, staying in the Watsonville area.
My main goal is to photograph sea otters from a kayak in Elkhorn Slough. I also hope to photograph the seals as well. Any suggestion on potential avain and other wildlife photography areas within
a few hundred miles of Watsonville? Would love to photograph a bobcat while out that way!

Thanks for any help!
John Rockwood
NH

Yosemite! Bears, Coyote, Golden Eagles, Hawks, and song birds; not to mention the largest granite walls and waterfalls in the US. Late April and early May are excellent times to visit the park.

Abbot's Lagoon at Pt. Reyes National Seashore has great birding; both songbirds and seabirds.

I hope you enjoy your trip!

--P

A number of years back, my wife and I were returning from a sunset shot in Pfiffer Big Sur state park along a creek. We had an extended encounter with a hunting bobcat. The cat was amazingly brave and allowed us to observe, at close distance, for 20 minutes as he enthusiastically hopped from one rodent hole to another.

This was probably a once in a lifteime photographic opportunity.

Have fun on your trip

Mike Schlansker.

I have seen foxes, wild turkeys and wild pigs as well as California Condors at the Pinnacles National Monument as you drive about an hour south of Watsonville toward Hollister, Take Highway 25 or Cienaga Road around the east side of Pinnacles and loop around the south on Gloria Road into King City then back up the West Side out of Gonzales. Another option is to take US Highway 1 South through Pacific Grove, to Point Pinos Lighthouse, for otters and seabirds and great surf, consider taking in the Aquarium and cannery row in Monterey. Keep traveling south on US Highway 1 to Pfeiffer Big Sur, to see McWay Falls drop right out onto the beach (1/4 mi. hike), then down to San Simeon where there might be a few elephant seals left on the beach (long, long day trip) might want to consider a stop in Cambria or San Simeon State Park if you camp. If you head for the Central Valley (on your way to Yosemite), the Merced National Wildlife Refuge has some elk in a pen. Not as nice as the elk up in the Redwoods National and State Parks four or five hours north in Orick. I hope you have great success on your trip.

Thanks for the great tips!
John

Mt. Tam in the Marin Headlands (north of the Golden Gate Bridge). Coyotes, bobcats, hawks, and more. Check out the Flickr site of John Wall...he's an expert on the critters of this area. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwallphoto/