Continuing up Hwy 1, we discovered the amazing Elephant Seals. I somehow missed learning about them. Apparently, they were thought to be extinct in the 1880's due to hunting. However, a small colony survived off Baja California. In 1990, the Elephant Seals starting arriving at this beach. Pups were born. Now, this beach, Piedras Blancas is the largest rookery on the mainland.
They spend most of the year out at sea but they have seasons on shore for breeding, giving birth and molting. This seemed to be the molting time for young males. Most of the ones we saw were resting.
A few were roaring.
We saw one in the ocean with a huge gaping mouth. They are so unusual! A cross between a seal, an elephant and a hippo....
Nearby, we saw a couple of spiffy Black Oystercatchers.
Once again, our time was limited so we continued on our journey. I was constantly surprised that as the hours passed by, I never got bored. The drive is truly a feast for the eyes. It is the most beautiful highway that I have ever driven.
Mountains line the east side while the turquoise ocean is on the other side. It's hard to believe that this beautiful stretch is now threatened by the Soberanes fire. Sadly, this fire which at the time of this writing has consumed 40,000 plus acres was started by an abandoned illegal campfire!!
This long day of driving ended shortly after seeing the tiny little lighthouse under the Golden Gate Bridge and crossing the bridge just as the sky was darkening.
Being a birder, it was essential to stop at Bodega Bay. You many not remember the name of this place but I'm sure you remember Alfred Hitchcock's movie, "The Birds". Bodega Bay is where the movie was filmed. Since it was a foggy day, we didn't see many birds or much scenery...
..but we did see some old photos and the famous schoolhouse in the movie.
After another 4 hours, we reached our destination, Humboldt Redwoods State Park. What a special
place!
We slept under the majestic silent giants for 3 nights. These magnificent trees can reach 365-379 feet in the air. At that height, it's a hidden world up there.
We half expected to see some gnomes or fairies in this dark forest. None to be found.
Near a running stream, we did spot this American Dipper. It's a plain looking bird that gives you a flash every time it blinks since the outer lid has white feathers on it.The extra eyelid, nictitating membrane, is used for swimming underwater to enable it to look for aquatic insects and larvae. This was my first sighting of this unique songbird so it was pretty exciting to find.
Like most vacations, ours came to an end too quickly. We came home with great memories and an appreciation for the coast and northern section of the state, and one souvenir from Bodega Bay.
We wish all of the firefighters the best as they battle the blazes that are destroying beautiful parts of our country.
Click on photos to enlarge.
Photos and content by Robin Roberts.
