As Lompico is located in a 100 year old redwood forest, it's not surprising that we have over 300 species of birds with at least 90 permanent residents in our back yard.

Lompico's combination of aquatic and forest habitat is unique along the Santa Cruz County section of Pacific Coastline. Lompico is home to osprey, a white hawk that you may see soaring above the Loch Lomond Lake hunting for fish. Cormorants and great blue herons are also year-round residents. They can usually be seen sunning themselves or fishing along the shore of Loch Lomond Lake. Every year groups of migratory birds such as grebes, ducks, and coots stop in for a visit. Listen closely as you stand on the Loch Lomond Lake shore, and you may hear the rattling call of a kingfisher as it flies from one perch to another.

Around Lompico you may hear the laughing call of the acorn woodpecker resounding from the top of a dead redwood tree. Keep your eyes peeled, and you may catch a glimpse of a northern flicker, its bright orange wings flashing through the trees.

Many small birds converge in the vegetation around Lompico to feed. These include sparrows, hummingbirds, towhees, juncos, etc. The dark-eyed junco, with its black hood, is common in Lompico. Groups of the chestnut-backed chickadee, with their melodic call (tseek-adee-dee) can be heard moving about the forest canopy. Finally, what day in Lompico would be complete without a visit from the steller's jay, with its beautiful blue plumage and raucous alarm call.

Read what a typical birdwatching day is like.

• Big Basin State Park
  Steller’s jays, egrets, herons, California woodpeckers, Towhees, Bewick's & Winter Wren, Pine Siskin, Black-Headed Grosbeak (summer), etc.
  
  
• Castle Rock State Park
  Steller’s jays, egrets, herons, California woodpeckers, winter finches (rare), Woodpeckers, Juncos, etc.
  
  
• Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
  Common Merganser, Pileated, Creeper, Junco, Ruby-Crowned-Kinglet (winter), Chickadee, Warblers (seasonal), Arblers, Hermit, Thrush (winter), Robin, etc.
  
  
• Loch Lomond Lake
  Osprey, Cormorant, Blue Heron, Grebes, Coots, Juncos, Steller's Jays, Hummingbirds, Towhees, Chickaddes, Sparrows, Acorn Woodpecker, Ducks.
  
  
• Natural Bridges State Beach
  Warblers (seasonal), Flycatchers (summer & fall), Songsters, Sparrows, Finches, Seagulls, Shorebirds (including Red-necked Phalarope), Waders, Ducks, etc.
  
  
• New Brighton State Beach
  Alcids (especially winter) including Marbled Murrelets, Shearwaters (especially summer), Gulls, Terns, Jaegers, Sea Ducks, etc.
  
  
• Twin Lakes State Beach
  Gulls, Ducks, Grebes, Coot, Sora, Herons, Egrets, Kingfisher, Towhees, Sparrows, Robin, Thrushes, Wrentit, Bushtit, Chickadee, Hairy & Downy Woodpecker, etc.
  
  
• Quail Hollow Ranch
  Osprey, Cormorant, Blue Heron, Grebes, Coots, Juncos, Steller's Jays, Hummingbirds, Towhees, Chickaddes, Sparrows, Acorn Woodpecker, Ducks, etc.
  
  
  

• Santa Cruz Bird Club
  P.O. Box 1304
  Santa Cruz, CA 95060
  
  
• North County Bird Lovers
  1115 Fern Avenue
  Felton, CA 95018
  Phone: (408) 335-4926