Coal Oil Point Reserve, Wednesday July 29th, 5:30pm to 7:00pm
Posted byPhil Morones
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 ~ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Join SBAS for a golden hour bird walk to Coal Oil Point Reserve, a 170-acre UC Natural Reserve that is one of the best remaining examples of a coastal strand environment in Southern California. We’ll start along the shores of Devereaux beach and work our way over to Sands beach and the mouth of Devereaux Slough, covering approximately 2 miles of flat terrain with one staircase to descend and climb back up. Our primary focus will be to observe migrating shorebirds on their journey south, with many of them still in breeding plumage — a cool sight to see! Trip leader and local wildlife biologist Ian Jackson will help participants identify birds by sight and sound along the way and share insights into their life histories and ecology.
The walk will be followed by an optional drink/bite at Finney’s Crafthouse on Storke Road, where folks can connect, plan their next bird outing, and discuss more ways to get involved with Santa Barbara Audubon.
No sign-up necessary. Contact Ian Jackson with any questions at email hidden; JavaScript is required
Directions: Take Camino Corto south to Del Playa Drive. Turn right and continue until you reach the dead end at Camino Majorca, where parking is available on the street.
Stay Together: Stay with the group to maximize your chances of seeing birds. Do not get ahead of the leader. One way to stay together: Don’t Be the Last in Line
Scope Etiquette: After you’ve had a good look, move two big steps to the side to allow the next person access.
Quiet Observation: While some quiet conversation is fine, please keep noise levels down. Loud talking is annoying and can scare away birds. As you talk, you may tend to fall behind.
Practice describing locations clearly: One method is to visualize a tree or shrub. Imagine the center of it as the middle of the clock. You might say, “The bird is at 2 o’clock, 6 inches from the outer edge.”
Don’t be shy: If you see something which has not been seen, speak up. The trip leader will not always see every bird around and your observations are always welcome, even if you’re just starting out!
Have Fun, and Enjoy being in Nature with the birds and birders alike!