Zmudowski State Beach is a well-known birding Hotspot because of its freshwater pond adjacent to the ocean, the marshes around the pond, the coastal dunes, and an extensive sandy beach that extends both directions for miles. In summer, the marshes around the pond have breeding waterfowl, herons, rails, stilts, avocets, and Marsh Wrens. In spring and fall migrations the edges of the of the pond and marshes attract many species of shorebirds,and many swallows. The pond is used for bathing by pelicans and gulls, and often terns roosting on far shores in summer. In winter the pond attracts flocks of diving ducks and, often, a selection of geese. Adjacent fields have pipits and larks in fall -- however, all the adjacent land is privately-owned agricultural fields, and birders and not permitted on private land. The coastal dunes have resident "Nuttall's" White-crowned Sparrow, Spotted and California Towhees, Bewick's Wren, and American Goldfinch. The beach has breeding Snowy Plover in summer, and wintering shorebirds from July though April. One can scope the ocean from the dunes or beach, where there can be wintering flocks of scoters, diving Caspian and Elegant Terns in summer, and sometimes huge masses of Sooty Shearwater in fall. The beach is regularly used by beach-goers and fishermen. 

A good spot to look for shorebirds and duks, in season, is a sandy road, with a locked metal gate, that heads north, just to the right (pond-side) of the parking lot. This sandy road leads to views of the Pajaro River mouth in the adjacent Hotspot to the north. Although agricultural wetlands to the east are privately-owned, birders must stay on the sandy road but the public has a right of access to walk the road. From that sandy road, one can view the wetlands and reedy pond edge for ducks, waders, rails, an occasional gallinule, and herons (see the 4th photo in the set above to see what the site looks like). Sometimes that entire ag field is flooded; at other times it can be quite dry. At the north end of Zmudowski Pond and its wetlands, there is a huge cypress tree (see 5th photo) that serves as a boundary between this Hotspot and the adjacent Pajaro River mouth (Monterey Co.) Hotspot to the north. At most times, there is a sign-posted and fenced sandy tract that lead from that big cypress to the beach. It is 'fenced' against entry to the dunes because the threathened Snowy Plover population that breeds in the sandy dunes -- so stay on the marked track.

Alternatively, one can go directly to the beach from the parking lot, on marked paths over the dunes, and one can walk a mile north to the Pajaro River mouth itself, and return by the sandy track and the big cypress tree (the path and cypress tree forms the northern border of this Hotspot. eBird editors and local birders greatly appreciate it when checklist are limited to within the borders of Hotspots like this one.

For several decades, the reedy marsh around Zmudowski pond has been the best (and recently the only) spot for breeding American Bittern in Monterey County. Given this status, do not play bittern tapes here. One scans the reeds or watches for a bittern to fly over the marsh. The area is good for raptors. Cinnamon Teal breed here while Blue-winged Teal is a migrant. Wintering geese often include Greater White-fronted or Ross's Geese. Zmudowski is well-known as an excellent lake for diving ducks: flocks of Greater and Lesser Scaup, a few Canvasback (now becoming scarcer), and Redhead in late spring and sometimes in summer. 

Multiple rarities have occurred here, from Least Bittern and Common Gallinule in the marsh, to Little Gull among flocks of Bonaparte's Gull, to Pacific Golden-Plover in shorebird flocks on the beach, to Red-throated Pipit in fall migration in nearby agricultural fields. Some of these have occurred only a couple of times, but others are almost annual. 

Zmudowski State Beach is reached via Highway 1, just north of Moss Landing. Take Struve Road north, turn left (west) on Giberson Road, which then zigs and zags through agriculural fields via six 90-degree turns. The road is paved but beaten-up, and narrow. Watch out for agricultural machinery and workers. After the final zag, the road heads straight for Zmudowski Pond -- a freshwater pond whose level rises and falls with rainfall and underground water table. The road winds around the south end of the pond to a parking lot. That access road is narrow, often rutted, and can be impassable after storms (or when the pond floods). Recently (2023) encroaching sand dunes have reduced the size of the parking lot, and changed access to the beach; see the fiinal two photos in the set above.

In the past, the Zmudowski State Park parking lot was known to be prone to car break-ins; birders were advised to carry everything of value with them (including your wallet or purse and driver's license). This crime problem has somewhat lessened in recent times, but better to be safe than sorry here.