Pt. Pinos is most famous as a site for seeing pelagic species near-shore. The deep submarine canyon in Monterey Bay provides an upwelling of nutrients that support a pelagic food web that attracts birds more often seen offshore. In summer, thousands of Sooty Shearwaters may be close to shore, depending on the winds and foraging conditions. In winter, Northern Fulmars can be numerous. Seawatching can be interesting anytime, but is best during strong northwest winds (see more information on the "Pt. Pinos--seawatch only" sub-location). Late fall brings huge numbers of 3 species of loon, especially Pacific Loons, and flocks of Surf Scoters passing the Point, heading south. A scope is very useful for seawatching.

Most visitors will wish to enter a "Pt. Pinos--general" checklist for the Hot Spot. A typical visit might include checking for rocky shorebirds at ocean's edge, checking Crespi Pond, sorting through the gull roosts, watching for land birds, and spending some time seawatching, What you see and hear from a mix of these activities will be on your "Pt. Pinos--general" eBird checklist. There are two sub-locations -- "seawatch only" and "south gull roost only" -- that are intended primarily for use by local birders and in formal surveys (such as the annual Monterey Audubon Society seawatch in late fall/early winter), and they are intended to be stationary counts. If you move around at Pt. Pinos, use the "Pt. Pinos--general" hot spot. Be sure to stay within the Hot Spot's boundaries as shown by the second map.

Birding is good throughout the year but will be present is very seasonal. A set of resident species are always present. The islets at the northwest tip of Pt. Pinos will have many Brandt's Cormorants, a lesser number of Pelagic Cormorants, and a a handful of Double-crested Cormorants on any day. Black Oystercatchers are resident, and their nesting areas are roped off during spring and summer. Western Gulls are ubiquitous, with California Gulls present in large numbers in winter and non-breeders still present in summer. A dozen other gull species occur in winter, or during late fall or early spring migration. There are high tide gull roosts at "south gull roost" (see more at that sub-location) and on a rocky islet off John Denver beach. In most years, large numbers of Brown Pelicans, Heermann's Gulls, and Elegant Terns are present in late summer and fall. A Peregrine Falcon often uses the largest offshore islet as a roost between hunts.

Rocky shorebirds forage at low tides and roost at high tides, primarily on the ocean side of Pt. Pinos and on rocks at the "south gull roost" sub-location. Crespi Pond is used for bathing by gulls and (sometimes) sea ducks. The reeds host breeding "Bicolored" Red-winged Blackbirds. Often egrets or Black-crowned Night-Herons roost in the reeds. In winter a flock of American Coots are present, joined by a variety of ducks. Strong winds push Red-necked or Red Phalaropes to the pond seasonally. Crespi Pond is a golf course "hazard" on the 17th hole, so birders most always be alert for stray golf shots.

Spring and fall migrations bring a cornucopia of landbirds, waders, raptors, and local dispersants to the Point. Spring can be good for swallows, flycatchers, and western warblers, while fall migration is often focused on searching for "eastern" passerine vagrants. These are found in the cypresses, or in ornamental plantings in the neighborhoods just east of Asilomar, and sometimes on the beach or even in non-native ice-plant. if there is a bit of mudflat on Crespi Pond, dowitchers and small shorebirds may appear. In September through November, check the high fencing around Crespi for Say's Phoebe or even a Tropical Kingbird.

With 350 species recorded, it is the diversity of birds that brings most birders to Pt. Pinos. There may be no better place in North America for the sheer abundance of seabirds that have been seen from shore: Albatross; Sooty and Pink-footed and Black-vented Shearwaters; Northern Fulmar; Parasitic Jaegers chasing Elegant Terns in fall; huge numbers of Common Murres and Rhinoceros Auklets, with regular occurrences of Cassin's Auklet, Ancient Murrelet (winter), and even a few Tufted Puffins for the fortunate. Though Crespi Pond is small, almost any duck is possible. Among the coots, watch for wayward geese: Greater White-fronted, Snow, or Ross's; and migrant Brant over the ocean. In winter and in migration, there are rocky shorebirds -- Black Turnstones, Surbirds, Whimbrels, and an occasional Wandering Tattler; check gull flocks for Glaucous-winged, Herring, Iceland (Thayer's), Short-billed Gulls. and even an occasional Glaucous Gull, plus Bonaparte's Gulls and Black-legged Kittiwakes, but be mindful of fair numbers of large Larus gulls showing introgression through hybridization in any winter flock. 

"Pt. Pinos--general (sea & shore Coral to Jewell, Crespi Pond & cypresses)" is the primary Hot Spot for this location. Locals call it "Pt. Pinos--general;" the parenthetical information is meant to help visitors understand the boundaries and the habitats at this world-famous birding site.  Ocean View Blvd. provides vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian access to the (mostly) rocky shoreline from Coral St. to Jewell Ave., with Asilomar and Del Monte providing the landward boundaries shown on the map. Much of the landward side of Ocean View is the Pacific Grove golf course, where birders are not generally permitted. The public is not permitted on the golf course, so it, along with its rows of cypresses, are viewed from the edge of Ocean View or from the parking lot adjacent to Crespi Pond. The Pt. Pinos Lighthouse sits in the center of the golf course, and is open to the public on a regular schedule [entrance fee].

The City of Pacific Grove has recently finished a project designed to reduce erosion at Pt. Pinos by limiting parking areas. There are a few well-defined parking areas along the ocean side of Pt. Pinos, plus parking just west of Crespi Pond, but these spots often fill up in good weather. More parking is available at a small lot at the north end of Asilomar, and two larger sandy pull-outs are just east of there: one-way parking at John Denver Memorial beach and at "Petrel Point," just east of that. [John Denver, famed singer/songwriter, crashed in an experimental airplane in the ocean just off the beach on Oct. 12, 1997. There is a permanent memorial at the edge of the John Denver parking area.]

Point Pinos is the northwestern tip of the Monterey Peninsula in Pacific Grove. It is world-famous as a sea-watching site but is also well known for the diversity of vagrants seen on Crespi Pond or in the adjacent cypresses. Unfortunately, most of the northwestern portion of Pacific Grove is a golf course so birding access is limited to the shoreline or the cypresses next to the restroom at Crespi Pond. Yet the public has access to the entire shoreline, so viewing rocky shorebirds and gulls is usually easy, and one can sea-watch from extensive public pull-outs along this entire stretch of coast.

For complete information on Point Pinos visit Birding at Point Pinos by Don Roberson.

There is now a newly-construced pedestrian trail from "Petrel Pt." and "John Denver" beach west to Pt. Pinos itself -- some of it a boardwalk as it passes Crespi Pond -- and then continues as a trail on the ocean side to connect to public trails in Asilomar SB to the south. The trail is flat, and much of it is wheelchair accessible. The public restroom at the Crespi Pond parkiing lot is typically open from about 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.