From 1992 to 2010, the Ventana Wilderness Society operated the Big Sur Ornithology Lab (known as "BSOL") at Andrew Molera State Park. In the best of times, BSOL employees, volunteers, and interns operated a battery of mist-nets, checked at regular intervals, to band passerine birds. The Lab (right-hand building in photo above) as used for banding operations plus a library of references. The 18-years of banding provided a wealth of ecological data about bird populations; provided the opportunity for many volunteers to learn how to band small birds; and gave interns from across North America to learn banding and survey techniques. The mist-nets also captured a stunning variety of amazing vagrants, from eastern warblers to Empidonax flycatchers, and even two Old World Phylloscopus warblers (Arctic Warbler -- first for California, and Dusky Warbler).

Ventana Wilderness Society disbanded BSOL in 2010, but opened a "Discovery Center" (left-hand building in photo) for the public to learn about the Condor recovery program and other environmental issues. It, too, has not been operated much during and after the Covid pandemic. 

This Hotspot was created for BSOL data to be integrated into eBird, and includes only those data obtained from the mist-netting operations (20 net lanes along the Big Sur River near the Lab), and from birding the immediate vicinity of the Lab. Please do not use this Hotspot for birding outside the "traditional BSOL footprint," which includes the old net lanes, the areas around the buildings and the road eastwards to the old horse corral, and the orchard adjacent to the historic ranch house, close to BSOL area. Long-time volunteers still survey the areas around the BSOL lab building, and use this Hotspot for those surveys, but any birder that walks out to the coast, or the river mouth lagoon, or the campground or Cooper Cabin, should use the Hotspot "Andrew Molera State Park--Big Sur River mouth."

This inland spot, away from the coast but adjacent to the Big Sur River, still hosts breeding Purple Martin, has confirmed nesting Vaux's Swift, and is a good spot to look for American Dipper.  Again, if you do bird here, please be sure your checklist includes only birds around the historic BSOL site. This is considered a "sub-location" embedded within the usual "Big Sur River mouth" Hotspot.  Do not use this Hotspot to record birds from the coast.

In the spectacular Big Sur area, Andrew Molera State Park is relatively undeveloped and offers visitors great hiking and beachcombing as well as panoramic views of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, a federal marine protected area. Miles of trails wind through meadows, bluffs, beaches and hilltops. 

Andrew Molera State Park, 22 miles south of Carmel on Highway One, contains 4,766 acres, with miles of trails winding through meadows, beaches and hilltops and the Big Sur River running through the park. The park is a Watchable Wildlife site.

Also located within the park is the now-closed Ventana Wilderness Society’s Big Sur Ornithology Lab (BSOL). Visitors were able to visit the Lab and, during most of the year, observe the morning bird-banding and research activities. Much of the data from the 1990s and early 2000s was obtained by BSOL. BSOL was operated for 18 years, from 1992 to 2010.

When Frances Molera sold the family ranch that was to become the state park, it was with the condition that it be named after her brother Andrew. Visitors can see the former ranch complex. The Molera Interpretive Center, located in the old ranch house, provides a fascinating glimpse into the park’s rich natural and cultural history.