Several sites off East Cliff Dr in unincorporated Live Oak offer good shoreline birding and ocean viewing. Among the most interesting are Black Pt and Soquel Pt (known locally as Pleasure Pt). Corcoran Lagoon, at the mouth of Rodeo Gulch, attracts ducks, roosting terns and gulls, herons, and shorebirds. Conditions vary depending on water level, which may remain high for extended periods when beach sand blocks the lagoon’s outflow to the sea. Moran Lake, another small lagoon in the vicinity, is worth a look while birding the area.
Directions. To reach Black Pt, take 16th Ave south from East Cliff Dr and park along Geoffrey Dr. The path leading to the coast runs through an alleyway between 130 and 150 Geoffrey. View the point from the end of the alleyway, or, if the tide and surf permit, carefully climb down to the rocky shelf. Soquel Pt lies at the south end of Rockview Dr, off East Cliff Dr. You can also walk east for up to 0.5 mile along the bluff-top along East Cliff Dr from Rockview Dr. Another good place to view the rocky shore is at the south end of 18th Ave, off East Cliff Dr.
Corcoran Lagoon is south of Portola Dr, between Coastview Dr and 26th Ave. The tall radio towers are a landmark. The easiest access is off Coastview Dr, reached from either Portola Dr or East Cliff Dr. For the north side of the lagoon, park at the Live Oak Public Library, along Portola Dr. Moran Lake is along East Cliff Dr a few blocks east of Corcoran Lagoon. A path that goes upstream from the lagoon begins at a small parking lot (with restroom).
Birds. All the coastal sites have a full complement of rocky shorebirds, although Wandering Tattler is regular only in migration and Black Oystercatcher only in the fall and winter. A spotting scope helps in scanning for ocean species, including shearwaters (Sooty in summer, Black-vented in fall and winter, occasionally others), Marbled Murrelet (late summer to winter), Ancient Murrelet (winter), various terns and jaegers (especially August to October), and all three scoters. Watch for Common Tern in early fall and Red-necked Grebe in winter. Black Pt attracts roosting terns, cormorants, pelicans, shorebirds, and gulls. A blowhole at the edge of the rocky shelf there is an added attraction when the surf is right.
A variety of ducks and an occasional goose frequent Corcoran Lagoon from fall through early spring, although, as with Schwan Lake, winter waterfowl at Corcoran are not as numerous as they used to be. Mudflats and marshy areas around the lagoon have shorebirds in the fall; in fact this is often one of the better spots along the mid-county coast to find shorebirds that favor mud flats. Elegant Terns gather in large flocks in summer and a few Common Terns can be found in early fall. Various herons and egrets frequent this site year round. Moran Lake often has few waterbirds (but look for Spotted Sandpiper here). Its large groves of eucalyptus can be birdy during migration and may have winter rarities.