Terrace Point, adjacent to Natural Bridges and Antonelli Pond, is home to the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, U.C. Santa Cruz’s Long Marine Laboratories, and other research facilities. To the birder it offers extensive shrubby fields, access to productive rocky shore birding and coastal scoping, and a spectacular view of Monterey Bay. Younger Lagoon is a protected natural area with a convenient overlook from which to survey the brackish lagoon and its surrounding marshes and coastal scrub.
Directions. From Mission St (Hwy 1), take Swift St south (seaward) to Delaware Ave. Turn west (right) on Delaware and continue to its end, where it joins Shaffer Rd on the right, just past Antonelli Pond. You may park here and walk west past the gate, or drive in if the gate is open (normally 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 12 noon to 5 p.m. Sunday). The paved driveway crosses a large field, then turns left and continues to the various research facilities. There is public parking at Seymour Discovery Center on the left at the end of the road (no fee in 2004, but this may change). Younger Lagoon is beside the Long Marine Lab complex, out of view to the right behind a low berm.
Birds. Terrace Point’s fields are best birded on foot. Walk along the paved driveway or along the trail that skirts the field’s east edge from the gate at Delaware Ave to the ocean. That path continues westward along the coastal bluff to Long Marine Lab. Watch for foraging raptors. White-tailed Kite, Northern Harrier, Merlin, and Peregrine Falcon are all regular here. Ferruginous Hawk, and Short-eared and Burrowing owls appear occasionally. Wintering passerines include a variety of sparrows and other seed-eaters, as well as Western Meadowlark, various blackbirds, and Say’s Phoebe. Palm Warbler visits in the fall and winter. This is a promising spot to find a Western Kingbird in migration. In the breeding season various swallows and Black (rare), Vaux’s, White-throated swifts forage over the fields. Near the buildings and on the berms beside Younger Lagoon, the weedy fields grade into coastal scrub, which is home to the locally resident nuttalli subspecies of the White-crowned Sparrow.
The coastal bluffs offer an excellent vantage point for viewing seabirds, including loons, grebes, Northern Fulmar, shearwaters, Brant, scoters, Red-breasted Merganser, alcids (including Marbled Murrelet and Pigeon Guillemot), gulls, terns, and jaegers. This has been one of the better spots in the county to spot shearwaters from shore during the fall, including Buller’s and Pink-footed, and there are a few recent records of Sabine’s Gull, too. Below the bluffs, the intertidal reefs have the usual rocky shore specialties.
Younger Lagoon can be scanned from an overlook at the Long Marine Lab. There is a padlocked gate in the chain link fence at the marine lab’s parking area. Contact a Club Officer for the combination, you will need to sign a waiver. The lab welcomes serious birders. This is a protected natural preserve and research area, so please close the gate and stay on the path. This area has had many rare birds, and the lagoon can produce some species of waterfowl and shorebirds that are otherwise hard to find in the immediate Santa Cruz area. Herons and egrets frequent its marshy borders. Diligently work the weedy areas and coastal scrub here during migration.
Rules for Younger Lagoon Access
The only place open for birding is the overlook area (where the bench is), and the path to it. Do not stray beyond this area.
Visitors should always sign in on the sign-in sheet located on the wooden stand just inside the gate. Among other reasons, this helps the staff defend the value of keeping the area a reserve.
Be sure to close any gates you open, and re-lock the lock when you unlock it.
Following these procedures will help maintain the integrity of the reserve area, and help preserve its value for wildlife.