Seeing Nature's Best at the Abbotts Lagoon Hike

Abbotts Lagoon

Date: August 31, 2025

Place: Point Reyes National Seashore, California

Coordinates: 38.124327, -122.935798

Length: 3.4 miles

Level: easy

 

Pappa Quail did his homework, so on the second day of our Labor Day weekend getaway at Point Reyes we drove straight to the Abbotts Lagoon trailhead. There, Pappa Quail's sources said, was the best place to go birding in Point Reyes. Indeed, as soon as we got out of the car Pappa Quail spotted a magnificent male harrier patrolling the area for something to catch. 

Northern Harrier, male

 

Point Reyes, Pappa Quail informed me, was the California place where the highest number of bird species was ever recorded. Being right on the Pacific Flyby, that isn't surprising. We were there a bit too early for the fall migration, but we kept our hopes high and set out on the trail. 

Our hike as captured by my GPS

 

 There were only a few other cars in the parking lot and the trail looked deserted. It was a bright morning with only a few wisps of clouds in the blue sky. Far ahead I could make the dark blue line of the Pacific Ocean. 

Abbotts Lagoon Trail

At the end of summer when the hills and the plains are covered with dry grass it is easy to tell where water runs still or where it has lingered the longest. After a short walk we came by a dried up pond. The flanking cattails were green still but the duckweed that covered the bottom of the pond was dried red. 

The nearby plants were living still on the now gone water. The annuals were at their seed setting stages but some of them were blooming still. 

Seep Monkeyflower, Erythranthe gutatta

The common yarrow, a hardy species that it is, was blooming still too, but many of the the individual yarrow plants have succumbed to the thirst and withered without setting their seeds. 

Common Yarrow, Achillea millefolium

The California poppies were doing better than the yarrow and the monkeyflowers. There were quite a few poppies blooming along the trail at the time and they seemed to be thriving. 

California Poppy, Wschscholzia californica

Unperturbed by the end of summer dryness were the coyote brush bushes. They were as green as ever, their roots deep in the soil where moisture still retained. Sparrows and other little bush birds were very active in side and on top of these bushes. 

White-crowned Sparrow

A blue spot flashed before our eyes and landed on a bush south of the trail. It was a solitary California scrub jay. 

 Western Scrub Jay

The trail extended west and for a while we walked on it without stopping. To the south was a cattle fence, a few yards away from the trail, but we saw no cows nearby. 

Abbotts Lagoon Trail

The fence posts were the perfect perching places for the watchful California quail males. There were a few of them standing distant from one another on the fence posts, no doubt guarding their coveys in the vegetation below. 

California Quail, male

On another fence post was a northern flicker. At first it was busy plucking insects from the wood of the post itself but then it went up and stood atop the post for a little bit before flying away. 

Northern Flicker

The trail curved We reached the east end of the Abbotts Lagoon and the trail curved to bypass it from the south.  

Abbotts Lagoon

From the point where the trail curved there was also a nice view of the middle, larger part of the lagoon. Behind the water the sand dunes were visible. An information sign by the trail informed us about the ecological importance of coastal dunes and about the recent efforts to restore the native state of those dunes. 

Abbotts Lagoon

More to the south and closer to where we were was a thicket of tall, green bushes, indicating a the presence of fresh water. The trail continued on an elevated boardwalk to protect the vegetation and the wildlife in it. 

The area between the trail boardwalk and the mass of dark green bushes was filled with fresh water marsh vegetation that was so dense that we couldn't see its bottom. Many if the marsh plants were blooming still.

 

The dominant bloom colors in that marsh area were purple and yellow. The purple flowers were of the towering coastal hedge nettle plants - relatives of the sage. 

Coastal Hedge Nettle, Stachys chamissonis

There were several species of yellow flowers blooming in that area but the most dominant yellow was the West Coast Canada Goldenrod, which lit the entire marsh with its tall, candle-like blossoms. 

West Coast Canada Goldenrod, Solidago elongata

 Smaller, and mush less conspicuous, were the wing-leaved monkeyflower. I believe that this was the first time I've seen this monkeyflower species in bloom. 

Wing-leaf Monkeyflower, Erythranthe ptilota

 There were also plants that looked like the edge nettle but bloomed with tiny white flowers. They were wild mint - a plant I was surprised to find out that it was a native species. It was of course, of the same family as the large and purple-flowered hedge nettle. 

Wild Mint, Mentha canadensis

 

Beyond the wetland area rose the coastal hills, covered with dry, light brown grass with only an occasional grayish-green bush. 

The next four photos are quite graphic - they show vivid images of a snake eating a mouse. Anyone reading this who does not with to see these images can scroll down quickly. 

At one spot we heard some chirping in the bushes and stopped to search for the bird. All of a sudden I heard a squeaky scream right below me and when I looked down I saw a snake that had just caught a mouse. The snake was so well camouflaged that I wouldn't have noticed it was there if not for the poor mouse's scream. 

Good Catch! Western Terrestrial Garter Snake

I took some quick shots and backed off, giving the snake some distance to eat. Pappa Quail did a much better job photographing the snake from a distance with his powerful birding lens. I expected to see the snake constrict the mouse bit it didn't - it started eating right away without bothering to first kill his pray. It was also interesting that the snake was eating the mouse from its back side rather than head first. Perhaps it was aware that it was being watched and wanted to finish his meal as soon as possible. 

Starting the meal from behind. Western Terrestrial Garter Snake

I thought that it probably would be better for the snake if we moved on and left it to finish eating in privacy. By the time we passed the marsh boardwalk and got once again on the dirt path however, the trail was no longer ours alone - other hikers were returning from the beach and more hikers were coming up from behind us. The snake was so close to the trail that I feared that someone might step on it. So we stayed in the area and directed all the hikers who came by to go around. 

The face of anguish death. Western Terrestrial Garter Snake

Some of the hikers were fascinated and lingered for a bit to watch the snake from a safe distance. Others were anxious to move on as quickly as possible. The garter snake is, of course, completely harmless to humans. 

A Mouthful. Western Terrestrial Garter Snake

We lingered there until the snake completed swallowing the mouse and slithered away into the dry grass before moving on. I thought of the harrier that we saw earlier and I wondered if the next episode of Nature would have the raptor catch the snake and turn it into a meal. 

Going away with a full belly. Western Terrestrial Garter Snake

We moved on, still excited about the unique sighting we just had. Soon the Abbotts Lagoon was right by the trail. We looked at the water but saw no waterfowl swimming there. 

Abbotts Lagoon

Other bushes separated the trail from the water. Some of them, like the California goldenbush were in bloom. 

California Goldenbush, Ericameria ericoides 

We turned the curve and Pappa Quail then noticed a bird in the lagoon - it was a solitary cormorant, and it was drying its wings while perching on a pole that sticking out of the water.

Double-crested Cormorant

The soil underfoot turned to dune sand. The sand was soft but it was distant enough from the shore that it was also mixed with little gravel stones. The sand wasps didn't mind that - a bunch of them were hovering over the sand, and some of them were busy digging in it. 

American Sand Wasp

A few Pacific asters were blooming along the dry part of the trail, as if hanging on to summer before yielding to the incoming fall. 

Pacific Aster, Symphyotrichum chilense

The lagoon narrowed and on the other side loomed beautiful coastal sand dunes. Unlike the dunes at the Limanture Spit, these dunes were clean of European beachgrass. The dunes restoration project also meant clearing that particular invasive species, restoring also the mobility of the sand. 

Abbotts Lagoon

Pappa Quail pointed at a place on the other shore of the lagoon. A solitary deer as walking there, nibbling on the local bushes. The deer was very much aware of our presence there and edged away slowly, eventually crossing the narrow part of the lagoon and trotting away. 

The lagoon is split to two parts, connected by a narrow canal, and a small foot bridge traversed the canal. One of the returning hikers we've met earlier on the trail had told us that he'd seen a family of river otters frolicking in the narrow area of the lagoon. 

Abbotts Lagoon, west

 

When we arrived there however, the otters were nowhere to be seen. We did see however, a solitary great blue heron standing on a flat rock west of the bridge.  

Great Blue Heron

A bit further away to the west was another flat peninsula. Two egrets were standing on that small peninsula - a great egret stood motionless about a yard away from the water, and a smaller, snowy egret that was actively foraging right at the water line. 

Great Egret (on top) and Snowy Egret (below)

We didn't see any other birds in the water so we continued waling north of the lagoon towards the beach. There were quite a few coastal plants on the way, many of them were blooming. 

Yellow Bush Lupine, Lupinus arboreus

Dune plants are well adapted to the shifting sands. they are often sprawled and have an extensive system of long roots, allowing them to collect water from greater distances, and to hang on to a terrain which is constantly on the move. 

Beach Suncup, Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia

Closer to the brackish water of  Abbotts Lagoon were different plants - these didn't need adaptation to shifting sands but to higher levels of salinity. 

Springbank Clover, Trifolium wormskioldii

On its north shore the lagoon had a thick belt of spikerush which grew all the way to the water and partly in it. A narrow foot path cut through the spikerush and we had to watch our step because the path was flooded in places. 

Spikerush, Eleocharis sp.

We continued on the foot path towards the beach, following other beach goers who passed us from behind while we stopped to appreciate the wildlife. 

Abbotts Lagoon

At a place where the shoreline was clear of vegetation I stepped over to the water and looked inside. The water was crystal clear. A thicket of aquatic grass was swaying gently in the water, and little fish were swimming in and out of the grass shelter. 

Above us small groups of pacific brown pelicans were floating in the air, moving north. Pappa Quail took some photos of these impressive coastal birds. 

Pacific Brown Pelicans

I marveled at the absence of the European beachgrass. It was tempting to take of my shoes and walk barefoot in the sand but the sand was rougher here, mixed with many broken shells and little stones. Besides, I didn't feel like carrying my shoes in my hands. 

The absent beachgrass meant room for other, California native plant species. The alkali heliotrope dominated the sand and it was in full bloom. 

Alkali Heliotrope, Heliotropium curassavicum

The plant closest to the beach strand was the silver ambrosia, and many of them were partially covered in sand. 

Silver Beachweed, Ambrosia chamissonis

We reached the beach and looked around. There were other people there, but the beach wasn't crowded at all. A structure erected out of driftwood attracted some of the younger visitors. 

The beach, view north

The beach seemed even less crowded because the visitors were dispersed along a great distance. What seemed to be lacking on that beach were the birds. 

The beach, view south

 

 

 

 

 

 

That wasn't entirely true - a handful of gulls were present on the beach, but we saw no other birds there besides the gulls and an occasional pelican, which was somewhat disappointing. 

Western Gull

Then we saw the birders. A small group of people standing together, carrying large cameras and binoculars. A couple of them had birding telescopes set up, and all were looking at some spot on the sand. 

Birders

Wherever there is a group of birders there must be birds. We approached the birders carefully, as to not to disturb what they were looking at. Their interest turned to be a small group of well camouflaged least sandpipers in the sand. 

Least Sandpiper

The birders, who came all the way from Sacramento, told us that there were snowy plover chicks still, but the area where they were was blocked off - with good reason, so to not disturb them. After some friendly chatting with the Sacramento birders I got bored and started drifting back to the lagoon shore, where I attempted to photograph the little fish in the water. 

Fish

After a while Pappa Quail joined me and we started heading back east along the shore of the lagoon. A tern flew above us and Pappa Quail followed it with his camera.  

Caspian Tern

Far away on the opposite shore of the lagoon there was a group of terns resting on a flat spit of sand. The leader of the Sacramento birders group who came up behind us informed us that earlier they have seen an arctic tern there. We searched the tern group carefully but didn't see it ourselves. 

Caspian Terns

At the end of the sand spit were three common mergansers. More mergansers were present further along the opposite shore but they were way to far to photograph. 

Common Mergansers

We resumed walking along the shore of the lagoon. In the shallow water was a large great blue heron, standing in ambush. 

We reached the vegetation line. The plant nearest the water in that area was a succulent March Jaumea. It reminded me of the highly invasive ice plant, but this one is a native California species.  

March Jaumea, Jaumea carnosa

A dried up carcass of a pelican rested on the mat of March Jaumea. We remembered that the hikers that we encountered earlier told us that yesterday they saw a coyote eating a pelican by the lagoon - perhaps we were seeing the remains of that meal. 

Abbott Lagoon

A shorebird flew by and landed in the shallow water a bit ahead of us. It was a greater yellowlegs, a very common shorebird. 

Greater Yellowlegs

Other beach plants were blooming near the lagoon. Among them were the brass buttons flowers, which I recognized seeing at the Año Nuevo State Park last year. 

Brass Buttons, Cotula coronopifolia

The American sand wasps were present there too, but there were also other sand insects that caught my attention - the western tiger beetles. 

Western Tiger Beetle

As we approached the narrow connection of the west and east parts of the lagoon I had the chance to take better photos of the plants I already knew were blooming there, like the Oregon gumplant. 

Oregon Gumplant, Grindelia stricta

The plant that I really wanted to get a good photo of however, was the yellow sand verbena. Only one of these plants that I saw there was blooming, and it was a bit off the trail. On our way back I walked carefully closer so I could have a better view of this beauty. 

Yellow Sand Verbena, Abronia latifolia

We stopped on the bridge again and looked at the water. The river otters were still a no show. Where previously stood a great egret at the narrow canal, now stood a juvenile great blue heron. 

Great Blue Heron, juvenile

My attention turned to a nearby coyote brush. Coyote brush is a chaparral bush, very common along the California coast. What I love about this plant is that when it sets its seeds it looks white and fluffy, like a little cloud that descended from heaven. 

Coyote Brush, Baccharis pilularis

I saw some beach strawberry plants in the sand. It was way to late in the season to see them blooming, or to enjoy any fruit, 

Beach Strawberry, Fragaria chilensis

Another scan of the east part of Abbotts Lagoon revealed no waterfowl still, so we slowly resumed our walk back down the trail. 

There were no waterfowl in the water but on the sand, right by the water was a solitary great egret. The calm water showed an upside-down egret below it.  

We passed by where we saw the garter snake feeding on the mouse on our way out. There was no evidence now of the minor drama that we witnessed there earlier. Now, however, we did see cattle behind the fence, where there were none earlier.

Cattle

Tall cowparsnip plants grew between the trail and the cattle fence. Most of them were already in seed-setting stage, but some were blooming still, their large white umbels towering above the other plants. 

Common Cowparsnip, Heracleum maximum

The already dry seeds of the cowparsnip were duly being picked off by little sparrows that hopped industriously from one plant to another. 

White-crowned Sparrow

While we were leaving the Abbotts Lagoon trail, other people were pouring in, heading out to the beach. Most of them carried their needs in their hands or their backpack. One man was pulling a small cart with stuff, and on top of the cargo rested a young girl who was deeply engrossed in a book she was holding. Ah, the life! 

Pappa Quail how was slightly ahead of me stopped suddenly - he had heard the call of a wrentit. I caught up with him as he was scanning the bushes, and I brought my binoculars up to help him search for the elusive bird. 

Finding a small brown bird in these bushes isn't easy!

Finding a small brown bird in the thicket isn't easy!The first small brown bird that Pappa Quail saw was a Bewick's wren. The Merlin App that he had open however, insisted that there were wrentits about. 

Bewick's Wren

I detected other small brown birds in the bushes ahead of me and called Pappa Quail over. He followed them with his camera as they hopped from one bush to another and managed with some patience to capture a few images - they were indeed the wrentits that he was looking for. 

Wrentit

The male California quail were still at their posts, watching over their coveys below. Perhaps they weren't the same individuals that we saw earlier - the birds in one covey do take turns and share responsibilities. 

California Quail, male

At the end of the trail the parking lot was already full. The park rangers erected a pop up tent with an information table with books, photos, and other interpretive material. We chatted with them a little bit, then went to our car. The hour was just past noon and we were looking for a picnic place on our way to the next trailhead.