For a Thanksgiving Week family gathering, we rented the delightful house at Acorn Ranch, across Hwy 1 from Point Lobos. I photographed birds at the ranch including a family of ACORN WOODPECKERS making use of an old and impressive granary tree; a flock of WILD TURKEYS; a covey of CALIFORNIA QUAIL; a family group of WESTERN BLUEBIRDS, featuring a particularly frisky female; and a small group of KILLDEER that foraged near the house from time to time. Individual birds photographed included a GREAT BLUE HERON that foraged in the pasture along with the horses, a RED-TAILED HAWK that regularly circled overhead, and a HERMIT THRUSH perched near the house. (The Ranch is private property, not open to the public; the birds should be typical of the coastal hillside habitat.)

We spent most of our time at the Ranch, but on a walk at Point Lobos I photographed a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER and a tangled triad of flying BROWN PELICANS; and at the Carmel River Lagoon an AMERICAN PIPIT putting on a preening show, a SAY'S PHOEBE, and a flying MEW GULL.