A lengthy sand spit curls westwards off Stinson Beach sheltering Bolinas Lagoon, the calm waters of which are as attractive to species of waterfowl and migratory birds as the beach is to human swimmers and surfers. Facing the lagoon beside Hwy-1, the Audubon Canyon Ranch (http://www.egret.org) research centre occupies a redwood-lined valley that provides a protected nesting place for egrets and great blue herons, among other species. During the mid-March to July nesting season, the ranch office dispenses free literature and is the start of a trail to an observation platform – from which the birds can be discreetly watched. 

Detour – Bolinas

Horseshoe Hill Road, off Hwy-1, follows the western side of Bolinas Lagoon, eventually reaching the tiny settlement of Bolinas. Afraid of being trampled beneath a tourist stampede, the writers, artists and craftspeople who live in Bolinas are known to tear down signs marking the route to their ramshackle – and very Californian – village. Bolinas is worth a quick look but the main reason for making the detour is to spend an hour or two at low tide observing the domestic arrangements of marine life in the pools of the Duxbury Reef Marine Reserve, a mile west.