Monterey County's top dozen birding sites are:

1. Monterey Bay pelagic trip [includes Monterey harbor — worth a visit without a boat]
2. Elkhorn Slough & Moss Landing area [Jetty Road, Elkhorn Slough NERR, Moonglow Dairy +]
3. Pt. Pinos & vicinty [includes sea-watching; Crespi Pond; Esplanade Park neighborhoods]
4. Big Sur River mouth [in Andrew Molera SP, also nearby is Pt. Sur, views over El Sur Ranch]
5. Carmel River mouth [mostly within Carmel River SB, including Carmel Lagoon]
6. Salinas River mouth [Salinas River NWR & locales (some permit-access-only) within Salinas River—Lower IBA]
7. Tassajara Road from Carmel Valley to Chews Ridge [dirt road from oak savanna to pine forest]
8. Nacimiento-Fergusson Road [paved road Ft. Hunter-Liggett to coast, with dirt spur to Cone Peak]
9. Laguna Grande Park [and nearby Roberts Lake; both in City of Seaside]
10. Fort Ord National Monument [and neaby Fort Ord SB; Fort Ord NM established in 2012]
11. Fremont Peak State Park [half of State Park is within San Benito Co., so check map for county lines]
12. Jacks Peak Regional Park

Individual pages on these sites are found by clicking on the links above, or the photo of a site below. The red arrows radiate from the localities on a Monterey County map [or a Monterey Peninsula map, inset].