jccash Loc: Longwood, Florida

I am flying to John Wayne airport this coming Sunday and will be at a convention in Anaheim all week. I will have a free day Saturday 12th and maybe Friday 11th. I'm bringing my camera gear (d500 200-500 lens) and wondering where to go for wildlife photography. I don't mind driving a couple hours away. Any suggestions?

rcdovala

You could drive to Dana Point and take a whale watching excursion.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

At this time of year? I'd stay close to the beaches least you burn up or melt. Try getting to places early before the crowds show up and the animals hide or leave. Dana Point: Boats, Sea Birds, Tide Pools, Cliffs; The Wedge: Sea Birds, Sand, Rocks, Surfing, occasionally big waves; Bolsa Chica Wetlands: Plants, Birds; Newport Back Bay: Plants, Flowers, Water, Insects, Birds.

There is a lot of wildlife in the San Gabriel, San Bernardino, Santa Monica, and Santa Ana Mountains: Deer (two common species), Mountain Lion*, Black Bear*, Coyote (at dusk or dawn), Birds, Squirrels, Fox, Snakes, Lizards. The problem is finding a quiet place without a lot of people where you can wait and photograph animals in the wild. Same here, arrive early. The Mojave and Colorado Deserts are really hot at this time of year, but there can be places with plentiful wildlife. But for July-September I'd stick to visiting the Ocean and Mountains. I really can't give you a precise good location for the mountains as most popular accessible areas are too busy with people visiting at most times for wildlife photography. I actually see more urban wildlife around homes. I know a few places in the San Gabriel Foothills right in people's yards where you might easily find Deer. Say the streets North of Myrtle Ave. in Monrovia, and around the North end of Santa Anita in the foothills of Arcadia. Black Bears show up from time to time too. I can think of more places to find flowers to photograph including many parks or botanical gardens since I like photographing flowers close-up.

* If you actually were to find Mountain Lion or Black Bear you probably would not really want to hang around to photograph them as they can kill you in about an instant!

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

That is a good idea!

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Contact these folks, they are the experts. Your welcome. https://www.google.com/search?q=california%20wildlife%20locations&oq=california+wildlife+locations+&gs_l=psy-ab.3..35i39k1j0i13i30k1l2j0i13i5i30k1.20898.25755.0.32912.8.8.0.0.0.0.92.693.8.8.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.8.689...0i8i13i10i30k1.u_GakvI7DyI&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=36192187,-119723815,306995&tbm=lcl&rldimm=6148928134606324497&ved=0ahUKEwiw8q3Kp73VAhWJyyYKHWW9BGcQvS4IUDAA&rldoc=1&tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:2

jccash Loc: Longwood, Florida

Thank you

JeffDavidson Loc: Originally Detroit Now Los Angeles

Bolsa Chica in Huntington Beach. Great bird sanctuary.

racerrich3 Loc: Los Angeles, Ca.

San Diego safari park