Our Lady of the Pillar Catholic Cemetery

Spring Summer Fall Winter

California Scrub-Jay visiting a grave, near east end of Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery, March 2011 (Jennifer Rycenga)

Description

Area Habitats
Cemetery, Riparian, Mixed Woodland, Agricultural

Print Page
without images

Please consult the San Mateo County Birding Guide's page on proper behavior for bird-watching in cemeteries, provided here (http://birding.sequoia-audubon.org/cemetery.html).

This small cemetery, maintained by the Catholic church in Half Moon Bay, has extensive riparian and scrub growth on either side of the raised central area where burials are located. While all etiquette rules that pertain to birding in cemeteries still apply here, much of the best birding in this cemetery tends to be away from where mourners are visiting graves.

Arroyo Leon Creek runs on the southwest side of the cemetery, joined at the entrance by a tributary that runs along the north side. This confluence produces a rich habitat for warblers, primarily over-wintering warblers rather than migrants (although the area is, frankly, under-birded in migration). Walk the wooded edges on either side of the cemetery. The easiest point of access is to park your car by the shed that is about half-way up the hill on the south side, and walk down from here.

The entire area has a fascinating mix of habitats. The fact that the cemetery itself is open and raised amidst all this riparian and mixed woodland means that it can be attractive to flycatchers, thrushes, and raptors. The wooded areas, featuring eucalyptus, conifers, and scrub, allow for a good mix of local birds; for instance, one should be able to detect Spotted Towhee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Steller's Jay and California Scrub-Jay on any visit. Below the cemetery, to the east, is a small farm that includes goats; this increases the chances of seeing or hearing raptors and blackbirds. Mourning Doves and Eurasian Collared-Doves co-exist in this spot (at least of this writing in 2011), as do Common Ravens and American Crows. Because it is a quiet and reverent place, the cemetery provides a good opportunity for birding alone and sharpening your identification skills for local birds.

Remember to review the San Mateo County Birding Guide's page on proper behavior for bird-watching in cemeteries, provided here (http://birding.sequoia-audubon.org/cemetery.html).

Look For These Birds

California Quail, Band-tailed Pigeon, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Allen's Hummingbird, Anna's Hummingbird, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, White-tailed Kite, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Great Horned Owl, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Merlin, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Pacific-sloped Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Black Phoebe, Steller's Jay, California Scrub-Jay, Common Raven, American Crow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Violet-green Swallow, Bushtit, Wrentit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Pygmy Nuthatch, House Wren, European Starling, California Thrasher, Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, House Sparrow, House Finch, Purple Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, California Towhee, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Wilson's Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Western Tanager (migration)

Rarities Seen Here

In this guide, "rarities" are defined as those species given an County Abundance Code of 4, 5, or 6.

Hermit Warbler (2005)

Directions

The cemetery is located off of Miramontes St. From the intersection of Main Street and Miramontes, go east on Miramontes. Cross Johnston and San Benito Streets. You then cross a narrow bridge over Arroyo Leon; the cemetery is just after that bridge, on your right. Parking spaces are few in the cemetery; do NOT park in the road. There is one parking spot near a shed on the right side as you ascend, and another at the top of the short loop road. Important note: make sure you are on Miramontes Street, and NOT Miramontes Road. Miramontes Road is south of Half Moon Bay, while Miramontes Street is in the town of Half Moon Bay proper.

Interactive Map

Fees

It is free to visit and walk around the cemetery.

Hours

9:00 am to sunset. It is strictly forbidden to be in the cemetery between sunset and 9:00 am, and violators will be prosecuted.

Hazards

The ground between the cemetery and the perimeter habitat is gopher-potted. Ticks are possible in season.

Facilities

There are no facilities at the cemetery. However, one is in easy walking distance from downtown Half Moon Bay for food and other supplies.

Accessibility

  Accessibility information is currently not available for this location.

Contact

Call 650-712-1679. If you see people trespassing or vandalizing the cemetery, call the San Mateo County Sheriff's office at 650-363-4911.

Links

• Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery is featured in a small article by Sunset magazine of interesting small cemeteries worth exploring in Northern California.
• Internment.net has a list of burials in the cemetery, as well as some pictures and descriptions of the locale.
• The "Find a Grave" Network has a site with some pictures and a smaller list of burial names.
• This cemetery is run by the San Francisco Archdiocese of the Catholic Church. Up-to-date contact information can be accessed here.

Avian Research Status

The site is a hotspot in eBird, under the name Our Lady of the Pillar RCC Cemetery. Currently data exists for nine of forty-eight time quadrants, representing fifty-three species. Let's fill this in: the hotspot is dying for more data.

Additional Photos

Downy Woodpecker, April 2018. Note the small bill, compressed neck, and dark lines across the white outer tail edgings. (Kent Forward)

Steller's Jay amidst eucalyptus, Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery, March 2011 (Jennifer Rycenga)

Flowering bushes form the boundary between the cemetery and the open areas to the side on the southern edge. Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery, March 2011 (Jennifer Rycenga)

Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery, looking south east up the hill, March 2011. (Jennifer Rycenga)

Entry sign for Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery, March 2011 (Jennifer Rycenga)

A California Towhee stops to contemplate the meaning of scratching out a living. Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery, March 2011 (Jennifer Rycenga)