Capitola, California: It’s For The Birds…Hitchcock’s Birds
Capitola, California is located in Santa Cruz County on Monterey Bay. According to Capitola/Santa Cruz lore, in the early 1960s, a large group of normally passive birds began attacking Capitola residents and tourists.
Nearby Santa Cruz was a favorite vacation spot for a well-known movie director. He’d read about the bird attacks and decided to make a movie about it. The director’s name was Alfred Hitchcock. The movie…The Birds.
One of my favorite spots in the world…
Two of my Feng Shui mysteries were set in Capitola & Santa Cruz county. Loved living there! Thanks for the story.
Glynn, a few years after du Maurier’s tale was published, the real-life bird attacks occurred in California.
Here’s a Santa Cruz news article complete with a video of the birds.
http://www.santacruzpl.org/history/articles/183/
So Hitch got the story from Daphne du Maurier and changed the location from Cornwall to Capitola?
I enjoyed the articles and pics. I have been walking the streets of New York City trying to get inspiration for Novel 5. So far, all I’ve gotten is a cold.
I love Capitola! and Santa Cruz! Used to live there. Anyway, the photos you provided reminded me how much I miss it.