I think of the Whimbril Numenius phaeopus as a Long-billed Curlew but with a shorter bill. It has a brown crown and a prominent white stripe over the eye. As with the Long-billed Curlew, these photographs were taken at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Huntington Beach, CA.
The last picture 0581 was taken from a cliff overlooking an isolated beach in front of the Montage Hotel, Laguna Beach, CA.