Registration is required for this trip and will be limited to 8 participants. Please email Jason to register.

Field Trip Leader: Jason Talbott

We will follow the El Dorado Trail along Deer Creek, a dense riparian corridor which gradually blends into oak savannah. The varied terrain and habitat types can host a high diversity of birds, and is especially good for attracting early migrants and occasional vagrant species. Along the rocky hillsides skirting the railroad tracks, we will look for resident species such as Rufous-crowned Sparrow (abundant at this site), Wrentit, Rock Wren and California Thrasher. The grassland portions provide excellent opportunities for the last wintering raptors, like Ferruginous Hawk and Prairie Falcon, as well as new arrivals like Swainson’s Hawk. Other grassland species, like Western Meadowlark, Say’s Phoebe and Savannah Sparrow, can also be seen well along fence lines here. Other possible species include Lewis’s Woodpecker, Lark Sparrow, Hutton’s Vireo, and Lawrence’s Goldfinch.

This is a mostly flat, 3-mile roundtrip walk along railroad tracks with some mud and loose gravel. Be prepared for exposure to sun, mosquitoes, and even a rattlesnake or two.

From the Latrobe Road exit on Highway 50 in El Dorado Hills, travel south for 5.2 miles to a pullout on the right side of the road. The pullout is located between Cothrin Ranch Road and Latrobe Creek Road, about ¼ mile after crossing Deer Creek. Coordinates for the pullout are: 38°35'51.1"N 121°01'10.4"W

Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Image by Daniel Lee Brown