This year-round pond in West Sacramento near the eastern edge of the Yolo Causeway was designed to hold storm water for flood control purposes. The pond usually carries deep water although filled only by rain events and nearby homeowner watering run off. There is no better place in California to see Blue-winged Teal.
Almost 200 species have been reported here including a male Garganey in the winter of 2019 which was seen by many birders. Look and listen for Green Herons, Common Yellowthroats, Marsh Wrens in the marshy edges, and Pied-billed Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants, and American White Pelicans working the pond. Forster’s Terns and several gull species can often be found overhead as well as White-tailed Kites and Red-tailed Hawks in the nearby uplands. Bald Eagles are seen in winter. A large central island serves a variety of resident species year-round with additional large numbers of waterfowl and shorebirds from fall to spring. Unusually large numbers of Blue-winged Teal show up each winter along with Gadwall and both Cinnamon and Green-winged Teal. There are also Black-necked Stilts and Avocets most of the year. Even during the hot summer, a surprising number of birds can be found here including resident Soras and Virginia Rails.
Blue-winged Teal, Image by Daniel Lee Brown
Birding the Site: From the Pender Island Street cul-de-sac, walk to the pond and scan the water and large island. Then head west through the gate and follow the trail around the west and north edges of the pond. It is also possible to explore the surrounding uplands and the Deep-Water Ship Channel via the levee separating West Sacramento from the Yolo Causeway. A scope is invaluable. eBird Sightings
Directions: From downtown Sacramento, take Hwy. 50 west, cross over the Sacramento River and take the Jefferson Boulevard exit. Turn left onto Jefferson and turn right on Lake Washington Boulevard. Follow Lake Washington Boulevard and then turn left onto Southport Parkway. At 2.8 miles, turn right on Oakland Bay Drive, make an immediate right onto Bowen Island Street, left on Solomon Island Road and right on Pender Island Street. Park at the end of the cul-de-sac.
Maureen Geiger