San Joaquin and Solano Counties
This magnet for birds on the Solano-Yolo County line is formed by a small diversion dam on Putah Creek several miles east of Lake Berryessa and the Vaca Mountains, the eastern-most ridge of the North Coast Ranges. There are several productive areas to bird including the Lake Solano Park campground and day-use area on the west end and the wide, open water along Putah Creek Road at the eastern end of the Lake near the dam. Riparian habitat, adjacent farmland, open fields, and the lake and Putah Creek provide attractive habitat for a wide variety of bird species. For best birding, visit the area early in the morning; fall and winter are most productive, due to the arrival of winter visitors.
Swainson’s Hawk, Image by Daniel Lee Brown
Birding the site: On the drive to the Lake, check the orchards for mixed flocks gleaning remnants of the walnut harvest including large flocks of Wild Turkey. In spring and summer, along Covell Boulevard, look for Swainson's Hawks which often feed in the open fields as well as other birds of prey. Check American Robin flocks for a possible Varied Thrush.
As you approach the Lake, there is a small parking lot on the left at the dam, but as this lot is posted “No Parking,” continue a bit further west until you reach a larger parking lot at the base of a long line of cliffs on the left. Check the cliffs for Great Horned Owls roosting in some of the caves and the brushy cliff-sides for Wrentits, year-round, and Hermit Thrush in winter.
The lake provides habitat for numerous migrating wading birds and waterfowl. In winter, this is one of the best places for Hooded Mergansers and Osprey. Check the far shoreline for shorebirds, and the near shoreline for wrens, towhees and sparrows. Watch for river otters which are fairly common. Osprey and Phainopepla may be present in the trees across the river as well as Lewis’s Woodpeckers and an occasional Bald Eagle in winter. It is easy to spend an hour or more here depending on the bird population on the lake. A scope is very helpful.
Leave the parking area and drive west about one mile and turn right onto Pleasants Valley Road. Drive three-quarters of a mile to the park entrance. There is a parking lot on the right with a day use parking fee of $6 - $8, depending on the season. This is a good spot for lunch with picnic tables, restrooms, and big deciduous trees providing shade in the summer. If you missed the Hooded Mergansers at your first stop, they can often be found here with occasional large numbers of Goldeneyes and Buffleheads. This is also a nice spot for a short walk along the creek with good birding including a possible Red-breasted Sapsucker, Phainopeplas, and a Pileated Woodpecker. Check eBird Sightings for recent reports. The park is generally crowded late spring to early fall.
You can walk across the road to the campground, and a stroll through these sites may also be productive. Vegetation is denser, and warblers, vireos and other songbirds may be found here during migration. Brown Creepers are often found here in winter, and Hermit Thrush numbers can be astounding.
Directions: From Sacramento, take Interstate 80 west (about 14.5 miles west of Interstate 5) and go north on Highway 113. In 2.8 miles, exit at Covell Boulevard, turning left over the freeway. Continue west for 12 miles to Winters, crossing over the 505 freeway, where the road becomes Highway 128. Turn left onto Railroad Avenue, cross the bridge over Putah Creek and turn right onto Putah Creek Road. Continue west on Putah Creek Road, which roughly follows Putah Creek through farmland and orchards. It is 3.8 miles from the bridge to the large parking area at Lake Solano.
To reach Lake Solano Park, continue on Putah Creek Road to Pleasants Valley Road. Turn right and go 0.8 mile to the park entrance on your right. This is a fee area, and rangers are enthusiastic about giving tickets to those who do not pay. Also, do not park at the campground unless you are intending to camp, since the staff there is extremely vigilant.
For current hours and conditions at the Lake Solano Regional Park visit the Solano County website.
June C. Persson and Maureen Geiger