Putah Creek Riparian Preserve is west of the main U.C. Davis campus. This vital remnant of riparian habitat has become a haven for warblers, flycatchers and other migrating passerines in the spring and fall. The reserve is maintained by the UC Davis Arboretum and utilized for teaching and research. Be sure to stay on the north side of the creek as the south side is privately owned. Parking and access to the trails and levee are open to the public from sunrise to sunset.

Birding the Site: Parking in the Pedrick Rd lot is a great place to start birding as the oaks often hold warblers, tanagers, and orioles in the spring. Check out the fields behind the parking area for Western Bluebirds (anything else?). Head down one of the trails from the parking lot and west along any of the narrow dirt trails that meander and crisscross the area. There are trails right next the creek and higher up. All of which are worth exploring. When you’re done head back to the parking area along the Levee, watching for Lewis’s Woodpeckers and Yellow-billed Magpies in the fields to your left.   

Directions: Take Highway 113 north from Interstate 80 (about 14.5 miles west of Sacramento). Exit Interstate 80 at Pedrick Rd (17.5 miles west of Sacramento), go north for 2.6 miles and turn left into gravel lot after crossing Putah Creek. Walk under the bridge and continue downstream where many migrants and rarities have been found. eBird Sightings

Additional information on the Putah Creek Riperian Reserve can be found at arboretum.ucdavis.edu/putah-creek. Here you’ll find maps, information on trailheads, and rules and regulations for visiting, and more.

Chris Conard