Guide to Birding
Soquel Demonstration State Forest
Download 309.84 Kb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- Directions.
- The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
Soquel Demonstration State ForestThe Soquel Demonstration State Forest (SDSF) covers 2,681 acres located in the upper watershed of Soquel Creek. The California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection manages it for forestry education and research and to demonstrate innovative forest management practices, such as watershed protection and restoration, and sustainable timber harvesting. The SDSF is very popular with mountain bikers and equestrians. For birders, the SDSF offers many miles of dirt roads and trails that lead to forest habitats and their birds; but it takes some hiking to reach the most interesting areas of the property, and so few birders have spent much time there. The SDSF habitats, common in the local mountains, strike many birders as less than thrilling. But in 2001 intensive surveys produced many rarities, including Least Flycatcher, Black-throated Green Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Northern Goshawk, and Calliope Hummingbird! The lesson: even forests offer excitement if we bird them patiently and diligently. Directions. Currently the only direct public access to the SDSF is from Highland Way, at the Forest’s east end. From Hwy 17 go east on Summit Rd, which after 4 miles becomes Highland Way at its junction with Old San Jose Rd. Continue on Highland Way for 5.5 miles as it descends to Soquel Creek (birding along Highland Way is described above). Now watch for the entrance on the right (south) near a small green SDSF sign, where a bridge crosses the creek. Park along Highland Way or, if the chain at the bridge is down, drive into a parking area. Alternatively, take Old San Jose Rd north from Soquel for 12 miles and turn right onto Highland Way, following it down to the SDSF entrance. Trails in the SDSF are well-signed. Birds. The Highland Way entry leads to the beginning of Hihn’s Mill Rd, which continues west across the SDSF for 5.7 miles though redwood and mixed evergreen forest, and eventually to deciduous riparian forest. Hihn’s Mill Rd can be quite birdy on a spring morning, except for areas heavy with tan-oak. Species typical of redwood and mixed forest predominate. Look for nesting Western Tanager, Cassin’s Vireo, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet, and Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned hawks. At 2.3 miles Sulphur Springs Trail goes uphill to the right, climbing for 1.5 mile to a major ridge. After some redwood forest, it passes through mixed evergreen forest that can be lively with breeding and wintering birds, and spring migrants. The very top of Sulphur Springs Rd, where it meets Ridge Trail, is an especially good birding site. Work along the Ridge Trail in either direction, alert, for example, for Pileated Woodpecker. Rare Purple Martins nest nearby and might be seen overhead anywhere along here (although views through the trees are limited). Go east on the Ridge Trail to connect to Aptos Creek Fire Road atop Santa Rosalia Mountain in the upper part of Forest of Nisene Marks SP (see next description). Hihn’s Mill Rd meets the West Branch of Soquel Creek about 4 miles from the parking area. The rest of the road is consistently interesting and pretty, has had a number of vagrants, and includes a small old-growth stand near Badger Springs Picnic Area. The road eventually crosses Soquel Creek at a very good birdy place. American Dipper and Common Merganser both nest in the area; a pair (or family) of dippers often dwells just downstream from the bridge. The riparian and adjacent forest hosts Swainson’s Thrush, Wilson’s Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, Song Sparrow, and Northern Pygmy-Owl. Nesting Red-breasted Sapsuckers recently colonized this area. The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park This immense, little-birded park includes 10,036 acres and encompasses nearly the entire watershed of Aptos Creek. A panhandle of parkland extends south along Aptos Creek nearly to the coast, but most of the park is steep, forested canyons and ridgelines reaching 2,529 feet in elevation. There are 42 miles of hiking trails, and so getting to know the whole park takes some effort, but one can visit interesting areas by car and with short to moderate hikes. This is a good place to find birds typical of redwood, mixed evergreen, and knobcone pine forests, as well as waves of spring migrants and some species restricted to the county’s higher elevations. There are picnic areas, a trail camp, and several sites of historical interest. The epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake can be visited via the Earthquake Trail. The park is very popular with mountain bikers. Directions. The main entrance is at the park’s south end near Aptos. From Hwy 1 at Aptos take State Park Dr and turn north (inland). Turn right on Soquel Dr, go 0.5 mile, and then turn left on Aptos Creek Rd. This road is marked at its start by the entrance to Aptos Creek County Park, described in this guide’s Mid-County Coast section. The road soon enters the state park and leads to an entrance kiosk; there is a day-use fee when the kiosk is staffed. Several easy trails including a loop to some old growth redwoods begin from a parking lot near the kiosk, or one can drive or walk in farther along Aptos Creek Rd to other trailheads. The Aptos Rancho Trail visits a variety of habitats in the lower park. For easier access to the north end of the park and its higher elevations on Santa Rosalia Mtn, use Eureka Canyon Rd. From Corralitos, go 8.8 mile up Eureka Canyon Rd to Buzzard Lagoon Rd on the left. Drive (if the road is dry) or walk up Buzzard Lagoon for 1.0 mile to its junction with Aptos Creek Fire Rd on the right. If you drove this far, park here and hike into the park along Aptos Creek Fire Rd. (See the account above for birding along Eureka Canyon Rd, and birding along Buzzard Lagoon Rd is described in a brief account below.) Birds. The park contains the gamut of forest species, including resident Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks, Western Screech-Owl, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Pileated, Hairy, and Acorn woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, Band-tailed Pigeon, Hutton’s Vireo, Winter Wren, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, and Purple Finch. The main entrance road can be very birdy early in the morning, especially where it runs near some adjacent grassland. In the nesting season watch for Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Wilson’s and Orange-crowned warblers, and Hermit and Swainson’s thrushes. Common Merganser nests along Aptos Creek. Varied Thrush can be numerous in the late fall and winter. Beyond the limit of public driving access, the road begins to climb up “The Incline” (an old railroad bed) toward the park’s higher parts. Hermit Warblers have recently been found nesting at the lower portion of The Incline. Birding the upper park is best from April to June, but can also be rewarding in winter. Late April to May sees numerous migrant warblers and other land birds, including flocks of Hermit and Townsend's warblers, and the rarer Nashville Warbler, as well as Western Tanager and Vaux's Swift. Pileated Woodpecker and Western Tanager nest in the redwood and mixed evergreen forest. Areas with canyon live oaks and Douglas-firs have nesting Olive-sided Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped (rare) and Black-throated Gray warblers, Cassin’s Vireo, and Western Tanager. Knobcone pine forest has nesting Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and resident Red-breasted Nuthatch. Watch for Purple Martin (rare) overhead from May to July. Download 309.84 Kb. Share with your friends:
|