Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve: Amazing Coastal Birding
We live very close to Huntington Beach, but somehow never really noticed this beautiful open space, just across the PCH from the ocean. When I started birding, this was one of the places that I kept noticing in reading and conversations with other birders. I’m so happy that we found this beautiful and peaceful place, whether it’s for an early morning bird search, or for an evening stroll or trail run!
The Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is a coastal estuary that covers around 1,300 acres. It features many scenes and habitats for all kinds of wildlife, including open water, mudflats, salt marsh, coastal dunes, seabird nesting islands, riparian, and freshwater marsh. For birders, this is a dream come true, with more than 200 species that have been identified here!
The Reserve is located just off the PCH, with a nice wooden footbridge leading right out of the parking area. This bridge provides a fun walk over some water, which is frequently filled with stingrays and turtles and sea slugs and all kinds of soggy creatures. It’s often full of a variety of ducks, egrets, pelicans, and more, too!
Over the footbridge, there is a fenced in nesting area for the endangered Least Tern. If you visit at the right time of year, the area beyond the fence is a flutter of activity, with lots of terns nesting and feeding and making a ruckus. The trails from here are easy to follow and stretch for nearly 4 miles of connected trails.
The trail will eventually come to a wash (East Garden Grove-Wintersburg (EGGW) Flood Control Channel), and you can take a left or right to walk along the trail on either side. The trail along the wash will lead to a bridge over the wash. This is a nice spot to cross and turn back, with a walk on the opposite side of the wash. The ponds back around the bridge are another birding spot - typically there are pelicans and egrets, ducks, songbirds, and a couple of nosy Kingfishers flying around. In the world of birding, there are a couple of “Big Bird Days” each year. I came here for the October 2019 Big Day, and I was happy to find the birds cooperating. There were a huge number of Snowy Egrets, Brown Pelicans, Great Egrets, and Double-crested Cormorants. I stood by while at least three separate groups had feeding frenzies, and it was pretty amazing to see so many birds going bonkers for some little fishies.
When back at the other end of the wash, you can loop back to the footbridge, or continue on for more hiking. The trails leading north will wander around the marsh and water, and eventually lead to the other entrance, on Warner avenue. This entrance has a small parking lot, and usually a couple of port-a-potties. There is also a small office with some information and displays related to the Reserve. This is a good place to start, and do the whole trail system the other way, but you can choose, or pick based on available parking.
One of the “features” of BCER is the protected palm trees that Great Blue Herons use for nesting. This is a frenzy of nest building, with these big birds flying in and out of the core of the trees to make a home. Listen close and you’ll hear their dinosaur sounding squawks as they fly in and out. And look closely at the right time and you just might see a fuzzy baby Heron!
In spring of 2019, the trail from Warner to the ECGW was absolutely stunning, surrounded in Coastal Sunflowers and so many little wildflowers. On a breezy, sunny morning, this part of the trail was breathtaking.
The Reserve is a great spot for many, including walkers, joggers, birders, photographers, and nature lovers. It is important to note that this is an Estuary and an Ecological Reserve, and due to the sensitive nature of the wildlife here, dogs, drones, and bicycles are strictly prohibited at the reserve. Please, protect this area for its incredible value to the many critters, some very threatened or endangered, who call it home!
Here are some photos of some of the beautiful creatures we’ve seen at BCER!
The Reddish Egret is a fun visitor to the estuary, and he always puts on a show. This is one of the most fun birds I’ve watched yet… they dance and prance, strut and fluff their feathers, just to catch a fish. It’s fun to watch - here’s a video for you:
For more information, call the Bolsa Chica Interpretive Center at (714) 846-1114 or the South Coast Region San Diego office at (858) 467-4201.
Area History (from the Bolsa Chica Conservancy website)
The total area of this reserve has increased over time. In the 1970s, the State acquired 300 acres of the Bolsa Chica wetlands. The property was designated as an ecological reserve by the Fish and Game Commission in 1993. In 2005, funds from proposition 50 allowed for the purchase of 118 acres on the Bolsa Chica Mesa. Finally in late 2006, following a major restoration project that included the creation of a new marine basin, an additional 923 acres was added bringing the total acreage to approximately 1,341.
Natural beauty and a rich cultural history await discovery at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve (BCER). At 1,449 acres, the Bolsa Chica Wetlands is the largest saltwater marsh between Monterey Bay and the Tijuana River Estuary. Approximately 5 miles of trails can be explored from sunrise to sunset. Since Bolsa Chica is home to rattlesnakes, black widows, coyotes, and poison oak as well as many rare and endangered species, it is important that visitors stay on designated trails.
