1 - Mt. Baldy Road

Mt. Baldy road is our closest and easiest access to elevational habitats on the coastal side of our San Gabriel Mountain range and to the higher elevation birds of the Pomona Valley. (To observe the differences in flora and fauna on the inland or desert side of the range try the Grassy Hollow run.)

Please note:

2 - Frank G. Bonelli County Park

Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park is a large birding area of both wild and manicured habitat. We have our biggest species count here for the winter Christmas count due to the large deep lake, coastal chapparel, walnut and pine woodlands, grass and raparian areas.

Endangered species such as California Gnat Catcher, and subspecies of interest like coastal cactus wren make their homes here and offer reserchers an opportunity for better understanding of their needs.

This is a FEE area except on weekdays in the winter.

3 - Pomona Area

Pomona Cemetary (Towne and Philadelphia) - Wintering 01-02 in LA County is a Greater Peewee found by Dan Guthrie and now seen by alot of folks. He is very cooperative, often perching for long periods of time in open trees between Towne and the maine building. Seems to roost east of circle drive in northeast corner. Lovely old cemetary often has interesting birds.

Pomona County Courthouse - Peregrine Falcon have made their winter roost here from 1996 to present. Usually the male can be found in the morning hours perched high on the ledges of the west side eating a pigeon. He is often joined by a female and an immature bird. Location: southwest of Mission Blvd. and Garey Ave. Parking is not easy. Be very straight forward and walk right up to the guard first and tell him what you are doing as security can sometimes touchy due to the trials in progress.

Ganesha Park (north of I-10 Fwy off White Ave.) - Townsend's Warbler, Western Bluebird, hundreds of Band-tailed Pigeon, Cooper's Hawk, etc. and often unusual migrants or wintering Yellowbellied Sapsucker (not seen 1999). Check trees around flood control channel, pool and very tall redwoods(?) by stage then walk length of park along freeway. Location: north of the 10 Frwy west side of White Ave. Best early am or weekday to avoid people and wedding parties. Park near pool. Take a buddy with you as homeless persons or drunks can be unsettling. The most eastern colony of Allen's hummingbirds in our area can be found west of the park just north of the 1-10 on the southern slopes of the Ganesha Hills amongst the flowering eucalyptus and honey suckle plantings. Val Vista Dr. and Entre Colinas seems center of territory in winter.

Cal Poly Campus - Thick-billed Kingbird (back, west side of campus by parking lots J or M in the tops of sycamore trees) for the last several years. Check fields for wintering geese, hawks, kites, kingbirds, etc.

 

4 - Chino Hills State Park

Click map for large printable version.

5 - Prado Dam Area (Prado Regional Park)

6 - Chino Dairy Preserve Route

In preserving the agricultural openspace (fields, dairy ponds and waterways) in the Chino dairy preserve, our wintering raptors, egrets and waterfowl are benefited as well as our getting-harder-to-find burrowing owls and shore birds. This winter route is a collection of small but sometimes rich and varied spots that require little or no walking.

 

7 - Claremont Colleges Area

Summer tananger (first year male) seems to be spending the 01-02 winter in the Oak Park Cemetary (about 1/4 north of I-10, east of Indian Hill Blvd. and off Mills Ave.)

Audubon Christmas Count 2001 special birds included Western Tananger (eucalyptus north of Harrison between Harvard and College) and Townsend's Warbler in pines on Dartmouth near Honnold Library (check the grassy areas around library for Chipping Sparrow).

The redwoods and oaks of the Pomona College Quad (between College and Big Bridges Auditorium) have warblers, robins, juncos, etc. with a Hawk and Merlin occasional fly thru.

The Liquid amber and pine trees of Dartmouth Ave., Foothill Blvd. and Harvey Mudd College often yeild wintering sapsuckers, siskins, goldfinch, nuthatches and the occasional crossbill. The oaks and telephone poles north of first street will often host a Lewis's Woodpecker, if there is one in the area.

The grassy areas of the Puppy Park and baseball fields of College Park (off College Ave. just south of First Street) are usually home to a tiny flock Chipping and Lark Sparrows in winter.

Parrots (present in Village area until mid 90's) have not been seen in resent years.

San Antonio Wash Settling Ponds - Located just west of Montclair Plaza is a series of four ponds. The lowest is just south of the I-10 freeway and can be accessed from Palos Verdes street off Mills Ave. The northern three ponds can be seen from San Jose, Moreno and Arrow Highway. In winter these ponds, if full, have a good variety of ducks. Hooded Mergansers, often present on the pond below I-10 most winters, have moved to ponds north of I-10 due to cleaning and reshaping of southern pond.

Gray Catbird --- See Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens.

8 - Rancho Santa Anna Botanic Gardens

Pomona Valley Audubon hosts a monthly two hour bird walk here in the Gardens the first Sunday of the month (except July & August) to see what is happening in the area. Field Trip schedule for time, etc.

Catbird was found by Dan Guthrie as he lead a group of kids on the November Sunday walk. It was cooperative and seems to be staying for the 2001-02 winter. It was found again for the Xmas count in the same place although it seems to range up to enterance gate and is very secretive now. often found with the Trashers. west side of main west walk along golf course fence and past interpretive center.

Audubon Christmas Census 1999-2000 special bird found in the Gardens was a Gray Flycatcher found in the back, east side. It over-wintered again in 2000-01. It (or a buddy) has been present in different back areas of the gardens in winter since 1998. Not found 01 winter.

Their Bookstore has interesting bird and plant related materials and gifts for the expert bird watecher to children. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden official webpage.

9 - Thompson Creek Train & Johnson's Pasture

This group of birding locales in the north of Claremont revolve around the waters of Thompson's Creek as they rise in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest, are caught by Thompson Creek Reservoir and are channaled (thankfully with walking trails and series of mini-parks) through Claremont. ...to Pomona where they lose all people and wildlife uses until briefly offering water in Ganesha Park where it becomes San Jose Creek. It's course then borders South Campus Dr. before parralleling the railroad tracks thru the length of City of Industry (parralleling the 60 Frwy) to join the San Gabriel River just above Whittier Narrows at the 605 and 60 Freeway interchange. Wouldn't it be nice if someday we could expand it's wildlife and recreational usages through out it's length?

Claremont Hills Wilderness Park - Gravel and dirt fire roads leading thru cool creek and steep brush hill terrain. Connecting trails to Thompson Creek Trail, Marshal Canyon County Park, Palmer Canyon, and Evey Canyon off the Mount Baldy Road. Beware the mountain bikers ---worse than the lions. Located at the top of Mills Ave. (from the 10 Frwy, exit north on Indian Hill Blvd. Go about 4 miles, turn east on Baseline for about 1/2 mile then north on Mills.)

Thompson Creek Trail - This mile long paved bike, horse and walking trail follows the concreted channel of Thompson's Creek. The water runoff draws birds from the east side residential development and the west side natural scrub hills. It is accessible from Mills Ave. just south of the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park, at the top of N. Foothill Blvd. and the La Puenta Sports Park, thru Higgenbotham Park (access to Sycamore Canyon Park) north of Baseline via Villa Maria Rd. and Mt. Carmel Dr.

Sycamore Canyon Park - This small unimproved canyon has an unmaintained foot path up the center along whatever water there might be. Reach it thru Higgenbotham Park (see above), across Thompson's Creek Trail and the foot bridge spanning the flood control channel.

 

10 - Marshall Canyon & San Dimas Waterways

The foothills of San Dimas, La Verne and Claremont offer Oak Woodland, Coastal Chapparel and Scrub, Raparian and Reservoir, and open Grassy habitates. Find wintering mountain and water species as well as migrants and resident specialties such as Hutton's Vireo, Rufus Crowned Sparrow, etc.

San Dimas Creek flood control pond. See from car overlook east side of San Dimas Canyon Road just north of Terrebonne and about a mile above Foothill Blvd.
Audubon Christmas census 1999/2000: Eurasian Wigeon

San Dimas Reservoir & Ranger Station. Nice drive up and good for diving ducks, Hutton's Vireo, etc. North off Foothill on San Dimas Canyon Road

Live Oak Reservoir & Park. Good for diving ducks, etc. Accessible from upper end of San Dimas Canyon Road via Golden Hills Road and Esperanza Drive or north from Baseline on Esperanza Drive. Check Wilderness Park and tiny Lowell Brandt Park on Esperanza between Las Brisa and Calle Aragon.

Marshall Canyon County Park. This large wild area park has several trails leading thru it and connecting to the other foothill wild areas of Claremont Hills Wilderness Park, the Angeles National Forest and the undeveloped private Johnson's Pasture and the very private Miller Ranch and develped Palmer Canyon. Accessible

11 - Dalton Canyon Waterways

Dusky Capped Flycatcher at Ole Hammer Park ( Live Oak Ave between Leodora and Cypress) near fenced play yard.

 

12 - Santa Fe Dam Regional Area

This recreational park area behind the Santa Fe dam (a fee area) has both a large developed lake and grass picnic areas with large trees and access to the seasonal shallow water, willow raparian habitate immediately behind the dam ---and access to the miles of biking trails either south along the flood conrol channels all the way to the Pacific Ocean at Huntington Beach or north along the water course and ground water recharge basins through chaparal and coastal sage habitats ...some quite undisturbed.

Audubon Christmas Count 1999-2000: Brown Crested Flycatcher near spillway /Peckham Rd. inside FEE Area.

Located in Irwindale, southeast of the 210 and 605 freeway junction, east of Pasadena. Exit off the 210 Freeway going south on Irwindale Ave, right on Arrow Hwy, right after railroad tracks at Azusa Canyon. From the 605 Freeway take the Live Oak exit east where it will merge with Arrow Hwy. Turn left into the gate at Azusa Canyon Road.

 

13 - Shabarum Regional Park & Vacinity

Get to know some of the South Hills and Chino Hills Corridor as it is protected in the extensive Schabarum Regional Park (at Azusa and Colima Road, just south of the 60 Frwy and the Puente Hills Mall) and the smaller Pathfinder Community Regional Park ( south of the 60 Frwy at Fullerton and Pathfinder) and Chino Hills Regional Park further east. Both of these City of Industry area parks offer developed and natural areas to explore and bird.

In Shabarum, spring and summer migrants and nesters abound in brush and trees along waterways while grassland birds find good habitate along trails up into the hills.

A. Hidden Valley

Marshes and ponds host both riparian species and a number of wintering waterfowl, including the beautiful wood duck which nests in the park. Go east on 6th St. from Hamner Ave. in Norco. Turn north on California St., which turns east at Arlington Ave. Park is a short distance ahead on the left.

 

B. Glen Hellen Regional Park

C. Grassy Hollow Visitor Center

Looking for a day outing? One of the easiest ways to see the elevational change in avian life from high desert habitats to top of the San Gabriel Mountains is the run up the back side of our mountains --- 15 Frwy to Highway 138 to the Angeles Crest Highway. The Visitor Center at Grassy Hollow, 6 miles above Wrightwood on Hyway 2 (over the ridge and snuggled on west face), offers a great high ridge stop with bird feeders and interpretive materials (PVAS members are helping develop list, ID charts and other) in a beautiful modern building.

Snow in the winter --- but pigmy nuthatch families, mountain chickadees, juncos, stellers jays, etc. even then. The Center and day-use camp grounds are open 10 am to 4 pm weekends during winter. Go to their Grassy Hollow webpage (PVAS is helping them get it up) for maps and more info.

D. Whittier Narrows