Beauty and Bounty Bring Out Birds in Bunches at Sunol Regional Wilderness

Sycamore-lined Alameda Creek cuts beautiful riparian swath

Anytime is a great time to visit

Sunol Regional Wilderness!

Sunol ROCKS!

Surely one of my all-time favorite

 nature refuges in the Bay Area!

White-breasted Nuthatch working the stump

Three years have passed since my last visit, after averaging half a dozen visits yearly for 30 years. Just as well, because over these past years crews had been repairing Calaveras Dam resulting in park closures, a rebuilt bridge over Alameda Creek, and lots of serpentine and asbestos dust flying around from the demolition and reconstruction.

Volcanic plug dome heading up into Ohlone territory

Today, though, is postcard picturesque with perfect temperatures. Unlike back East where they've been in a month-long deep freeze. Ah, the price we pay to live in sunny, beautiful California!

Acorn Woodpecker taking a break from caching

I can't recall a single other Sunol outing where the idea of birding might take precedence over another agenda. Instead of the usual big miles we put in exploring the sprawling park, I would be content to just slowly stroll a mile or two up and down along Camp Ohlone Road, birding.

Yellow-rumped Warbler perching

Pretty Alameda Creek, flowing through a jumble of blue and green andesite boulders, is the largest watershed in the South San Francisco Bay, and a Neotropical bird hot spot where up to 40 species reside, half of which I may not have seen in my life, such as Western Wood-Pewee, Western Kingbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, Hutton's Vireo, and Bullock's Oriole.

Alameda Creek gushing through Little Yosemite Gorge after big rain

A recent study by EBRPD concluded that upwards of 60 variant species may be found in richer, higher elevation stretches of the creek where habitat is pristine and human activity limited. The study concludes that:

Squat and plump Steller's Jay

" . . . up to 95% of Western riparian vegetation communities

have been lost or degraded over the past century,

and many of the bird species associated with these systems

have been extirpated or have experienced severe declines."

Western Kingbird caught posing near Vernal, Utah

Not good. But thankfully, stewardship efforts are paying off big in countless urban back yards where riparian corridors have been disrupted, altered, compromised, or wiped out.

Western Bluebird

Today, ah, what a day of pure brilliance, of sheer unbridled joyful being, set loose in Diablo Range hill country for the 200th time . . . this time with birding heavily on my mind. But I hardly see any birds at all on Camp Ohlone Road out toward Little Yosemite Gorge.

Little Yosemite Gorge area

Just too many people out enjoying things, so the birds stay hidden or fly to higher ground. It's OK. The creek is running low anyway, and higher elevations beckon, where the birding is sure to be stellar. (Yes, saw several Steller's Jays!)

Supernal reflections along gentle stretch of Alameda Creek

Not far along, I recognize the fellow in a wheelchair strongly propelling himself up a gently sloping grade that tests my mettle pedaling up on my mountain bike. It's none other than Bob "4WheelBob" Coomber, out 'n about enjoying the immense beauty and fresh air of Sunol.

Me 'n 4WheelBob meet on Camp Ohlone Trail

I hop off my bike and say, "Hi Bob, it's Gambolin' Man!" Although we've met but once before on the trail, Bob immediately responds in kind; it feels like I've known Bob for years and been his best friend!

4WheelBob Coomber rolling along at Las Trampas in 2007 outing

4WheelBob is amazing in his abilities, inspiration and determination to enjoy the great outdoors. He hikes to places most able bodied people can only dream of, including Mission Peak and Mount Diablo (no easy feat by feet), and, more incredulously, a belabored 11-hour assault up the 14,246 summit of Inyo County's White Mountain, the third tallest in California (not an everyday summit to bag).

W Tree Rock Scramble cascades and falls

Rolling along, past Little Yosemite (barely worth a glance today), past the iconic Sycamore "W Tree" and the always fun Rock Scramble up a sharp defile of jumbled boulders, drop falls and pools, up beyond pretty rock strewn meadows and sylvan gardens to ascend a steep stretch for open views of the big Diablo Range.

Human's eye view of Townsend's Warbler striking nice pose 

Then up Backpacker Road to drop our bikes and cross over the fenced area into the ecologically sensitive Sunol Backpack Area – a long-time favorite place especially prized for remote views and rolling hill beauty.

Never ending beauty throughout the seasons at Sunol

Today, though, it looks like a bird's paradise. We hike up the steep path with a thick stand of gully brush to the left and wide open views of Sunol valley, eventually huffing and puffing our way to the top of the hill.

The gigantic knoll hosts five camps, all unoccupied. At Hawk's Nest, the views are all-encompassing and heady. We kick back in the presence of a totemic boulder and a rotted old tree trunk bullet hole riddled with old acorn caches.

Golden-crowned Sparrow lovely couple

We lounge around in a sunny patch of grass for a couple of hours, ticks be damned, enjoying the solitude, clean air, views and lively bird activity. Several different birds are busy working the branches and patrolling the ground – territorial Acorn Woodpeckers, a lone Western Bluebird, a pair of Yellow-rumped Warblers, and two or three White-breasted Nuthatches ground-foraging and feeding along branches.

White-breasted Nuthatch drilling into bark for insect tidbit

Watching the animated little avian hop along the ground is an unexpected sight. I almost don't recognize the bird because I've only observed White-breasted Nuthatches high in the trees.

3,000 ft. Ohlone Wilderness ridge

I expend my remaining energy reserves hiking up to Eagle's Eyrie, and then to Sky Camp, perched on the edge of a small tor with a stunning overlook of expansive green rolling hills. A Red-tailed Hawk circles above, joined by a mate and disappearing over a ridge. It's an amazing place up here.

Roosting Vulture surveying domain

Eventually, with the day waning, it's time to pick ourselves up and head back to the staging area, of course taking twice as long to return owing to stops here and there to investigate pretty areas of the floodplain and creek, and, as always, delayed endlessly by birds, birds and more birds.

The Word-Botcher takin' it all in

Check out several videos of Sunol & Alameda Creek

showcasing its splendor & beauty:

SURROUNDED BY BEAUTY AT SUNOL REGIONAL WILDERNESS

Sycamore
in golden stream

Read more about 4WheelBob & his hiking adventures in Bay Area parks:

HIKING WITH "4WHEELBOB" IN & AROUND

THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT

Hooded Oriole
spotted in San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico

Read Gambolin' Man's write-ups about one of his all-time favorites,

Sunol Regional Wilderness:

RAMBLIN' 'N GAMBOLIN' AT SUNOL (2006)

SUNOL'S ALLURING SIREN CALL (2007)

Little Yosemite Gorge on Alameda Creek