The lower reach of the San Lorenzo R in the city of Santa Cruz is by no means pristine habitat, but it offers a convenient place to watch gulls, ducks, herons, and shorebirds. Some adjacent areas reward searching, especially for migrant and wintering rarities.
Directions. Paved pathways run along levees on both sides of the river, and are accessible most easily from the crossings of Water St, Soquel Ave, Broadway, and Riverside Dr. When the river mouth is open to the sea, the river is tidal up to about Water St. Gulls and shorebirds frequent its sand bars during low tide. The river mouth area may be viewed from the railroad trestle bridge that crosses it near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk or from the coastal bluffs. To get to the trestle bridge, park at Hiawatha St near East Cliff Dr and find the path that descends to the tracks. To reach the bluff-top viewing area, follow East Cliff Dr to the coast, park where it turns east, and walk along the bluff to the west (toward the river). Back from the river mouth, Ocean View Park is a birdy patch at the south end of Ocean View Ave; a path also leads to it up a hill from East Cliff Dr just east of Jessie St. The adjacent “Branciforte Dip” is a small drainage at the south end of Branciforte Ave, reached as well by a path leading past the playground at Ocean View Park.
Birds. Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, and both scaup are regular in winter downstream from the Soquel Ave bridge. Common Mergansers frequent the lower river all year. A few geese turn up annually, with five species recorded. Various herons and egrets visit the river, especially between Soquel Ave and Water St, an area that also attracts swallows in spring and summer. The reach between Water St and Hwy 1 has become increasingly good for riparian birds and sparrows as vegetation has been permitted to develop along the river’s levees. Shorebirds present vary, but at yellowlegs, dowitchers, peeps, and Semipalmated Plover may be found in migration. Spotted Sandpiper and Black Turnstone favor the base of the bluffs near the railroad trestle. When the tide permits, gull flocks congregate just downstream from the Soquel Ave and Riverside Ave bridges and at the river mouth. Flocks of Bonaparte’s Gulls pause along the river in April and early May. During fall and winter a Peregrine Falcon often roosts in the eucalyptus trees near the railroad trestle at the river mouth, sharing them with Double-crested Cormorants and occasionally an Osprey. Double-crested cormorants nested in the grove in 2002. The bluff-top view of the river mouth and adjacent bay has produced Black Skimmer and is a very good place to watch terns and Sooty Shearwaters in season.
Branciforte Dip and Ocean View Park attract migrants and wintering birds, and each has had its share of rarities (a wintering Brambling in 1990-1991 was the most famous). Check the Dip’s trees all around the cul-de-sac at the south end of Branciforte Ave, and the creek side willows and alders along the path leading from the cul-de-sac toward the river. When they flower the eucalyptus trees at Ocean View Park may have wintering orioles, grosbeaks, and tanagers.
Other productive spots to check for migrants and winter rarities along the river itself include eucalyptus trees at the end of Felker St. (near Hwy 1) and the riparian woodland and pond at San Lorenzo Park, south of the large gray county government building. The park borders Dakota Ave on the east side of the river between Water St and Soquel Ave. The park’s pond sometimes has wintering geese, along with the usual Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye and Mew Gull.