Birding Secrets: Where Can You Find Birds in Spring?

Spring is finally here, and if you like birds, it’s time to get excited.

The soft-spoken American poet Emily Dickinson wrote that “March is the Month of Expectation.” She was a meticulous bird watcher, often adding backyard birds to her poems.

As the days continue to get longer, there will be more time to enjoy blooming wildflowers, burbling creeks, and singing birds.

But what birds can you expect for springtime?

Well, wintering birds, like the white-crowned and golden-crowned sparrow, are leaving to head to their spring breeding grounds. Soon, we’ll see spring migrants coming in.

Different birds are on different migration paths. Some will come up from as far as South or Central America and nest here. And some birds live on and around Mount Diablo year-round.

Regardless, Mount Diablo and its foothills are home to a variety of habitats, such as grasslands, chaparral, oak woodlands, and riparian areas.

By moving from one environment to the next, you’ll be sure to find different birds. We’ll share with you where you can find these habitats and what birds you can find there.

Chaparral

chaparral at black diamond

Mount Diablo is well known for its chaparral birds. A chaparral environment features rocky soil and thick shrubs that are difficult to move through.

Mount Diablo provides relatively easy trail access for you to catch a glimpse of the secret life of chaparral birds.

On Mount Diablo, you can find these habitats at Wall Ridge, Knobcone Point, Pines Picnic Area, Pioneer Horse Camp, Muir Picnic Area, and White Canyon.

Many bird species live in this environment year-round, like California and spotted towhees, California thrasher, and elusive Bell’s sparrow.

Many birds, however, are beginning to migrate to or through chaparral environments. Below is a list of some of the spring migrants that visit chaparral:

Calliope hummingbird (rare, but they have been seen in White Canyon and Back Canyon)
Rufous hummingbird
Lawrence’s goldfinch

Here are some more birds you can find year-round:

California quail
Anna’s hummingbird
Western scrub-jay
Wrentit

Grasslands

Grasslands at lime ridge

In the Mount Diablo area, good places to find grasslands are Round Valley, Morgan Territory, and Lime Ridge. Here are some birds you might see there:

American kestrel
Cliff swallow
Cooper’s hawk
Western meadowlark
Golden eagle
Horned lark
House finch
Lark sparrow
Savannah sparrow (will probably be gone by mid-May)
Wild turkey

Oak Woodlands

oak woodlands at black diamond mines

Oak woodlands are some of the most biodiverse ecosystems in California, supporting an amazing array of life. Mount Diablo has both oak woodlands and oak savannas; savannas have less canopy cover and are more open than woodlands.

You can find oak woodlands at Perkins Canyon, Shell Ridge, and Donner Canyon. Here are some birds you might see there:

Acorn woodpecker
Ash-throated flycatcher
Bushtit
California scrub-jay
Cedar waxwing
Downy woodpecker
Great horned owl
Nuttall’s woodpecker
Oak titmouse
White-throated swift

Riparian

riparian habitat at march creek 8

Riparian habitats are found alongside the banks of rivers, streams, or other moving bodies of water. Creeks and streams can be found all over Mount Diablo, as well as ponds where you can find water birds.

You may want to visit Pine Pond in Pine Canyon, although crossing the creeks to get there can be difficult.

There is also a pond between Mitchell Canyon and Donner Canyon, but you can also hike alongside the creek up Mitchell Canyon. Here are some birds you might see in riparian areas: