Overview
Tilden Regional Park, east of Berkeley, California, preserves two thousand acres of the Berkeley Hills, including riparian forest along Wildcat Creek and chaparral on the slopes above.
Birds
Notable Species
The park's Nature Area is centered around Jewel Lake. The section of trail between the parking lot and the lake passes through evergreen forest, while an alternate route to the left follows a boardwalk through the thickets along Wildcat Creek. Resident birds in this area include Anna's Hummingbird, Steller's Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee and California Towhee. In spring and summer, look for Allen's Hummingbird, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Swainson's Thrush, Warbling Vireo, and Wilson's Warbler. Winter visitors include Hermit Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Townsend's Warbler, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and Fox Sparrow. In winter the creek bottom and the fern-covered hillside to the west should be checked carefully for Varied Thrush. The tall evergreens on the right-hand side are home to Nuttall's Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Brown Creeper. For such a small body of water, Jewel Lake attracts a surprising diversity of wintering waterfowl, with Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, and Common Merganser joining the resident Mallards. The lake margins are often home to a visiting Belted Kingfisher, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret or Snowy Egret. Yellow-rumped Warblers winter in the low vegetation around the lake, while a pair of Black Phoebes nests at the lake's outflow dam. Beyond the lake the trail diverges from the creek, entering drier and grassier habitat. This oak savannah is home to numerous Spotted Towhees and what sometimes seems like every squawking Western Scrub-Jay in a twenty-mile radius. In the spring, listen for singing Lazuli Buntings and California Thrashers in the chaparral above. Throughout the park, careful examination of dense vegetation near water may produce a look at one of the resident Wrentits. Alternatively, in winter keep an eye on the sky above for the possibility of Band-tailed Pigeons.
The park's upland areas boast some dry-country birds not found around Jewel Lake. The Big Spring Trail hosts the park's only nesting Rufous-crowned Sparrows. The trail from Inspiration Point is a good spot for California Quail, as well as more Nuttall's Woodpeckers and Red-breasted Nuthatches. Inspiration Point parking lot has been used as an autumn hawk watch.
Rarities
Most of the park's rarities are eastern vagrants. The wooded areas around Jewel Lake have attracted a variety of stray passerines, including Red-eyed Vireo, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Hooded Warbler, and American Redstart. One exceptional record was the Worm-eating Warbler present in the summer of 1978.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Green Heron, Mallard, Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, Common Merganser, Double-crested Cormorant, Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, White-tailed Kite, Band-tailed Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Anna's Hummingbird, Allen's Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Northern Flicker(red-shafted form), Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-pewee, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Barn Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Warbling Vireo, Hutton's Vireo, Cassin's Vireo, Steller's Jay, Western Scrub-Jay, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Wrentit, Cedar Waxwing, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, California Thrasher, American Robin, Varied Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, Spotted Towhee, California Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Western Tanager, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, Lesser Goldfinch
Other Wildlife
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Site Information
History and Use
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Areas of Interest
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Access and Facilities
The park is accessible from the west off of Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Wildcat Canyon Road in Berkeley. From the east take San Pablo Dam Road from Orinda and California Highway 24. On weekends AC Transit bus #67 serves the park from downtown Berkeley.
Contact Details
East Bay Regional Park District.
External Links
- East Bay Regional Park District (trail maps and facilities information)
- Contra Costa County Breeding Bird Atlas
- Steve Glover, A Guide to Finding Birds in Contra Costa County
- Checklist of the Birds of Contra Costa County
- AC Transit Bus Schedule #67
