Robinson & Flannery Roads

East Solano County Heritage Farmland

One of the best places in the Bay Area to see a wide variety of raptors from early Fall until late Spring is in East Solano County along Robinson and Flannery Roads and other farm roads in the vicinity. The area is bordered by Birds Landing to the South, Fairfield and Vacaville to the West, Dixon to the North and Rio Vista to the East. What is spectacular about this area is that one can observe different color morphs of the many overwintering raptors that visit this location.  This area is accessible from Highway 80 to the North, Highway 12 to the South and Highway 113 going North and South through the heart of this Heritage Farmland. Roads are often lined by Eucalyptus and Osage Orange trees used as wind breaks by the farmers. Since almost all of this area is private farmland, birding is done almost exclusively from the side of the road. Many roads are unpaved and seldom traveled which makes this part of Solano County a unique location in the Bay Area. One should take time to visit nearby farming roads including, Creed, Goose Haven, and Lambie Roads for starters..

Common Resident and Breeding Birds: California Quail,  Western Bluebird, Lesser Goldfinch, Song and Savannah Sparrows, Dark-eyed Junco, Western Meadowlarks are common resident birds. Red-tailed and Swainson’s Hawks as well as Kestrels and Turkey Vultures, are common breeders. Occasionally one can view Peregrine, Prairie Falcons and Golden Eagles soaring above the grasslands in search of prey.  Burrowing Owls, which are on the brink of becoming endangered, use the field edges and culverts to create their breeding colonies. Dotted throughout the heritage farmland are Vernal Pools which host a number of critically endangered plants and amphibians. Along Creed Road and the corner Hay Road and Highway 113 are Tricolored Blackbird breeding colonies. It is estimated that there are close to 15,000 “Trikes” at the Hay Road Location. Cars travel very fast along the narrow Highway 113 so be very careful if you are bring in this location.

Migrants: When Swainson’s Hawks head South for the Winter, Hawks from the North make this their prime overwintering home. Red-tailed, Ferruginous, Rough-legged, as well as American Kestrel and Merlin can be seen throughout this area. However, in some years they are more plentiful than others. Look for Red-breasted Sapsuckers in the orchards and groves of trees along the road.  Loggerhead Shrikes, Say’s Phoebes and Western Meadowlarks are plentiful.  Savannah, White and Golden-Crowned Sparrows sit on the fences and feed in the brush along the roadside. Look for flocks of Horned Larks and American Pipits flying over the fields and you my also be treated to the endangered Mountain Plover. Mountain Plovers overwinter in this zone stretching from the Northern Valley by Knight’s Landing, Woodland and Davis to this region’s heritage farmland along Creed, Robinson and Flannery Roads. The flocks travel together in search of Spring Wheat and freshly plowed earth where they can find the insects they depend on for their survival.  In past years the flocks found along Robinson and Flannery Roads numbered around 100 individuals, but in recent years they have dwindled to fewer than 50.