Benicia State Recreation Area

Benicia State Recreation Area borders the Carquinez Strait and is a large tidal marshland. Urbanization fringes the area on 3 sides. It hosts a native plant garden that is enjoyable any time of the year. Marshes and Willow thickets along the edge of the Bay often hold an interesting assortment of species. The Recreation Area comes to life in the Fall and Winter months. 

Common Residents and Breeding Birds:
Canada Goose, Mallard, Gadwall, Pied-billed Grebes, can be seen on the Bay and occasional Northern Harriers, Ospreys and Red-tailed Hawks soaring above. Sora, Virginia & Black Rails can be heard in the marshes and are especially vocal in the early spring. Great Blue Heron, Great & Snowy Egrets, Belted Kingfisher, Back Phoebe, Marsh, Bewick’s & House Wrens, are seen in the tules and cattails. Greater Yellowlegs, Spotted, Least and Western Sandpipers, Killdeer and Semipalmated Plovers frequent the mudflats. Anna’s Hummingbird, Acorn, Nuttall’s and Downy Woodpeckers, White-breasted & Red-Breasted Nuthatches, Cliff and Tree Swallows, Orange-crowned Warblers, Song Sparrow, California & Spotted Towhees are commonly seen along the trail and in the Willow Thickets and Eucalyptus Groves. On occasion one can hear a Great Horned Owl calling at night.

Migrants: Fall Migration and the winter months bring a variety of ducks to Benicia SRA  including Common Goldeneyes, Canvasback, Greater & Lesser Scaup, Buffleheads, and Ruddy Ducks, Western & Clark’s Grebes. An assortment of Western passerines including Western Wood-PeWee and Willow Flycatchers, Yellow, Wilson’s, Orange-crowned and Yellow-rump Warblers pass through during Spring & Fall migration. You can occasionally spot a Say’s Phoebe feeding in the grasses and coyote brush and White-crowned, Golden-crowned, Lincoln’s and Fox Sparrows overwinter along the trail and in brushy areas.