Lake Hennessy​

The Lake Hennessey is a reservoir formed by the Conn Creek Dam and is a great location for waterbirds, migrants and winter residents. Lake Hennessey can be accessed from both the North and South ends. The South end has a boat ramp and often allows close views of the grebes and waterfowl that frequent the lake. However, we prefer to bird the North end or the Conn Creek side of the lake, where there are nice hiking trails that go all of the way to Moore Creek Park. There is a small pullout and parking area located at the end of Conn Valley Road (1798 Conn Valley Rd, St. Helena) and please be careful not to block the gate for the private residents who live on private drives at this location.

Common Residents and Breeding Birds:
There are often rafts of  waterfowl occupying the lake. Western and Clark’s Grebes are on the lake year-round, and If you visit during the Spring and are lucky, you may be able to observe them performing their courtship dances. Canada Geese, Mallard, Wood Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, Common Gallinule, Killdeer, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Mourning Dove, Anna’s Hummingbird, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks, Acorn, Downy, Nuttall’s, Red-shafted Flicker, and less common Pileated Woodpeckers, Black Phoebe, Bewick’s, House and Marsh Wrens, Stellar’s and California Scrub-Jay, Common Raven, Tree, Violet-green, Northern Rough-winged and Cliff Swallows, Bushtit, Wrentit, White-breasted Nuthatch, Oak Titmouse, Western Bluebird, Hutton’s Vireo, Common Yellowthroat and Orange-crowned Warblers, Lesser Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, Ca and Spotted Towhee and Common Raven, Red-winged Blackbirds are all possible.

Migrants: Many of our resident birds overwinter and can be found on the lake and in the riparian and wetland areas. Clark’s and Western Grebe, Osprey, Bald Eagle, American Kestrel, Tree Swallow, White-Breasted Nuthatch, Oak Titmouse, Song, White and Golden-Crowned Sparrows, are likely to be seen. Say’s Phoebe, Fox and Lincoln’s Sparrows are less common but normal in the winter. In some years, Lewis’s Woodpeckers can be found near the start of the trail.