With the exception of part of Viejas Grade Road (which is an excellent dirt road), all
roads on this loop are paved.
Approximate Length: 30 miles.
Approximate Birding Time: 5 hours
Traffic: Moderate to heavy (especially during morning rush hour) along Japatul and Tavern Roads; moderate to very light along Viejas Grade Road
Facilities: Porta potties at the Loveland Reservoir parking area; otherwise there are gas stations in Alpine.
Directions: Take I-8 east past Alpine to the Descanso/Japatul Valley exit. Turn right at the stop sign and start birding up at the next intersection; this loop provides a relatively easy way for those uncomfortable driving the dirt roads of the back country to try for some of the chaparral specialties and still be relatively close to civilization!
Optional hike: Roberts Ranch
The area immediately to the east of the starting point is called
Roberts
Ranch, now part of the national forest and accessible through a gate near
the CalTrans facility. One could explore this area all day, but I
generally just take a short hike into the oak woodlands, where typical birds
such as
Oak Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Orange-crowned Warbler, House
Wren, and Acorn Woodpecker
are possible year-round, plus
Pacific-slope Flycatcher and
Western Wood Pewee in summer, and
Ruby-crowned Kinglet and
Dark-eyed Junco in
winter. (This is another low-altitude spot where
Band-tailed Pigeons, American Robins, Steller's Jays,
and even Mountain Chickadees
sometimes show up...) The open area at the start
of the trail may have Western Kingbird
in summer, Say's Phoebe
in winter, sparrows (Lark
year-round and White-crowned
in winter) and Western Bluebirds.
Brewer's Blackbirds might be hanging around the buildings along with the
ever-present Starlings. A mile down the road on the left are some
bird feeders that sometimes attract chickadees
and titmice, and
there's often a roost of Band-tailed Pigeons
in the trees next to the
road.
Roberts Ranch pre dawn
Follow Japatul Road south, stopping occasionally for common chaparral fare such as Bushtit, Wrentit, Bewick's Wren, California Thrasher, and both California and Spotted Towhee year-round, plus Ash-throated Flycatcher in summer. A short peek into the fields along Japatul Lane on the right might yield California Quail and is good for Western Bluebirds year-round and Western Kingbirds in summer (and although I've not spotted them myself, I hear the rock outcroppings are a good place to look for Golden Eagle). Just past the turnoff for Lyons Valley Road is Japatul Spur Road on the right, which cuts across to Japatul Road again, but passes through an Audubon sanctuary (not open to the public). Finding a pulloff is tough, but a walk along the road might be profitable for more oak-related species (Hutton's Vireos seem pretty reliable in here) and some open-area specialties like Blue Grosbeak in summer. The chaparral hillsides have historically had Bell's Sage Sparrow as well, but they're also "gettable" at other stops along the route. You may also encounter one of the few Scott's Orioles that regularly occur this far west!
Typical scene along Japatul Road
Scene along Japatul Spur Road
At the end of Japatul Spur, turn right onto Japatul Road again, stopping at any area that looks like it might have promise; California Quail can be plentiful in here, and sometimes Greater Roadrunners can be heard "singing" in spring. After about four miles you'll approach the Sweetwater River, where unfortunately the powers that be have put up numerous "No Stopping" signs (presumably to discourage fishermen from parking and hiking back to the lake). If you can do so with a clear conscience J, a quick stop at the bridges to check the lush riparian habitat might yield a Bell's Vireo, Yellow Warbler, or other riparian specialty in summer. The hillsides around there can have Rufous-crowned Sparrows year-round and Black-chinned Sparrows in summer. Watch for White-throated Swifts and various swallows in spring and summer, particularly Northern Rough-winged and Cliff.
Overlook along Japatul Valley Road
Riparian habitat at Sweetwater River
Optional hike: Loveland Reservoir
Shortly you'll come to a large parking area on the left for
Loveland
Reservoir. If you go all the way to the edge of the water (about a
ten-minute walk), you go down some stairs that you have to come back
up,
hence the "strenuous" rating, but the birds you could get in here might be worth
it to you: the lake itself can be pretty sterile bird-wise (as are many man-made
reservoirs), but Western
and Clark's Grebes, Double-crested Cormorant, Coot, and
Ruddy Duck are almost always good possibilities, along with the occasional
Great Blue Heron or
Great Egret. Listen for
Red-winged Blackbirds and
Great-tailed Grackles "singing" from the
wetlands, and the deciduous habitat
around the arm can have Lawrence's
(more likely in summer)
and Lesser Goldfinches, Black Phoebes, Common Yellowthroats, and
Song
Sparrows year round; and
Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Black-headed
Grosbeaks, and Lazuli
Buntings in summer. You might even hear a
Canyon Wren across
the way. The nearby oaks are usually pretty reliable for
Hutton's Vireos, "Red-shafted" Flickers,
and Nuttall's Woodpeckers
year-round, and can be good for
migrants in spring.
The
surrounding chaparral can have Anna's
and Costa's
Hummingbirds (plus Rufous
and Allen's
in migration), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher,
and Sage Sparrow
year-round; Black-chinned Sparrow
in summer; and Fox Sparrow
and Hermit Thrush
in winter. You can also hike part of the California Riding and Hiking
Trail across the street (look for the painted horse-crossing on the road) for a
shot at more chaparral species (I consider that hike less strenuous than going
all the way down to the lake, but the habitat is better at the latter...)
Trail down to Loveland Reservoir
Habitat around the lake
Stairs to "my" turnaround spot
View coming back up the trail
Continue west on Japatul Road; after another mile or so turn left on Sychuan Truck Trail, where you'll get a marvelous view of Loveland Reservoir and more chances at the chaparral sparrows. (If you still have the energy, there's an access to the California Riding and Hiking Trail at the first major curve on the left; this will get you deeper into the chaparral.) If you continue to the end of the road you might be able to add more "suburban" type birds such as Yellow-rumped Warbler in winter, Black-headed Grosbeak and Bullock's and Hooded Orioles in summer, and Cassin's Kingbird year-round, but you should be able to pick those up in Alpine as well.
Loveland Reservoir from Sychuan Truck Trail
Follow the signs to Alpine, where Japatul Road becomes Tavern Road. At the four-way stop, turn right onto South Grade Road. There's a vast grassland on the left that you'll shortly come to called Wright's Field; although I've not encountered them, it looks great for Grasshopper Sparrows! (You should at least get a Lark Sparrow or Western Meadowlark...) There are a couple of trails accessible from South Grade Road if you have the time and energy to explore. Check the trees around the homes for Phainopepla as well as other "suburban" birds.
Wright's Field with Viejas Mountain in the background
Cactus habitat in same general area
Turn right on Via Viejas into the little residential area, park on a side street, and check out the small lake on the left side of Via Viejas, taking care to stay on the main road, as this is a private residential park. This can be a fantastically productive little spot in winter especially; any number of good duck species (such as Canvasback and Redhead) can show up here, as well as Belted Kingfisher. Year-round you have a good shot at Wood Ducks and Pied-billed Grebes as well as the ubiquitous Mallards and Coots, and an occasional heron (including Green). If the water level is low you might pick up shorebirds, Killdeer and Least Sandpiper being the most likely. The little pocket of oaks across the street is always worth a check; Band-tailed Pigeon is not unusual in here, as are Red-shouldered and Cooper's Hawks, and Black-headed Grosbeaks in summer; sometimes migrant Western Tanagers show up. The willows might have Yellow Warbler as well as migrants in spring. In winter you might hear a Pine Siskin flying over. One winter a Red-naped Sapsucker showed up in one of the residential pepper trees, but Red-breasted is more likely.
"Palo Verde Pond"
During a dry year...
Return to South Grade and turn right, then right again on the frontage road next to the freeway. (Turning left will take you into Alpine if you need civilization...) You pass the Cleveland National Forest Ranger Station on the left, where you can get maps and use the restroom if necessary! After about a mile, cut left over the freeway, and turn right (the only way you can turn) on Willows Road. After another mile watch for the turnoff for Viejas Grade Road on the left, which is well-marked. You'll be entering the Viejas Indian Reservation, and while stopping along the road is not forbidden here, the locals may get suspicious of a stranger with binoculars (I actually was questioned by the tribal police once J), so please don't wander off the main road and try to do your birding (at least along the populated stretch) from your car! The first part of the road goes through rural ranches, where there's a little riparian area just before a hard left that's worth checking for Yellow Warblers, Lazuli Buntings, and Blue Grosbeaks in summer. The open rangeland may have raptors in winter. From here it's a good idea to drive straight to the dirt road, as you pass by tightly packed schools and homes until then (be sure to watch for blackbirds, kingbirds, and even Killdeer). Once on the dirt road you'll be going through chaparral that was destroyed by the 2003 Cedar Fire, but is recovering quite nicely; you should be able to get Black-chinned Sparrows in summer and Sage and Rufous-crowned Sparrows year-round, as well as Rock Wrens and other fire-followers such as Lazuli Bunting (summer) and Lark Sparrow. Listen for Mountain Quail calling from the hillsides in spring. Towards Descanso you pick up more oak woodland, and a quick check of the pines around the Descanso Ranger Station might bag you some of those higher-elevation species! The route basically ends at the gas station at the end of the road. This is very close to the jumping-off point for the Boulder Creek EBR as well!
Homey ranch and riparian habitat in the Viejas Indian Reservation
Views going up the grade
Recovering chaparral
Viejas Grade closer to the Descanso end
To return to San Diego, turn right at the intersection, then right again at highway 79, and follow that to the freeway.
Personal Checklist ●=small numbers █ = large numbers (10+)
Please keep in mind that these lists are NOT comprehensive, and that some months may have had poor overall coverage. Species in red denote vagrant, irruptive, or out-of-place species and should not be expected.