Local Orange County Birding Spots

The list below is for locations within cities in Orange County.  At each location the intent is to provide park images and views, map snippets or links to the actual Park web pages.  Where appropriate, additional coordinates will be indicated within each park as of course certain areas are better than others (i.e. specific hot spot).  My intent is also to note specific species with time frame to further enhance your experience via eBird links to actual sightings.  Locations notated below offer also whether or not they are fee generated and private access but public access around perimeters.

As a side note, I have found on Google Maps there are various trails such as the Bell View Trail (east and west entrances), Canaveras Trail and the Barano Walk Trail that were only shown as “hiking trails” in Google Maps at prior to February of 2014.  I have written to the Google Maps division and each time received responses further clarifying the actual trail.  With this being done, Google Maps now shows the proper trail names which of course is helpful in ID’ing the right location.  Should you come across a trail that is unmarked or listed generically as “Hiking Trail” please notify Google Maps .

•  ALISO VIEJO
  • Aliso Woods and Canyon (actually located in Laguna Niguel see below)
  • Hummingbird Park

• Brea
  • Carbon Canyon Regional Park (Fee – owned by OC Parks)
• Coto de Caza (aka Trabuco Canyon)
  
  • Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park (Fee – owned by OC Parks)
    

• DANA POINT
  • Dana Point Harbor (Dana Point) (Certain areas are Fee based – note signs, tickets are given)
  • Dana Point Headlands (No Fee)
  • Salt Creek Beach (Fee – owned by OC Parks)
  • San Juan Creek River Mouth

• HUNTINGTON BEACH
  • Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve – South (Bolsa Chica Street entrance) (No Fee)
  • Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve Walk Bridge – entrance on Pacific Coast Highway (walk bridge) (No Fee)
  • Huntington Central Park (No Fee)
  • John Baca Park (No Fee)
  • Harriett M. Wieder Regional Park

• IRVINE
  • Orangetree Park / Irvine College (Irvine) (No Fee)
  • San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary (Irvine) (No Fee)
  • Strawberry Farms Golf Course (Irvine) (No Fee)

• LAGUNA BEACH
  • Laguna Coast Wilderness Park including Nix Nature Center (Fee – owned by OC Parks)
  • Heisler Park
• LAGUNA NIGUEL
  • Laguna Niguel Regional Park (Laguna Niguel) (Fee – owned by OC Parks / Do Not Feed Birds here)
  • Aliso Woods and Canyon (Aliso Viejo) (Fee – owned by OC Parks)

• MISSION VEIJO
  • Arroyo Trabuco Golf Course (Mission Viejo) (No Fee – trails owned by OC Parks)
  • Barano Walk Trail (aka Barano Trail) (Mission Viejo) (No Fee)
  • Bart Spendlove Memorial Park – (Mission Viejo) (No Fee)
  • Jeronimo Open Space Park – (Mission Viejo) (No Fee)
  • Mission Viejo Lake – (Mission Viejo) (certain areas Private-Walk Path on Alica Parkway publicly accessible)
  • Pinecrest Park (Mission Viejo) (No Fee)
  • Wilderness Glen Park and Seville Park (Mission Viejo) (No Fee)

• MODJESKA CANYON
  • Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary (Modjeska Canyon) (No Fee)
  • Harding Truck Trail (across from Tucker) (No Fee)

• ORANGE
  • Irvine Regional Park (Fee – owned by OC Parks)
    
  • Santiago Oaks Regional Park (Fee – owned by OC Parks)
  • Villa Park Flood Control Basin (Dam) (access to “The Magic Basin”)
• RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA
  • Arroyo Trabuco Wilderness Trail (1) intersection at Alicia and Santa Margarita Parkway (Rancho Santa Margarita) (No Fee – owned by OC Parks)*
    • (note: as you descend to main trail, left (east) is trail that back ends to O’Neill Park in Trabuco Canyon. Right (west) continues on Arroyo Trabuco Wilderesss Trail)
  • Arroyo Trabuco Wilderness Trail (2) (Rancho Santa Margarita) (Reservoir Access) (No Fee – owned by OC Parks)*
  • Bell View Trail East (Rancho Santa Margarita/Trabuco Canyon) (No Fee – owned by OC Parks)
  • Bell View Trail West (Rancho Santa Margarita/Trabuco Canyon) (No Fee – owned by OC Parks)
  • Upper Oso Reservoir (Rancho Santa Margarita (private access-perimeter publicly accessible)

• SANTA ANA
  • Fairhaven memorial Park / Santa Ana Cemetery
• SILVERADO CANYON
  • Black Star Canyon (Silverado Canyon) (No Fee)

• TRABUCO CANYON
  • Whiting Ranch (Trabuco Canyon) (Fee – owned by OC Parks)
  • O’Neill Park (Trabuco Canyon) (Fee – owned by OC Parks)
  • Joplin Youth Center / Rose Canyon Road

• (to be continued)