Don Edwards (Fall):
Shorebird Spectacle at New Chicago Marsh
by Mike Ambrose
When thinking about ideal attributes for a birding location, different people might think of different features:
Large variety of species
Good possibility for rarities
Close views of birds
Easily accessible / not too much walking
I’m happy to say that, if you picked anything above, New Chicago Marsh is the place for you! There are 100+ species reported just in October, and it’s one of the best spots for finding rare shorebirds in the fall migration. (As strong evidence, the author found a rare Eurasian vagrant, a Ruff, while scouting for this very field trip!) There’s a boardwalk which gives close access to the birds, or you can bird along the entrance road without leaving your car. The New Chicago Marsh is great year-round, but my favorite time for shorebird viewing is between July and November, peaking in September as fall migrants fly through.
Trip Covers: July - November
Key Birds: Shorebirds
How to Bird
New Chicago Marsh is large, so I think about it as three sections:
The Entrance Road: As you drive in along Grand Boulevard to the dirt parking area, you’ll be surrounded by the marsh. While the road has only two lanes, there’s little enough traffic that you can feel free to drive slowly/stop and bird from the car. Be aware that getting out of the car will often flush closer birds - the car can act as a blind. Alternatively, if you prefer to do your birding on solid ground, you can look from the dirt parking lot or walk along the road.
Birds can often be a bit far away when you’re on the entrance road, which means that a scope or camera with a very long lens might be useful. You’ll still see plenty with just binoculars, though!
Entrance Road (Grand Blvd) to Don Edwards NWR Alviso. New Chicago Marsh on the left.
The Boardwalk: Once you’ve gotten enough of the entrance road, you can walk along the Marsh View Trail which starts from the dirt parking lot and runs along the marsh. This trail takes you through some scrubby areas which have been host to excellent rarities in the past, like Green-tailed Towhees and Eastern Bell’s Vireos. This trail ends at a paved parking lot, at which point you can walk near the large building to get to the boardwalk itself. Conditions can vary in the marsh - water could be deeper (more ducks) or shallower (more shorebirds). On the boardwalk, you can often get closer to the birds, and there are several benches available if you want to take a break and bask in the sights and sounds. You’ll also see some birds hanging out on the boardwalk itself, including Savannah Sparrows (look for the distinctive yellow eyebrow), Barn Swallows, and Black Phoebes.
Walk along the Marsh View Trail to get to the Boardwalk Trail. This trails starts from the small dirt parking lot.
Boardwalk Trail behind the Don Edwards Environmental Education Center.
Beyond the Boardwalk: Once you’ve reached the end of the boardwalk, you can turn left and continue along New Chicago Marsh. This can be less productive than the other areas, with fewer birds, but has the advantage of good views of Salt Pond A16 as well.
What to Look For
In the deeper sections of the marsh, expect to see ducks - Mallards year-round, Northern Shovelers recently returned, and soon more ducks that will spend the winter. There can also be gulls - typically California Gulls at this time of year, but New Chicago Marsh and the nearby Salt Pond A16 become one of the best spots for gulls in the county in winter. And it’s hard to miss some of the larger birds - like the Canada Geese or American White Pelicans (and occasional Brown Pelicans) that also like the deep water.
American White Pelican. Photo by Tom Grey
In shallower sections, you can expect almost every shorebird we get in the county - American Avocets, Black-necked Stilts, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Short-billed and Long-billed Dowitchers, Western Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, the list goes on and on. If you’re a shorebird fanatic, keep an eye out for the rarer peeps - Baird’s Sandpipers and Semipalmated Sandpipers can be found if you have a sharp eye and a bit of luck! You can also see all of our local herons and egrets - Great Blue Herons, Snowy and Great Egrets, and Black-crowned Night-Herons.
American Avocets. Photo by Tom Grey
Lesser Yellowlegs. Photo by Tom Grey
Least Sandpiper. Photo by Tom Grey
Black-necked Stilt. Photo by Tom Grey
If this list of birds sounds a bit intimidating, don’t worry - one of the advantages of shorebirds and ducks is that they often stick around, giving plenty of time to get good luck and figure out what they are! There are also many excellent resources to help make sense of what you’re seeing - take a look at SCVAS Executive Director Matthew Dodder’s Ask BirdGuy episode on shorebirds and "What to Look For Now", and Alvaro Jaramillo's video on a breakdown of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs.
Ready for More?
New Chicago Marsh is a spectacular place at all times of year and shouldn’t be missed in winter when there’s much more variety of gulls! In spring and summer, see our other self-guided trip to New Chicago Marsh and our trip to Pond A16 for nesting skimmers and terns.
Interactive Map
Directions: From CA-237 exit north onto Zanker Rd. Continue on Zanker Rd for about 2.5 miles (Zanker Rd becomes Los Esteros Rd). Make a sharp right turn onto Grand Blvd. The small dirt parking lot is on your left in ½ mile just before the locked gate. Latitude/Longitude: 37.435817, -121.958141 Note: do not leave your valuables in the car.
Parking: Small dirt lot Latitude/Longitude: 37.435817, -121.958141. This trip starts from the small dirt lot, but you can also parked in the larger paved lot Latitude/Longitude: 37.439150, -121.959655
Fees: None
Public Transportation: None
Hours: The trails and small dirt parking lot are open sunrise to sunset. The paved parking lot is open from 7am - 5pm.
Facilities: ADA accessible porta-potty is located in the main parking lot (near the boardwalk) and is open and cleaned regularly. You can reach it by walking along the gated road to the paved parking lot or by following the Marsh View Trail to the paved parking lot and then turning right. Cell phone signal is typically strong.
Trail Mileage: 0.5 to 2 miles
Trail Conditions: Flat trail, mix of paved, packed dirt, and boardwalk. Full sun exposure throughout.
Bikes: While this trip is a bit short to do by bike, biking along the rest of A16 and beyond is an excellent trip
Dogs: Dogs are not allowed
More Information
Trail map of Mallard Slough Trail and Trail Map of the boardwalk
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Website
eBird hotspots: Don Edwards NWR--entrance road (Grand Blvd.) between tracks and gate and Don Edwards NWR--New Chicago Marsh
BirdGuy with SCVAS Executive Director Matthew Dodder Video 16: Water Spinners and Mud Pipers
Alvaro Jaramillo’s video on Yellowlegs Identification - Which one is it? Greater or Lesser Yellowlegs?
More Resources
For more trips like this one, visit Self-guided Field Trips.
Visit the SCVAS Birding Resources page for more information on where to bird, our birding community, birding identification resources, and more.
Read “What to Look for Now” by SCVAS Executive Director Matthew Dodder.
Banner Photo Credit: Dowitchers, Long-billed Curlew, Black-necked Stilt and Willet by Tom Grey
Last Reviewed: 09/04/2022
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