Davis Creek Birding Guide

WHAT TO EXPECT Davis Creek Regional Park is located in the northwestern corner of Washoe Valley, between Reno and Carson City. The park is in the foothills of the Carson Range, at the transition zone between sagebrush and bitterbrush uplands and Jeffrey pine forest. There are riparian areas along the creeks and around a small pond in the day use area, hiking trails and a campground. The day use area has restrooms and picnic tables.
 
Best time of year: year-round. 
 
Notable species: eBird Hotspot Link
Davis Creek Park is a great place to see Pygmy, Red-Breasted, White-Breasted Nuthatches and Brown Creepers all year, as well as a wide variety of woodpeckers, including Northern Flickers, White-headed Woodpeckers, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Williamson’s Sapsuckers, and occasionally a Lewis’s or Black-backed Woodpecker. Ospreys are frequently seen around the pond. Bullock’s Orioles, Western Tanagers, Black-headed Grosbeaks and a variety of warblers nest here. Calliope, Black-chinned, Rufous and Anna’s Hummingbirds are spring and summer visitors. Pacific Wrens have been seen in the riparian willow areas in winter. Both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets can be found here.
 
HOW TO GET THERE:  Google Map of the Area 
From Reno, take I-580/US-395 South to Exit 16 at the north end of Washoe Valley. After .3 miles on old US-395, turn right/west on Davis Creek Road. Park in the paved parking area on the right, before the green gate at the main entrance.
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POPULAR BIRDING ROUTE
Walking the Discovery Trail, the Nature Trail and going around the pond is approximately 3 miles.
 
The Discovery Trail is parallel to the west side of the parking lot. Begin by walking north below the campground in the upland area, watching for towhees, sparrows, quail, jays and Loggerhead Shrikes. Where the trail curves around between north and south  campground near the tree line, leave the trail and walk uphill into the north campground through pine forest. Look for nuthatches, Brown Creepers, woodpeckers and Mountain Chickadees. Return to the trail and continue uphill, traversing the slope above the campground. Look for wrens, warblers, kinglets and vireos in the riparian thickets. At the southern end of the trail, walk down to the parking area near the pond. Look for White-headed Woodpeckers and nuthatches in the trees.
 
Take the Nature Trail around Davis Pond. Look for ducks and grebes on the pond in spring and early summer. Osprey, Red-tailed Hawks and occasionally a Bald Eagle can be found in the trees surrounding the pond. In the spring, look for hummingbirds, warblers, orioles, grosbeaks, bushtits and gnatcatchers in the willows and trees. Be sure to go around the entire pond before returning to the parking area via the Discovery Trail or the road. The willow area on the west side of the pond is a particularly good birding area.
 
For a longer, more strenuous hike, take the Ophir Creek Trail up towards Tahoe Meadows.
 
Optional Side Trips: 
For the east side of Washoe Valley, see Little Washoe Lake and Washoe Lake Birding Guides. 

Photo by Valerie Andersen