 WHAT TO EXPECT: Located off South Meadows Parkway, Diamond Creek Pond is a hidden gem for bird watching. Surrounded by apartments and businesses, there is no designated public parking at the pond (which is one reason many people don’t know about it). Loaded with waterfowl and shorebirds, it’s a perfect place to take a stroll. The marshy stream area is also great for songbirds, swallows, and other wildlife. To get a list of the 130+ species observed here, print out the Diamond Creek Pond eBird Field Checklist to help you with your birding. This easy paved flat walk around the pond and its outflowing creek is less than 2 miles roundtrip. If you just walk the pond, it is around a mile. BEST TIME OF YEAR: Year-round. NOTABLE SPECIES: eBird Hotspot Link Besides mallards, coots, and geese, you can also see northern shovelers, ruddy ducks, American wigeons, gulls, gadwalls, and grebes. In the marshy stream area, you'll find barn & cliff swallows, red-winged blackbirds, great-tailed grackles, lesser and American goldfinches, and robins, among other songbirds.  HOW TO GET THERE: Google Map of the Area
By car: Take the South Meadows exit off Hwy. 580 and head to Smith’s Food and Drug Store. Since there is no designated public parking for the pond so your best bet is to park in the northeast side of Smith’s parking lot (close to Smith’s gas station). Then walk across South Meadows parkway looking for a sidewalk heading north past Mountain Lakes Estates Retirement Living – between the gas station and a dental office. By bus: You can also access the pond with the Reno area’s Regional Transportation System (RTC) bus! The pond can be accessed via RTC Route 56 at South Meadows Parkway and Double Diamond Parkway bus stop. You can then head west along the creek until you reach the pond. Bus stop to pond map. The RTC South Meadows and Prairie Dog bus stop is also close to the pond. OPTIONAL SIDE TRIPS: Center Creek Waterway is a 2-mile one-way walk (4 miles roundtrip) from Wilbur May to South Meadows Parkway. Located in the Double Diamond subdivision, there is public parking at Center Creek Park off of Wilbur May Drive. Starting at the large pond across from the park, you can see a variety of ducks, shorebirds, hawks, and raptors. |
