Butte Creek Ecological Preserve

By Dawn Garcia

Overview

The Butte Creek Ecological Preserve includes 0.9 miles of Butte Creek front property, which allows access to the creek and amazing views of the canyons. The canyons and the preserve can be washed with wildflowers during the spring and summer. The creek is renowned for being one of the top three drainages in California that provides critical habitat for Chinook salmon. Although the preserve is disturbed by sand and gravel mining and many invasive plants, there has been some successful restoration in the floodplain. Nature, in the form of Butte Creek, continues to influence and promote that process. The uplands are highly disturbed and somewhat unimpressive with poor restoration success. Still they provide habitat for a large variety of species including migrant Blue-gray gnatcatchers, Lewis’s woodpeckers, nesting Cooper’s hawks, phainopeplas and wrentits.

Riparian vegetation in a narrow corridor along the creek and the upland habitat welcomes an abundance of birds and wide range of avian diversity, from ducks (Common merganser), raptors (Bald and Golden Eagle, falcons, accipiters, buteos, osprey), shorebirds (Spotted Sandpiper), to waders (Green, Great-blue Herons), kingfishers (Belted), woodpeckers (nesting Nutall’s, Hairy and Downy, wintering Lewis’), flycatchers, swallows, creepers, and many species of songbird, including my favorite group, the warblers. Migrating Wilson’s, McGillivray’s, Common Yellowthroat, Nashville, Townsend’s, Black-throated gray warblers and nesting Yellow, Orange-crowned and Yellow-breast chat can be easily seen during the appropriate seasons.

An old pond was dug at the southwest portion of the site. This is an interesting area because of the open water-wetland component but also because of a burn that went through in 2007. A stand of burned trees, some snags and some living, provide good foraging for woodpeckers and housing for cavity nesters. Waterfowl (Wood duck, Scaup) can be seen on the pond. Grebes, moorhens, coots and other species of ducks and geese (Canada) also use the pond. Look up to the cliffs under the Skyway to see large colonies of Cliff swallows in the summer.

Birders can further enjoy the grounds by jumping in the creek on warm summer days and picnicking on sandy beaches.

Trail Information

The preserve is owned by CSU Chico Foundation and is open free to the public year round. Trails are generally pathways or graveled roads. Many spurs off the main road feed into the floodplain and provide views and access to the creek (see map). The trails continue the entire length of the property. The secret path; an overgrown trail through dense Himalayan blackberry, is a true adventure. It can be found near the southwest end of the site (see map). It meanders under a full canopy, past a small pond, and up through a Vinca-lined trail, exiting on an old paved road. Follow this road, lined with figs, California grape, Spanish broom and riparian/upland forests south to the pond near the end of the property (see map).

Hazards

Stinging and sticking plants favors pants not shorts: Poison oak, Himalayan blackberry and star thistle are prevalent in portions. Large rocks stacked from mining can make uneven walking and potential ankle twists. Be cautious of exposed rebar used to hold up mist-nets for the bird banding project on site. Most are surrounded by rocks and off major pathways.

Difficulty

Easy

Directions

Chico and Paradise: From the Skyway turn north at the Honey Run Road light. Drive approximately 3 miles up Honey Run Road. Turn right at the gravel driveway which is not well-marked so go slowly. You will see a sign identifying the preserve and partners. Walk behind the green gate either to the right or left and continue along the graveled roads and pathways.

C - Common

FC - Fairly Common

U - Uncommon

R - Rare

I - Irregular

Year Round Birds

Year round birds seen at the Butte Creek Ecological Preserve include: Pied-Billed Grebe(FC), Great Blue Heron(FC), Great Egret(C), Snowy Egret(U), Green Heron(U), Turkey Vulture(C), Canada Goose(C), Wood Duck(FC), Mallard(C), Common Merganser(FC), Ruddy Duck(H), Osprey(FC), White-tailed Kite(H), Bald Eagle(FC), Sharp-shinned Hawk(U), Cooper's Hawk(FC), Red-shouldered Hawk(C), Red-tailed Hawk(FC), Golden Eagle(U), American Kestrel(U), Peregrine Falcon(U), Wild Turkey(FC), California Quail(C), Common Moorhen(U), American Coot(FC), Killdeer(FC), Spotted Sandpiper(U), Rock Pigeon(C), Band-tailed Pigeon(R), Mourning Dove(FC), Western Screech-Owl(R), Great Horned Owl(R), Northern Pygmy-Owl(R), Anna's Hummingbird(C), Belted Kingfisher(C), Acorn Woodpecker(C), Red-breasted Sapsucker(U), Nuttall's Woodpecker(C), Downy Woodpecker(C), Hairy Woodpecker(U), Northern Flicker(C), Black Phoebe(C), Hutton's Vireo(C), Western Scrub-Jay(C), American Crow(C), Common Raven(FC), Horned Lark(H), Tree Swallow(C), Oak Titmouse(C), Bushtit(C), Red-breasted Nuthatch(I), White-breasted Nuthatch(FC), Brown Creeper(R), Canyon Wren(R), Bewick's Wren(C), Marsh Wren(FC), Western Bluebird(U), American Robin(U), Wrentit(FC), Northern Mockingbird(U), European Starling(C), Phainopepla(U), Spotted Towhee(C), California Towhee(FC), Rufous-crowned Sparrow(H), Lark Sparrow(R), Song Sparrow(U), Red-winged Blackbird(C), Western Meadowlark(R), Brewer's Blackbird(FC), Brown-headed Cowbird(C), Purple Finch(FC), House Finch(C), Lesser Goldfinch(C), American Goldfinch(FC), and House Sparrow(C).

Winter Birds

Birds that winter at BCEP include: Greater White-fronted Goose(U), Snow Goose(U), Ross's Goose(U), Tundra Swan(H), American Wigeon(U), Canvasback(H), Ring-necked Duck(H), Greater Scaup(H), Lesser Scaup(H), Bufflehead(U), Common Goldeneye(H), Barrow's Goldeneye(H), Hooded Merganser(H), Merlin(R), Sandhill Crane(U), Greater Yellowlegs(U), Northern Saw-whet Owl(R), Lewis's Woodpecker(I), Say's Phoebe(R), Steller's Jay(I), Golden-crowned Kinglet(H), Ruby Crowned Kinglet(C), Hermit Thrush(FC), Varied Thrush(I), American Pipit(H), Cedar Waxwing(FC), Orange-crowned Warbler(C), Yellow-rumped Warbler(FC), Savannah Sparrow(U), Fox Sparrow(FC), White-crowned Sparrow(U), Golden-crowned Sparrow(C), Dark-eyed Junco(FC), Pine Siskin(I), and Evening Grosbeak(I).

Summer Birds

Birds that summer and nest at BCEP: Vaux's Swift(H), White-throated Swift(H), Black-chinned Hummingbird(FC), Western Wood-Pewee(FC), Ash-throated Flycatcher(FC), Western Kingbird(U), Cassin's Vireo(FC), Violet-green Swallow(C), Northern Rough-winged Swallow(C), Cliff Swallow(C), Barn Swallow(C), House Wren(C), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher(R), Yellow Warbler(U), Yellow-breasted Chat(FC), Western Tanager(FC), Black-headed Grosbeak(FC), Lazuli Bunting(U), and Bullock's Oriole(FC).

Spring Transient Birds

Birds that pass through the preserve during the spring or fall migration include: Lesser Nighthawk(H), Calliope Hummingbird(R), Rufous Hummingbird(U), Olive-sided Flycatcher(R), Willow Flycatcher(U), Hammond's Flycatcher(R), Gray Flycatcher(R), Dusky Flycatcher(R), Pacific-slope Flycatcher(U), Warbling Vireo(C), Purple Martin(H), Swainson's Thrush(R), Nashville Warbler(R), Black-throated Gray Warbler(U), Towsend's Warbler(U), MacGillivary's Warbler(U), Common Yellowthroat(U), Wilson's Warbler(FC), Chipping Sparrow(R), and Lincoln's Sparrow(U).

Fees

No Fees

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