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Bev Cunha's Country Road, the entry to the Sewer Authority off of the frontage road paralleling SR1, October 2010 (Jennifer Rycenga)
An interesting collection of habitats makes this area worth a quick check when touring around the coastline. A suburban neighborhood sits on one side, the sewage treatment plant with its attendant gulls on another, agricultural and grassy fields nearby, all capped by an extensive riparian zone along Pilarcitos Creek. While the sewage plant does not currently allow birders to enter, it is a small enough operation that you can see gulls flying in the vicinity quite easily.
This area sits on the opposite side of Pilarcitos Creek from the Corporation Yard of Half Moon Bay State Beach (see Pilarcitos Creek Mouth and Half Moon Bay State Beach entries). The Tropical Kingbird that graced this area in the winter of 2008-2009 used both areas, an instance worth keeping in mind when searching for rarities here.
This spot carries disadvantages, though. It evokes a somewhat edgy feel, located at the end of a rarely used street, the best birding occurring in an overgrown and uncared-for tract, that's a known haunt of Half Moon Bay's small homeless population. Your author recommends that you use reasonable cautions here.
When you arrive, park on the dirt area to your left. There is a chain link fence; a trail goes inside of that fence toward a lone tree. Take this trail, which quickly turns right, hugging the fence as you walk towards Pilarcitos Creek. There are White-crowned, Golden-crowned and other sparrows along this part of the route, as well as flycatchers; the Tropical Kingbird used the lone tree quite a bit. Along this trail there are a few places to look through the fence into the treatment plant, but you will see more gulls aloft than by any peek-a-boo method. Once you get to the riparian area, you will turn left to walk along the river's edge. Listen for flocks of chickadees and warblers. Birding at this area, even thoroughly, can be accomplished in well under an hour.
White-tailed Kite, Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, California Gull, Eurasian-collared Dove, Mourning Dove, Barn Owl, Great Horned Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl (rare here, seen 2014), Anna's Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Pacific-slope Flycatcher (spring-fall), Black Phoebe, Say's Phoebe, American Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Hutton's Vireo, Cassin's Vireo (in migration), Bushtit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, House Wren (uncommon), Bewick's Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (uncommon), American Robin, Swainson's Thrush (spring-fall), European Starling, Townsend's Warbler, Yellow Warbler (migration), Yellow-rumped Warbler, Nashville Warbler (uncommon), Wilson's Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, California Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Lesser Goldfinch
In this guide, "rarities" are defined as those species given an County Abundance Code of 4, 5, or 6.
Greater White-fronted Goose (2018), White-faced Ibis (fly-over, 2021), Willow Flycatcher (2019, 2021), Western Kingbird (2002), Tropical Kingbird (2008, 2009, 2018), Loggerhead Shrike (2020), Red-eyed Vireo (2018), Philadelphia Vireo (2022), Yellow-green Vireo (2018), Lucy's Warbler (2020, 2023), Chestnut-sided Warbler (2002, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2022), American Redstart (2021), Blackpoll Warbler (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), Blackburnian Warbler (2010, 2014, 2016, 2018), Black-and-White Warbler (1999, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023), Magnolia Warbler (2015), Prairie Warbler (2016, 2018), Canada Warbler (2014), Tennessee Warbler (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), Northern Waterthrush (2012, 2022), Palm Warbler (2016, 2018), Lark Sparrow (2011, near the corner of the Frontage Road and Bev Cunha Country Road), Clay-colored Sparrow (2012, 2016, 2017, 2020), Brewer's Sparrow (2012), Swamp Sparrow (2013, 2014, 2018), Chipping Sparrow (2016), Orchard Oriole (2017)
From SR1, turn west onto Kehoe, then make an immediate left onto the frontage road. Take a right at the next street, which is marked "Bev Cunha Country Road," featuring a sign for the Sewage Plant. Before the gated entrance to the sewer plant, there is a dirt pull-off to your left. Park here, against the fence.
Red Markers: Parking Area or Trail Head
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There are no fees connected with the use of this area.
There are no posted time restrictions on the use of this area, but I'd not come alone here after dark.
Homeless people use this stretch of the creek; there is evidence of parties and of living quarters; the sewage treatment plant is present: in other words, this is not an aesthetically pleasing location. There could be poison oak around, but man most certainly constitutes the biggest potential danger here.
There are no facilities in this undeveloped area. Locate restaurants and stores in nearby Half Moon Bay; in fact, you can take yourself to the Strawflower Plaza continuation of Pilarcitos Creek Riparian to dine and use the facilities.
Accessibility information is currently not available for this location.
The Sewer Authority can be reached at 650-726-0124.
While a hotspot exists in eBird for this spot - labeled Half Moon Bay Sewage Treatment Plant - it has but minimal data. Stopping here can be worked easily into a longer day: it can be done exhaustively in under an hour. Bird here, record the data in eBird, and help monitor the health of Pilarcitos Creek.
Park by the fence on the south side of the street, and take the trail toward the lone tree! October 2010 (Jennifer Rycenga)
Blackpoll Warbler, Half Moon Bay Sewer Authority, Pilarcitos Creek riparian area, September 2012 (Malia DeFelice)
Riparian corridor along Pilarcitos Creek, adjacent to HMB Sewer Plant, October 2010 (Jennifer Rycenga)
A White-crowned Sparrow checks over its shoulder, grassland scrub by Half Moon Bay Sewer Plant, October 2010 (Jennifer Rycenga)
Pilarcitos Creek Mouth, riparian area of HMB Sewer Treatment Plant, on a fall day, October 2010 (Jennifer Rycenga)
Author: Jennifer Rycenga
Uploaded:
October 23, 2010
Last Update:
October 26, 2023 7:05pm
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