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Marlin Park, Redwood Shores. August 2011 (Jennifer Rycenga)
The "Central Core" of Redwood Shores is an area defined by Bridge Parkway to the west, Marine Parkway to the north, Shearwater Parkway to the east, and Redwood Shores Parkway to the south. Within this area, there are lagoons and inlets, the municipal Marlin Park, and lots of smaller 'pocket parks' at intersections. Almost any road in this residential maze will eventually bring you to a water feature, and, in winter, this means waterfowl. The Central Core of Redwood Shores is the place to see some highly-prized duck species - Tufted Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, Barrow's Goldeneye, and Redhead - and to study flocks of other, more common water birds. This guide seeks to describe the best-known locations in this maze, but the omnipresence of water gives the adventurous birder plenty of opportunity for new discoveries. Just keep in mind that most of this area is residential: don't point your scope into people's windows!
The best road through the Central Core is Davit Lane, most easily accessed from the north-south Shell Parkway. Turning east brings you to a roundabout, and the small recreational Shannon Park. Continue into the residential development "Ventana del Mar", and take a left onto Baltic. Follow the road as it makes a right hand turn, and then look for the guest parking. When you exit your car, you'll see a gazebo to your right. This makes a nice vantage point for scanning the open water in front of you. Continue walking past the gazebo to the corner of the housing development; from here you can scan water in four directions.
When you leave Ventana del Mar, return to Davit Lane, and go west past Shell Parkway. Soon after Barnegat Drive, you'll see an open green space and a small lagoon on your right. Pull over and park on the street here. This lagoon frequently has Barrow's Goldeneye and Redhead in winter, as well as large goose flocks. The trees in the green space, and some of the better-gardened homes nearby, attract passerines to the area. When someone posts on peninsula-birding list about Davit Lane, it is usually this area to which they refer. Note: there are domestic geese, domestic ducks, and sometimes even Mute Swans, mixed in with the wild birds.
Marlin Park is the next major area in this central part of Redwood Shores. The parking for this most extensive local park is located along Neptune Drive near the corner with Cringle Drive. Marlin Park (which is a hotspot in eBird) has a surprising variety of habitats, as well as uses. There is a good bathroom here (multi-seater, flush toilets), picnic tables, and playground areas. A small sandy beach provides some haul-out room for geese and shorebirds. There's plenty of room for passerines here, too. There are sometimes nesting Hooded Orioles in the scattered palms. One can walk a couple of blocks in length at Marlin Park. To reach Marlin Park from Davit Lane, continue to the west end of Davit Lane, take a left onto Marlin Drive, your first right onto Dorey Lane, your second right onto Cringle, then look for the parking on your right.
This author's favorite location for Barrow's Goldeneye is a pocket park at the corner of Starboard and Bark. From here you can have a panoramic view of water channels in four directions, with decent looks down two more residential streets. In winter, with a good scope, your odds are good to see a Barrow's Goldeneye here amidst the many Common Goldeneye that use the lagoon. When scanning for a Barrow's, it is my experience that neither the head color nor the shape of the cheek patch will be as diagnostic at long distance as the size of the white stripes on the wing. When the white stripes on the wings of a male look like raised patches of white velvet against a black background, that is a good candidate for a Barrow's. When the white stripes on the wings overlap with the white of the breast, or seem ill-defined against the black background, it is likely a Common. Beware, though: hybrids are known to exist! To get to Starboard and Bark from Marlin Park, continue west on Neptune to its end; turn right onto Compass Drive. Follow this to its end, then turn right on Starboard. The corner with Bark comes at the end of Starboard. Park on the street here.
The inaptly named Shorebird Park has not proven productive for birding, ironic as that seems. And, much to the collective disappointment of the birding community, shearwaters are not seen on Shearwater Drive. But don't stop looking!
View a panoramic vista of Redwood Shores Central Core - you will need to use scrolling to see from side to side, or resize the window - use your Backspace key to return here.
Cackling Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Eared Grebe, Western Grebe, Clark's Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, American White Pelican, Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, American Coot, Black-bellied Plover, Semi-palmated Plover, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Greater Yellowlegs, Willet, Whimbrel, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Long-billed Dowitcher, Ring-billed Gull, Western Gull, California Gull, Herring Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Caspian Tern, Forster's Tern, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Anna's Hummingbird, White-throated Swift, Belted Kingfisher, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Black Phoebe, Western Scrub-Jay, American Crow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Oak Titmouse (rare at this location), Bushtit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Swainson's Thrush (rare at this location), American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, American Pipit, Cedar Waxwing, Orange-crowned Warbler, Nashville Warbler (migrant), Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Spotted Towhee, California Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-headed Grosbeak (rare at this location), Western Tanager (rare at this location), Hooded Oriole, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow
In this guide, "rarities" are defined as those species given an County Abundance Code of 4, 5, or 6.
Ross's Goose (1999), Greater White-fronted Goose (2012), Cackling Goose (2013), Eurasian Wigeon, Redhead (2012), Tufted Duck, Blue-winged Teal, White-faced Ibis (2014), Broad-winged Hawk (2021, 2022), Costa's Hummingbird (2014), Willow Flycatcher (2013), Tropical Kingbird (2013), Sage Thrasher (2023), Palm Warbler (2010, 2011, 2013), Blackpoll Warbler (2015, 2019), Lucy's Warbler (2020), Chipping Sparrow (2021), Clay-colored Sparrow (2009, 2021), Brewer's Sparrow (2017, 2021), Swamp Sparrow (2020), Vesper Sparrow (2022), Orchard Oriole (2018), Baltimore Oriole (2013)
Both Marine Parkway and Redwood Shores Parkway are exits from US 101. Take either exit and head east, taking either Bridge Parkway or Shell Parkway to enter the areas described above.
Red Markers: Parking Area or Trail Head
Hover mouse pointer over marker, or click marker, for pin identification.
Use + or - buttons to change map zoom. Click & Drag to pan.
There are no fees connected with these parks, and no parking meters in Redwood Shores.
Because these birding spots are ensconced in a residential neighborhood, the hours are limited more by proper polite birding discretion than by official gates and declarations!
The number one hazard here is goose poop. It is everywhere, every sidewalk, every grassy field. You will curse the energy efficiency of the Canada Goose every time you visit these pocket parks. Otherwise, you are safe: no rattlesnakes, no mountain lions. Ticks can be a present; some of the pocket parks can have off-leash dogs (but what dog owner wants their dog rolling around in goose poop unsupervised?). Observe speed limits and parking regulations.
There is a bathroom at Marlin Park along Neptune: multi-stall and relatively clean. Supplies can be purchased at the Nob Hill Market plaza. The larger parks (like Shorebird and Marlin) have a limited number of picnic tables.
Accessibility information is currently not available for this location.
There are too many jurisdictions here to list any shared contact source, but the number for any municipal parks here is 650-780-7311.
Marlin Park is a current hotspot in eBird, with data in 17 of 48 time quadrants, recognizing 85 species. Data for the summer months is especially lacking. Davit Lane and Redwood Shores: Starboard and Bark are being added as hotspots soon.
Trail, Marlin Park, Redwood Shores. August 2011 (Jennifer Rycenga)
Looking out from the gazebo near the guest parking at Ventana del Mar, Baltic Drive off of Davit Lane, August 2011 (Jennifer Rycenga)
Davit Lane green space and channel. Note the signature bird of Redwood Shores on the lawn: Canada Goose. August 2011 (Jennifer Rycenga)
Barrow's Goldeneye (left) and Common Goldeneye males, Redwood Shores Lagoon. Note the difference in head shape, but even more importantly, where the white patches on the wing are situated in relation to the black on the wing and the white of the breast. Common Goldeneye appear to have the sweeping white lines on their wings overlap with the white of their breast, while the Barrow's have a clear black line demarcating the wing from the breast. November 2010. (Ken Schneider)
Author: Jennifer Rycenga
Uploaded:
August 14, 2011
Last Update:
October 18, 2023 4:24pm
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