Birds in mud.
That’s how one Yelp reviewer describes Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach. And it’s true. There are a lot of birds in a lot of mud, but there is plenty more to this coastal wetland, one of the few remaining on the Pacific Coast.
The reserve’s marvelous mudflats and the rest of its 1,400 acres are home to a huge variety of fish, insects, reptiles, and mammals. And the 186 species of birds make the reserve a magnet for birders who come to see the two distinct populations that flock here in winter and summer.
We are standing in the reserve on one of the trail’s small mesas; we need only a few feet of elevation to take in the 360-degree vista.
To the west, beyond our dense, post-rain landscape of coast sunflowers and protected coastal sage scrub are those mudflats, with egrets or ibises (or maybe both) stepping through the muck, a dozen ducks paddling and bobbing for their meals; pelicans doing touch-and-goes on the lagoon’s surface; and plenty of other fowl that we can’t name.
(Confession: we are not schooled birdwatchers, but we love to watch birds.)
Further out is Pacific Coast Highway, separating the reserve from the 10 miles of uninterrupted, north-stretching sand and boardwalk that is Huntington State Beach, Huntington City Beach, Huntington Dog Beach, Bolsa Chica State Beach and Sunset Beach.
Beyond that, the waters of the Pacific, and today, the sharp silhouette of Catalina. The island looks so clear and close that we wonder why someone hasn’t just built a bridge to connect it with the mainland.
As tranquil and copacetic as the terrain looks now, it wasn’t always this way.
The blasts of shotguns belonging to the Huntington Gun Club once rang out in the early 20th century. The club constructed a dam to keep out the ocean water and create a freshwater pond. Thus, the many ducks attracted to this pond ended up on the wrong end of the hunting rifles.
The dam also played havoc with the ecological balance of the wetland, which needs the twice-a-day exchange of salt and fresh water to maintain its plants, animals and fish.
The land eventually passed through several owners and bankruptcy, and during World War II, it served as part of the Coastal Defense System. The military built underground bunkers, an observation tower and gun emplacements. The bases for these guns are still present.
In the 1970s, the private owners of Bolsa Chica tried to build a marina and housing tracts, but thanks to the dedication and persistence of some passionate conservationists, this wetland was spared from becoming suburban sprawl.
Today, multiple public and private entities and their volunteers work to keep Bolsa Chica safe from development and ecological harm so that many species, including homo sapiens, can enjoy it.
A small-but-well-presented interpretive center on the north end of the reserve tells the history of the area and its first residents who arrived about 9000 B.C.E. There are a few live-animal exhibits and displays on the wetland’s plants and animals.
Bolsa Chica’s five miles of trails have ample signage explaining the reserve’s history, ecology and environmental issues. Except for a few small elevations, the trails are flat. Bring binoculars and water (no water fountains), and wear a hat and sunscreen. Entry is free.
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