Vandenberg SFB--Waterfowl Natural Resources Area (restricted access)

Vandenberg SFB--Waterfowl Natural Resources Area (restricted access)

Vandenberg Space Force Base Beaches
VSFB Environmental (beach status)

Birds of Interest

Breeding birds include Yellow Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Swainson's Thrush, and Willow (rare), and Western Flycatcher. The area is good for raptors and sparrows in winter. Rarities recorded here include Garganey, Crested Caracara, Eastern Kingbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Worm-eating Warbler, and a second county record Dusky Warbler!

About this Location

NOTE - This is a restricted access Hotspot found on Vandenberg SFB. It is only accessible to visitors possessing a VSFB pass.

There remains a single trailhead entrance on Terra Road about a mile west of 13th Street. Park along the side of the road. While there are no longer ponds that hold water here, there are still a few trails accessible from this entry point that skirt the northern edges of the property with substantial willow-riparian habitat that can be good for breeding birds and fall migrants.

In 1979 Vandenberg Space Force Base (formerly VAFB) linked its sewage processing to the nearby city of Lompoc, thereby jeopardizing the integrity of the Vandenberg settling ponds that had become a habitat for migratory and wintering birds and other wildlife. In 1990 VSFB, together with the (former) La Purisima Audubon Society (LPAS) and the California Coastal Conservancy (CCC), formed a cooperative agreement to develop the former settling ponds as well as the adjacent riparian woodland as a nature preserve. This property became the Wildlife Natural Resources Area (WNRA). Commonly the WNRA went by either the Vandenberg Waterfowl Ponds or the longtime local favorite, the McElligott Ponds. After restoration and during its operation the WNRA attracted wintering dabbling ducks and other waterfowl and wildlife in search of a less saline habitat than that found nearby at the Lower Santa Ynez River (LSYR) estuary at Ocean Park

Original plans for the WNRA entailed converting six of the approximately nine ponds into a variety of waterfowl and wildlife habitats. This property contained 17 acres of wetlands and 25 acres of willow habitat. The WNRA was in operation for only a few years and it was challenging to keep pond levels at the proper depth owing to water loss from percolation and silt in the pumps. As a result, the ponds didn’t hold water for long and the entire area fell into disrepair.

During its heyday, there were many wonderfully birdy walking trails around the ponds. The ponds contained thick bulrushes and some had muddy bottoms good for shorebirds. The site also had elevated viewing platforms that acted as a blind for watching waterfowl. Coyote brush, poison hemlock, thistles, poison oak, and invasive grasses tenaciously grew on the trails and it required continuous trimming to maintain both the trails around the ponds and in the riparian woodland.

About Vandenberg Space Force Base

See all hotspots at Vandenberg Space Force Base

Vandenberg Space Force Base is located in western Santa Barbara County and makes up a significant portion of coastal north county. VSFB totals some 99,579 acres in size and includes 42 miles of pristine, undeveloped coastline, 9,000 acres of sand dunes, and 5,000 acres of wetland habitats. The topography of Vandenberg SFB is varied and includes hills, mountains, terraces, floodplains, mesas, canyons, and rocky headlands. The highest point on VSFB is Tranquillion Peak located on south base and reaches a height of 2,297 ft. The base contains some of the highest quality coastal habitat remaining in southern or central California.

VSFB also contains a number of freshwater environments including the Santa Ynez River, San Antonio Creek and Barka Slough, Shuman, Cañada Honda, Bear, and Jalama Creeks, as well as man-made lakes. Riparian woodlands are found along these river courses and streambeds and are particularly important for migrating and nesting birds. Because of its protected nature, none of the backcountry areas of VSFB are open to the public or to any kind of development.

Coastal bluffs and rocky headlands provide important roosting and nesting habitat for a number of seabirds. Nest sites are found along cliffs and on offshore rocks along the coast from Purisima Point on north base, to Point Pedernales and Destroyer Rock, and Point Arguello on south base. Coastal access is only available at Ocean Park (Santa Ynez River Estuary), and Surf Beach to the general public. Seasonal restrictions are in place for Ocean Park, Surf, Wall, and Minuteman beaches annually from March 1 to September 30 as part of the annual program to protect the threatened Western Snowy Plover.

The main cantonment (urbanized) area of VSFB located on north base consists of residential, industrial, community service, administrative, and recreational use areas. This cantonment area lies within the restricted security zone of the base and is only accessible to personnel with a base pass. Several VSFB birding hotspots are found within this security zone and are therefore off limits to the general public, while other Hotspots are accessible to the public by county roadways but are still found within the boundaries of the base.

Vandenberg SFB hotspots can be categorized as follows:

1.     Publicly accessible hotspots found within the Vandenberg SFB boundary. Birders are subject to the authority of VSFB security forces while visiting these locations. Examples of publicly accessible Hotspots include Barka Slough, Triangle Pond, and Surf Beach. These hotspots do not have "restricted access" in their names.

2.     Restricted-access hotspots found within the security zone of Vandenberg SFB. These areas are only accessible to visitors possessing a VSFB pass. Examples include Lake Canyon Ponds, Brown's Beach to Lions Head, and Point Pedernales. These all have "restricted access" in their names.

Base passes will not be issued to the general public at this time and visitors must be “sponsored” onto VSFB by individuals who have this privilege. Birders are permitted to visit any of the hotspots listed as publicly accessible as described above and as indicated on the various hotspot pages found in this guide.

Content from Jamie Chavez

Last updated January 1, 2024