Lake Jennings is a great destination for the serious and casual wildlife watcher, birder and photographer. The rolling hills, the lake, the coastal sage and the riparian areas provide a diversity of habitats in a small area. Deer abound around the lake and can readily be seen around the lake virtually any early morning or late evening. The same areas will have bobcats, coyotes, skunks and raccoons providing better entertainment than can be seen on any of the nature shows on television. These animals are wild, and yet they're used to people watching from a distance. This is a great area, close to San Diego, for wildlife watching!

Bird watchers are drawn to Lake Jennings because of the variety of birds from chaparral and aquatic habitats that can be seen. In fact San Diego County has recorded over 475 bird species, more than any other county in the U.S. The following is a checklist of birds seen at Lake Jennings. The list conforms to the A.O.U. checklist, 1993. Click here for a printable version of the list.