Creation of coastal sage scrub has become an important component of long-term management for the California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica) and other sensitive species in southern California. We describe successful gnatcatcher nesting in four-year-old restored coastal sage scrub in coastal Orange County, California, in 1995; the birds continued to nest there from 1996 to 1998. Our intent is to demonstrate that restored coastal sage scrub has been used by gnatcatchers, not to recommend specific restoration procedures.