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Los Capitancillos Ponds - Meridian Ave Entrance 

The Los Capitancillos percolation ponds, located between the Cambrian and Almaden Valley areas of San Jose, are a great birding location for wintering ducks. We’ll spend the morning scanning the ponds for American Wigeons, Ring-necked Ducks, Buffleheads, Gadwalls, Wood, and Ruddy Ducks. May be able to check out some gulls, see crowned sparrows and will check out the pond edges for Wilson’s Snipe, Killdeer, and Spotted Sandpiper. We'll bird the West ponds first and then the East ponds.

Trip Difficulty: 2.5 miles, gravel and dirt trails, muddy or possibly muddy after rain, little or no elevation gain, little to no shade

Other Trip Notes: There will be an opportunity to leave the trip midway. There are some homeless camps alongside the Guadalupe Creek. There are no restrooms available on this trip - plan accordingly!

Leaders: Sheila Raymond 408-887-4854, Andy Melnick 650-823-4117 and John Harshman (408) 406-4733

Beginner Friendly, Family Friendly Ages 14 and up, Wheelchair Accessible

Meet: Guadalupe Creek Trail entrance on Meridian Ave, west side

Directions: From north take CA-85 south towards San Jose. Exit Camden Ave. (exit 8). Drive south on Camden Ave. for 0.7 miles. Turn left onto Kooser Ave., drive for 0.8 miles. Turn right onto Meridian Ave., drive for 0.6 miles. Find parking.

From south take CA-85 north towards San Jose. Exit Almaden Expressway (exit 6). Drive south on Almaden Expressway for 0.3 miles. Turn right onto Blossom Hill Road, drive 1.0 miles. Turn left on to Meridian Ave., drive 0.6 miles. Find parking.

The trail entrance will be on your right from Meridian Ave. just south of Oslo Lane. Latitude/Longitude: 37.238543, -121.886929.

Facilities: cell phone service, no restrooms

Parking Type and Fees: There are no parking lots. Street parking may be found on Meridian Avenue or in the neighborhoods on/off Oslo Lane off Meridian. Please be respectful of local parking restrictions and driveways.

Banner Photo: Wood Ducks by Brooke Miller

Questions? Email general questions to fieldtrips@scvas.org or contact the trip leader for questions regarding the event.