Self-guided Birding Locations
A migrant trap close to the bayfront, Charleston Road Marsh is worth visiting for a chance to find fall migrants dropping in, seek out songbirds spending the winter skulking in the shrubs, or enjoy some colorful spring travelers on their way back north. Peaceful and rarely very crowded, this marsh is an underappreciated and under-birded gem with great potential for bringing in migrants common and rare.
Along the bayfront in Mountain View, Shoreline Lake offers close-range views of waterbirds like Surf Scoters and Eared Grebes, occasional less-common species such as Horned Grebe and Barrow’s Goldeneye, and the ever-present possibility of finding an ocean-going rarity. Ducks are most numerous in winter, while in early spring, the spectacle of breeding Black Skimmers and Forster’s Terns returns to the lake.
Springtime at the Stanford Dish Trail, part of the Stanford University campus, offers a mix of wintering grassland birds, hunting raptors, and singing spring migrants. Though often rather busy, this 3.6-mile loop is popular for good reason: sweeping views, rolling hills, a pleasant patchwork of woodland and pastureland, and—of course—a multitude of birds!
Walk or bike around Pond A4 in Sunnyvale for a broad birding sample of southern San Francisco Bay in winter. Diving ducks blanket the pond, terns and pelicans fly overhead, marsh birds lurk in the surrounding channels, raptors perch on utility towers, and—as a reminder of the human footprint on the landscape—crows and blackbirds scavenge around the adjacent landfill.
Wondering how many Green-winged Teal and Northern Pintail can pack themselves into a small area? Pining for a glimpse of a rare Swamp Sparrow? Read on to start planning your winter trip to the Palo Alto Baylands via the San Francisquito Creek Trail!
