Self-guided Birding Locations
Enjoy this easy, partially shaded walk alongside the Los Alamitos Creek in Almaden Valley. Bird life is plentiful and varied, especially in the spring! Or visit in the summer to take advantage of the shady trails.
Visit the Los Gatos Creek Trail south of East Main Street in Los Gatos to find the American Dipper, America’s only aquatic songbird. Watch these birds walk, wade, swim and even dive in and out of the water as they hunt for food.
Penitencia Creek Trail in east San José is a beautiful, shaded creek side trail with easy level walking where wildlife and birds abound. While it can be crowded after 10 a.m. on weekends, early mornings offer solitude and silence and increase the chance for wildlife and bird encounters. Deer (and their fawns) are especially common, and bobcats, snakes, and other creatures are sometimes seen. The creek hosts numerous Steelhead Trout, and in the past may have supported Coho Salmon.
This summer, you will probably find yourself looking for a shady place to enjoy local birds. The Nature Trail at the Anderson Lake/Coyote Creek Visitor Center in Morgan Hill is a favorite of mine to bird year-round, and great in summer for the ample shade along Coyote Creek. Though parts of this route may be narrow, it is a less traveled trail and thus easy to avoid crowds!
Summer is the time to visit Salt Pond A2E in Mountain View. You will have an opportunity to spot up to 6 species of terns plus the Snowy Plovers that are “next door” in Crittenden Marsh (Stevens Creek Nature Study Area). While the parking lot can be crowded at times on the weekends, once you are out on the trails, the crowds disperse.
July through September are the months to see the small and graceful Wilson’s and Red-necked Phalaropes. These birds are usually found on the East and West Ponds of the Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control Plant. And, if you are lucky, you may even see them spin!
