Self-guided Birding Locations
Sierra Vista OSP is in the eastern foothills of Santa Clara County. It is a good location to visit year-round, but especially in the winter when grassland loving sparrows and Ferruginous Hawk may be present. There are few crowds in the early morning and weekdays and the views are fantastic.
In the winter, Coast Casey Forebay is a resting and foraging place for large flocks of water-loving birds. There is often a surprise here: an American Wigeon below the pump house, a Sora in the drainage ditch, a Wilson’s Snipe in a hidden pond. This short and easy trip is great for birders of all ages and abilities, offering you ample views of many birds gathered together in a single spot.
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!
The John Nicholas Trail in the hills of Los Gatos is a fairly flat, wide trail belonging to Upper Sanborn County Park. It is surrounded by native forest, including oak, redwood, fir and pine which provide a nice cover to be enjoyed year-round. This is one of the best places in Santa Clara County for a chance at seeing Pileated Woodpecker or Pacific Wren. Visit In the winter months to hear the unusual calls of Varied Thrush.
En las colinas de Los Gatos se encuentra el John Nicholas Trail, un sendero ancho y bastante nivelado, que pertenece al Upper Sanborn County Park. El sendero está rodeado de un bosque nativo compuesto de robles, secoyas, abetos y pinos….
Summer is a fun time to visit Pond A16 at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Alviso. Noisy and active terns and skimmers have arrived to nest on the man-made islands in the salt pond. Come back often to see the birds in different breeding stages, from courtship to nesting to feeding their young.
Ogier Ponds is a quiet, birdy, freshwater haven located in Morgan Hill along the Coyote Creek Trail. It is the perfect spot to visit during fall and winter to look for wintering waterfowl, gulls, and sparrows.
Wilson’s Snipe really do exist and Los Capitancillos Ponds in San José is my favorite place to hunt for them. Besides finding the elusive snipe, visit these ponds in the winter for ducks, geese, and gulls. The wide gravel travel is uncrowded making it easy to social distance.
Coyote Lake County Park is a wonderfully diverse park in the South County. We’ll travel the out-and-back spur to Roop Pond, and the hiking-only Rancho La Polka Loop trail, both of which are lightly traveled, affording more opportunity for solitude with the birds! With a small pond, oak woodland, and oak savannah transitioning into grassland, this can be an excellent area for all of the typical oak woodland birds and overwintering raptors.
El parque del condado de Coyote Lake es un parque maravillosamente diverso en el sur del condado. Haremos un sendero de ida y vuelta en forma de espuela hasta el estanque Roop y el sendero Rancho La Polka Loop, solo para caminantes, ambos con poco recorrido, lo que brinda más oportunidades para la soledad con los pájaros. Con un pequeño estanque, un bosque de robles y una sabana de robles que se convierte en pradera, esta puede ser un área excelente para todas las aves típicas de los bosques de robles y las aves rapaces que invernantes.
Looking for a picturesque “get-away” to a beautiful area in the fall and winter without having to travel too far from home? The Sandy Wool Lake area of Ed R. Levin County Park is a nice escape in the east hills to spot birds and enjoy nature. Take a leisurely, less than 1 mile walk around Sandy Wool Lake in search of resident and returning wintering birds, all while enjoying views of the Diablo Range’s rolling hills.
¿Está buscando una “escapada” pintoresca a una hermosa zona en otoño e invierno sin tener que viajar demasiado lejos de casa? El área del lago Sandy Wool dentro del parque del condado Ed R. Levin es una agradable escapada en las colinas del este para observar aves y disfrutar de la naturaleza. En esta caminata tranquila de menos de 1 milla alrededor del lago Sandy Wool buscaremos aves residentes y las que regresan en invierno, mientras disfruta de las vistas de las colinas onduladas de Diablo Range.
McClellan Ranch Preserve in Cupertino is a special place to visit in fall and winter. The SCVAS bird feeders and baths are being filled regularly, our wintering sparrows have returned, and the benches under the SCVAS Nature Shop awnings make a nice place to sit quietly and observe.
McClellan Ranch Preserve en Cupertino es un lugar especial para visitar en las temporadas de otoño e invierno a partir de octubre. Los comederos y baños para pájaros de SCVAS se llenan con regularidad, nuestros gorriones invernales han regresado y los bancos en el porche a las afueras de la tienda natural de SCVAS son un lugar agradable para sentarse tranquilamente y observar.
No matter the season, Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve (CVOSP) in Morgan Hill is a great place to discover local favorites or special migrants. In fall and winter, this preserve is a perfect spot to watch for resident and migrating raptors, wintering sparrows, and agricultural-field specialties.
When thinking about ideal attributes for a fall birding location, different people might think of different features: large variety of species, good possibility for rarities, close views of birds or easily accessible without too much walking. I’m happy to say that, if you picked any of the above, New Chicago Marsh in Alviso is the place for you!
Pearson-Arastradero Preserve is an open space preserve on the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The preserve is located in Palo Alto and is a great place to go birding if you live in Mountain View, Los Altos, Palo Alto, or San Mateo.
La reserva natural Pearson-Arastradero es un parque ubicado en los pies de las montañas de Santa Cruz. La reserva está ubicada en Palo Alto y es un gran lugar para observar aves si usted vive en Mountain View, Los Altos, Palo Alto, o San Mateo. El parque posee una variedad de hábitats que incluyen praderas, bosques de robles y un pequeño lago, los que atraen a una gran variedad de aves durante todo el año.
Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos is a great place to visit in September and October if you are looking for warblers and other fall migrants. The route I’m recommending is short with lots of benches along the way making for a peaceful and easy outing.
The Wood Road entrance is a quiet, less-trafficked entrance to the expansive Almaden Quicksilver County Park. This short out-and-back trail is wide and mostly shaded by blue oaks, live oaks, madrones, and bay laurels, until you emerge into open chaparral. Come here to enjoy a peaceful morning…
