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Before signing up for this trip, please take a moment to read our trip policies and view our liability waiver.

Western Kingbird by Dave Zittin

Phylo-birding at Joseph D. Grant County Park (San Jose)

We’ll use the diverse bird species and habitats of Joseph D. Grant County Park to focus on ways in which phylogenetic and biogeographic knowledge can enrich your birding experience.

Joseph D Grant is a beautiful park in east Santa Clara County. We'll visit two water sources that attract interesting birds — Grant Lake (eagles, ducks, swallows), the Rose Garden Fountains (finches, sparrows, and other small passerines) — and the Hotel trail between them.

A handout will be provided, and it would be useful to first attend the Phylo-birding Zoom talk on May 16.

Trip Difficulty: 2.5 miles, dirt, dirt trails, little or no elevation gain, little to no shade

Leaders: John Harshman (408) 406-4733 and Edward Rooks (408) 318-2485

Beginner Friendly, Family Friendly Ages 10 and up

Meet: Ranch House parking lot

Directions: From US-101 exit Capitol Expy in San Jose and continue east for 1.7 miles, turn right onto Quimby Rd and continue for 7 miles. Turn right onto CA-130 E and continue for 0.2 miles. The park entrance is on the right. After passing through the park entry kiosk, continue into the park for about 300 ft. At the brown sign directing you to the park office and ranch, turn left into the parking area. Park near the restroom and green barn. Note that google maps “Ranch House Parking Area” will take you to a different location in the large parking lot. Latitude/Longitude: 37.337493, -121.716896

Facilities: bathroom, cell coverage may be intermittent or non-existent

Parking Type and Fees: parking fees, County parks annual pass or credit card only

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