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Field Trip: Social Slow Birding at Lake Cunningham Regional Park (East San Jose)
Western Grebe by Amanda Newlove
Join us for a relaxing morning of slow birding along the water at Lake Cunningham Regional Park, a renowned and beautiful South Bay birding hotspot. The focus for this trip will be a slow pace, short distance (0.5 mile round trip from the parking lot), and a chance to have some casual fun socializing along the way. Birders of all levels welcome, including bird-curious beginners and families with kids of any ages!
Site highlights include Lake Cunningham’s remarkable avian diversity, plentiful parking (with ADA spots), fully paved path (consistently 6-10 feet wide), built-in seating, restrooms, and no significant elevation changes. This field trip was designed by an independently ambulatory SCVBA volunteer who requires trails of little to no elevation changes and typically takes a sitting break on a collapsible stool every 0.1-0.2 mile.
We’re excited to see some year-round residents (ex: Ruddy Duck, Killdeer, Great Egret, Western Grebe), some delightful seasonal visitors (ex: American White Pelican, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall), and plenty more. Hope to see you there!
Trip Difficulty: 0.5 miles, paved trails, little or no elevation gain, some shade
Other Trip Notes: Park gates open at 8AM. Parking is flat fee $6 per vehicle. This trip is designed for maximum 20 attendees. Feel free to BYOS (bring-your-own-seating) to take bonus breaks along the path. Please refer to the attached PDF for many more details (ex: visual photo guide of the planned route, type of built-in seating, restroom location, ADA parking spots, considerations for those who might be birding from a seated position).
Leaders: Vicki Silvas-Young(408) 807-6993, S.M.
Additional Languages: English will be the primary language of this field trip, but other languages spoken by our trip leaders include Tamil and Spanish.
Beginner Friendly, Family Friendly All Ages, 1 mile or shorter, 2 hours or less, No elevation gain, Only paved paths
Meet: Parking Lot A
Directions: The lake’s general address is 2305 South White Road, San Jose. From US-101, take the East Capitol Expressway exit. Continue for 1.5 miles then turn right on Quimby Road. Continue for 0.75 mile then turn left onto South White Road. Continue for 1 mile then turn left onto the unlabeled traffic signal (large “Lake Cunningham Park” sign visible at this entrance). If you enter the park from this South White Road entrance, continue along the traffic circle and exit the circle to your left (9 o’clock position from where the traffic circle started on South White Road). Proceed along the road until you see the signs on your right for Parking Lot A. If you instead enter the park from Tully Road, turn right at the first stop sign and proceed along the road until you see signs on your left for Parking Lot A (just past the Skate Park). Lat/Long: 37.337451, -121.804069
Facilities: bathroom, cell phone service
Parking Type and Fees: paved parking lot, ADA compliant spots, parking fees
Banner Photo: Western Grebe by Amanda Newlove
Questions? Email general questions to fieldtrips@scvbirdalliance.org or contact the trip leader for questions regarding the event.