Before signing up for this trip, please take a moment to read our trip policies and view our liability waiver.
Mountain Bluebird by Tom Grey
Panoche Valley Auto Tour
Leaders: Michael Hawk (408) 475-4295 and Matthew Dodder (650) 868-4922
Description: Panoche Valley’s remote desert and grassland habitats, spanning parts of Fresno and San Benito counties, offer an opportunity to see many uncommon birds not easily found in Santa Clara Valley. Mountain Bluebird, Ferruginous Hawks, Prairie Falcons, and Greater Roadrunners roam these lands, as do Sage Thrasher, Vesper Sparrows, Cassin’s Kingbird and more. Mountain Plover is sporadic, and will be a target on this trip as well.
Panoche Valley is huge, so this trip is an auto tour, with participants caravanning to pre-planned stops in a variety of habitats. The number of cars is limited based on the quantity of safe pull-outs, so carpooling is a must - please see the carpooling section below. Bring a full tank of gas, water, snacks, and lunch.
For more information on Panoche Valley and a summary of the general route we’ll take, see the Panoche Valley Self-Guided Field Trip (https://scvas.org/self-guided-birding/panoche-valley).
Spots are limited to 14 (plus leaders)
Trip Difficulty: The majority of the trip is driving and stopping at pull-outs. There may be one or two short but moderately steep hills; walking will be 0.5 miles or less. Roads range from nicely paved to heavily potholed to gravel, but passenger cars should be fine.
Facilities: Minimal to no cell service. Porta-potty at Little Panoche Reservoir, a vault toilet at Panoche Hills.
Parking Type and Fees: Gravel and roadside parking. No fees.
Other Trip Notes: There is no gasoline and minimal services in Panoche Valley.
Meet: Previously arranged carpools will meet at the gravel parking lot at Little Panoche Reservoir, 36.78486, -120.79842
Directions: From San Jose, head south on US-101 to Gilroy. Take the exit for CA-152 east (exit 356) and follow the signs to stay on CA-152 over the Diablo Range mountains to I-5. Take I-5 south 23.6 miles to exit 379 Shields Ave. At the exit, head west (right turn) onto Little Panoche Road, and drive 4.2 miles to the parking lot for Little Panoche Reservoir. The parking lot will be on the left, and is not easily seen from a distance. You will see the earthen dam in advance, which is where the parking lot is. Latitude/Longitude: 36.78486, -120.79842
COVID protocol: Everyone attending a trip must be fully vaccinated. This trip requires carpooling and caravanning. The caravan will be limited to 4 cars with 4 people each. Passengers must remain in the vehicle they select at the beginning of the tour. Face masks while in the car will be at the discretion of the driver. Birding will be done from the vehicles unless we are in areas where exiting is permitted. Many stops are along roadsides, so great care and attention is required to maintain safety. Walkie talkies will be supplied to each car to ensure ample communication.
Carpooling: Carpooling will be arranged in advance. If you are willing to drive, please let the trip leaders know so they can help arrange carpools. The leader will share driver names and contact info with everyone so that attendees can make carpooling arrangements directly with each other. We’d like 4 people per car, but if you can accommodate more, please let us know.
Cancellations: Cancel by Jan 3 for full refund. Rain cancels, with refund.
Questions? Email general questions to fieldtrips@scvas.org or contact the trip leader for questions regarding the event.