CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION: 100 YEARS OF CONSERVATION AND COMMUNITY
Yellow-billed Magpie by Vinayak Hebbagil
Slow Birding at Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve (Morgan Hill)
Join us for a relaxing morning of slow birding at the grasslands of the beautiful Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve in Morgan Hill. This trip’s priority will be a slow pace and short distance (0.5 mile round trip from the adjacent parking lot on an “out-and-back” trail) with both the beginning and 0.25 mile turn-around point of the route marked by partially shaded picnic table collections that are perfect for a bird sit (see photos below).
Site highlights include free adjacent parking, 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 look forward to seeing some fan favorites of this hotspot (Yellow-billed Magpie, American Kestrel, Northern Flicker, Western Meadowlark, California Quail, White-tailed Kite, and more). Hope to see you there!
This event is made possible by Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority.
Trip Type: Slow Birding/Stationary Birding
Age Limit: All Ages; Young birders, ages 18 and under, must be accompanied by a parent or guardian
Capacity: 15
Price: Free
Trip Difficulty: 0.5 miles, gravel trails, packed-dirt trails, little or no elevation gain, some shade
Tags: Beginner Friendly, 1 mile or shorter, 2 hours or less, No elevation gain
Meet: Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve parking lot
Directions: From US-101 in Morgan Hill, exit Bailey Ave. Travel west for about 0.7 miles then turn left onto Santa Teresa Blvd. Continue for about 2 miles then turn right onto Palm Ave. The preserve is at the end of the road. Latitude/Longitude: 37.171062, -121.727388
Facilities: bathroom, cell phone service
Parking Type and Fees: paved parking lot and gravel parking lot
Leaders: Susan Tenney(408) 802-6184 and 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.
Other Trip Notes: The initial section of the path leading from the parking lot is a narrow uneven gravel trail (requires walking single-file), but the majority of the path is a wider packed dirt trail (see photo below).
Picnic Area #1 with initial gravel section of the route and gravel section of the parking visible in the background.
Picnic Area #2 at the 0.25 mile turn-around point of the route with the adjacent packed dirt trail visible in the background.
Packed dirt trail that forms most of the route.
Banner Photo: Yellow-billed Magpie by Vinayak Hebbagil
Please take a moment to read our other policies here. Questions? Email general questions to fieldtrips@scvbirdalliance.org or contact the trip leader for questions regarding the event.