Our Spring Birdathon is underway and we’re raising funds for our education programs! When you sign up for a field trip, please consider making a donation to support our mission. Every dollar that you donate makes a difference.
NEW TRIP POLICY: Please limit your sign-ups to 1 weekend trip and 2 weekday trips per month.
Before signing up for this trip, please take a moment to read our trip policies and view our liability waiver.
Allen's Hummingbird by Vivek Khandoze
Ed R. Levin County Park - Sandy Wool
The trip will take a loop around the Sandy Wool Pond, the adjacent lawn areas and a short hill climb, where we will likely find 50+ species during our walk. We'll check the shrubs for Rufous and Allen's Hummingbirds, Bullock's and Hooded Orioles, and hopefully Lawrence's Goldfinches, while Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets hunt on the pond. All the while we'll have to keep an eye to the sky for this location's abundant raptors: Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, White-tailed Kite, Merlin, American Kestrel, and Peregrine Falcon are all possible here!
Optional: pack your own lunch/snack and we'll picnic together afterwards.
Trip Difficulty: 2 miles, dirt, muddy or possibly muddy after rain, some hills (less than 300 ft elevation gain), steep in some sections
Leaders: Sheila Raymond (408) 887-4854, Andy Melnick (650) 823-4117 and Bob Bolles (650) 224-7410
Beginner Friendly, Family Friendly Ages 10 and up
Meet: large parking lot adjacent to dog park
Directions: From I-680 in Milpitas, exit E Calaveras Blvd and go east for 2 miles. Turn left onto Downing Rd and continue for 1.1 miles going past Sandy Wool Lake to the opposite side. The large parking lot will be on your right next to the dog park. Latitude/Longitude: 37.456984, -121.863857
Facilities: bathrooms, cell coverage may be intermittent or non-existent
Parking Type and Fees: paved parking lot, parking fees, credit card only
Questions? Email general questions to fieldtrips@scvas.org or contact the trip leader for questions regarding the event.