Alta Mesa Memorial Park (Fall/Winter)
by Ann Hepenstal
Alta Mesa Memorial Park, the only cemetery in Palo Alto, was founded in 1904. Its 72 acres feature open grassy areas, but also mature oak trees, hedgerow with privet and redwoods, a border formed by Adobe Creek, and some contemplation gardens with many California native plants. Many community members are interred here, including:
Steve Jobs (former chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Apple, Inc.)
David Packard (co-founder of Hewlett Packard)
William Shockley (Nobel Prize laureate for Physics; co-developer of the transistor and widely recognized as a cofounder of Silicon Valley)
Frederick Emmons Terman (widely recognized with Shockley as a cofounder of Silicon Valley; mentor to William Hewlett and David Packard; Dean of the Stanford University School of Engineering; Provost at Stanford University 1955-1965; drove creation of Stanford Research Park where the university leased land to high tech start-ups including Lockheed, and Hewlett-Packard)
Ray Lyman Wilbur (President of Stanford University 1916-1943; Secretary of the Interior under President Herbert Hoover)
Shirley Temple (child actress and later, diplomat with roles including Ambassador to Ghana 1974-76 and Ambassador to Czechoslovakia 1989-92)
Trip Covers: October - March
Key Birds: Killdeer, Red-tailed Hawk, Acorn Woodpecker, Black Phoebe, Western Meadowlark, Yellow-rumped Warbler
How to Bird
Start at the cemetery office building and as a courtesy, tell the office staff that you’ll be birding and reassure them that you'll be respectful and will follow the cemetery's No Photography rule.
Pause at the office building to check for birds: this small garden features Toyon and Coffeeberry which provide winter berries, a Coast Live Oak beloved by Bushtits and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, and a nonnative Liquid Amber tree on whose seed pods the Lesser Goldfinches, Pine Siskins, and House Finches love to feed. This area has some benches where you can sit and watch.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee by Tom Grey
Leaving the office, walk the road towards the mausoleum buildings. Black Phoebes enjoy perching on the gravestones as they hunt for insects. Check the grassy areas for Killdeer, Western Meadowlark, and Western Bluebirds. You’ll likely spot (and hear!) Yellow-rumped Warblers all over. As you approach the buildings, look on the left side of the road for the hedge, Coast Live Oak and bird bath (#1 on map). You’ll likely see a large flock of White-crowned Sparrows (check for Golden-crowned) and may see a Spotted Towhee! Across the road is a memorial with a bench, well-placed to sit down and spend some time enjoying the sparrows.
Black Phoebe by Suresh Thirumalai
Continue up the road and bear right--a lovely small grove of Coast Live Oak trees towers overhead. Listen and look for Acorn Woodpeckers here. You may spot the pair of Red-tailed Hawks that frequent this area! Approach the mausoleum buildings, and watch for California Towhees and sparrows in the hedge, and Lesser Goldfinches and House Finches enjoying the Liquid Amber trees (#2 on map).
Walk around the building and to the entrance of the contemplation garden (#3 on map), and look for birds. This garden features various California Native Plants which provide habitat and food for birds.
When you’re ready, exit this garden and follow the road that roughly parallels Adobe Creek. Check the grassy areas for Western Meadowlarks, Killdeer, and Western Bluebirds; check the Liquid Amber trees for feasting finches.
Killdeer by Tom Grey
Walk over and peek into the creek bed, hoping to see water and ducks. Check the hedge for Bushtits and other birds moving about; check the privet trees for Cedar Waxwings; listen for woodpeckers and flickers; and of course--stay alert for a Merlin flyover!
On your return, take the road that parallels the Palo Alto-Los Altos bike path, and check the hedgerow for birds. You may see Cedar Waxwings in the fruiting Privet trees (#4 on map) and find Oak Titmice, Chestnut-Backed Chickadees and Bushtits moving about.
Bushtit by Tom Grey
Follow the road back to the cemetery office and your car. (Don’t forget to file an eBird report!)
Ready for More? Visit throughout the year to watch bird species leave and arrive; nesting behaviors; and the changes of the seasons
Interactive Map
Location: Alta Mesa Memorial Park is located at 695 Arastradero Rd, Palo Alto. Latitude/Longitude: 37.399264, -122.129795
Location Notes: Please be respectful of people visiting the graves and of any services. The cemetery is private property and does not allow photography of any kind including bird photography.
Parking: You may park along the shoulder of the cemetery roads. Cemetery Management likes to keep the parking spots near the office available for customers of the cemetery. Please be respectful.
Parking Fees: None
Public Transportation: Not easily accessible by public transportation; please see 511.org to identify a route
Cemetery Hours: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Monday through Sunday. Check the website.
Facilities: Benches. Strong cell phone signal. The office has bathroom facilities, but this is a private facility and not open during the Public Health emergency
Trip Mileage: Varies on your route but easily adapted to the length that you want
Trail Conditions: Paved roads run throughout the cemetery and can be used for most of this suggested route
Accessibility: Paved roads are flat and easy to roll on
Bikes: Bikes are allowed but not recommended for this trip
Dogs: Not allowed
More Information:
Information on Alta Mesa Memorial Park
Virtual Tour of the Alta Mesa grounds
Memorials of famous people buried at Alta Mesa
More Resources
For more trips like this one, visit Self-Guided Field Trips.
Visit the SCVAS Birding Resources page for more information on where to bird, our birding community, bird identification resources and more.
Read “What to Look for Now” by SCVAS Executive Director Matthew Dodder.
Banner Photo Credit: Yellow-rumped Warbler by Hita Bambhania-Modha
Last Updated: 05/22/2022
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