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Coyote Lake (Fall/Winter): Mendoza Ranch Area

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Coyote Lake (Fall/Winter):
Mendoza Ranch Area

by Michael Hawk

Coyote Lake County Park is a wonderfully diverse park in the South County, probably best known for its resident Bald Eagle and Canyon Wren. Those highlights are found along or near the reservoir. But today, we’ll look at the less-traveled south end of the park.

In particular, we’ll travel the out-and-back spur to Roop Pond, and the hiking-only Rancho La Polka Loop trail, both of which are lightly traveled, affording more opportunity for solitude with the birds! With a small pond, oak woodland, and oak savannah transitioning into grassland, this can be an excellent area for all of the typical oak woodland birds and overwintering raptors.

Trip covers: October - February

Key Birds: Hairy Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Loggerhead Shrike, Yellow-billed Magpie, Lark Sparrow, Western Meadowlark

Roop Pond in fall. Photo: Michael Hawk

Roop Pond in fall. Photo: Michael Hawk

How to Bird

Start at the Mendoza Ranch park entrance at the southern end of the park. There is a large gravel parking lot with a well-marked trailhead and portable toilets.

From the trailhead, walk the first 0.1 mile portion to the first trail junction. This initial section by the parking lot is home to many California Ground Squirrels, so keep an eye out for hunting raptors! This is also a good location to search for Loggerhead Shrike.

Loggerhead Shrike with its impaled prey. Photo: Michael Hawk

Loggerhead Shrike with its impaled prey. Photo: Michael Hawk

At the first trail junction (#1 on Interactive Map) head left through the gate on the 0.4 mile (0.8 miles round-trip) out-and-back trail to Roop Pond. This trail doubles as a service road for park staff, and slopes downward towards the pond. You may have seen the pond on your drive as you approached the park. 

As you walk towards the pond, you’ll have a good chance in spotting Western Bluebirds, Acorn Woodpeckers, Mourning Doves, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, and California Scrub Jays. I’ve seen Lark Sparrows on this stretch as well, but they are more sporadic.

At the pond (#2 on map), you’ll find a reliable selection of Mallards, American Coots, and Pied-billed Grebes, but may occasionally see other dabbling ducks or even a Belted Kingfisher. You’ll probably hear a racket from nearby Killdeer, as well. Groups of Steller’s Jays enjoy hanging out in the nearby trees. By autumn the majority of the swallows will have departed on their annual migration south, but it is still worth checking for an overwintering swallow.

Head back the way you came, back to the initial trail junction (#1 on map). At the junction, take a left onto Mendoza Trail and stay on it for 0.3 miles. After a brief open area, you’ll enter an oak grove. This is an excellent spot to listen for California Quail and watch for Ruby-crowned Kinglets. 

After you’ve walked the 0.3 mile section of Mendoza Trail, you’ll reach the junction of Rancho La Polka Trail (#3 on map). You’ll take a short stub trail about 0.1 miles before you reach the main 1.0 mile loop trail. The loop has about 200’ elevation change, and is also grazed by cattle, so there can be pot marks from the cattle hooves after rain making for unstable footing. There is a picnic table at the midway point making a nice resting point. The table has an excellent expansive valley view.

The western side (valley side) of the trail is very exposed with few trees and expansive grassy hillsides, but excellent valley views. This is likely good Grasshopper Sparrow habitat if you venture back in the spring and summer. This time of year, look for American Kestrel, Western Meadowlark, Yellow-billed Magpie, and perhaps sporadic groups of Lark Sparrows.

American Kestrel, North America’s littlest falcon. Photo by Michael Hawk

American Kestrel, North America’s littlest falcon. Photo by Michael Hawk

The eastern side is moderately wooded, with a mix of Valley and Coast Live Oaks. This is excellent habitat for Oak Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Steller’s and California Scrub Jays, White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Bewick’s Wren, Northern Flicker, Hairy Woodpecker, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. Look for Say’s Phoebe in edge habitat and the more open areas. There was even a report of a Lewis’s Woodpecker in this area a couple years ago.

Bewick’s Wren. Photo: Michael Hawk

Bewick’s Wren. Photo: Michael Hawk

And be sure to look up occasionally! Turkey Vultures dominate, but Red-tailed Hawk is also common. And an occasional Cooper’s Hawk or White-tailed Kite might be found hunting.

Ready for More? As long as you are here, you should check out the lake for diving waterfowl. Drive along Coyote Reservoir, and look for turnouts or day use areas where you can see the lake. A scope will definitely help here. Western and Clark’s Grebe are common, and you’ll likely see a number of ducks - Bufflehead, Gadwall, Canvasback, and others are common. You can continue all the way to the dam and park there. You are allowed to walk onto the dam, which is where the Canyon Wren is often found perching and singing on the dam boulders. Rufous-crowned Sparrows often frequent this area, and I saw a Pileated Woodpecker in this area spring 2020

Interactive Map

Directions: From US-101 in Gilroy, exit Masten Ave. Travel east for approximately 1 mile towards the foothills. Turn right onto Center Ave, travel 0.4 miles, then turn left onto Rucker Ave.  In 0.8 miles, turn right onto New Ave. Travel 1.6 miles then turn left onto Roop Rd. In 1.9 miles, turn left at the T-intersection and continue on Roop Rd for 0.9 miles. Turn left at the Mendoza Ranch Coyote Lake County Park sign. This road leads to the parking lot. Latitude/Longitude: 37.070541, -121.522468

Parking: Parking lot

Fees: There are no fees for the Mendoza Ranch Entrance parking lot. Day-use parking fees apply at Coyote Lake Entrance parking lots. See the park website for more information.

Public Transportation: None

Park Hours: The park is open year-round for general day use from 8 a.m. to sunset

Facilities: The Mendoza Ranch parking area has an ADA portable toilet. There are two benches at Roop Pond and picnic tables at the mid-way point of Rancho La Polka trail. 

Route Overview: Starting from the Mendoza Ranch Entrance, take the Mendoza Trail, left on Roop Pond Trail to pond, return on Roop Pond Trail, left on Mendoza Ranch Trail, left onto Rancho La Polka Trail (a loop), right onto Mendoza Trail, back to parking lot.

Trail Conditions/Mileage: The out-and-back hike to Roop Pond is along a park maintenance road. It has some elevation drop as you approach the pond, but is not steep. This route is about a 1.0 mile round-trip from the parking lot. 

The Rancho La Polka loop will add an additional 1.7 miles. It is slightly steeper, with approximately 200’ elevation change.

The entire area has occasional cattle grazing, so there may be pot marks from cattle if trails have recently been wet. 

Roop Pond Trail and Rancho La Polka trails do not allow mountain bikes, but the short portion of Mendoza Trail does allow mountain bikes.

Accessibility: Although this trip is not tagged as accessible, the beginning of the trail (about 0.3 mile) is flat and wide and is a great birding path for a wheelchair rider. After the green gate, however, the trail becomes too rough. The parking lot is also a good location for birding. It is large and flat and many of the birds mentioned in this trip can be viewed from there.

Bikes: Not allowed on specified trails

Dogs: Allowed on 6-ft leash

More Information

More Resources

Banner Photo Credit: Western Meadowlark by Vivek Khanzodé

Last Reviewed: 9/05/2022

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