Old Oak Glen Avenue (Spring):
An Easy Stroll to See and Hear Spring Birds
by Brooke A Miller
Old Oak Glen Avenue in Morgan Hill is a wonderful place to peacefully look at spring migrants. There is oak woodland on one side of the road, and Llagas Creek along the other. Swainson’s Thrush is often found here, a hard-to-find bird in our area.
Trip Covers: mid-April to mid-June
Key Birds: Wood Duck, Caspian Tern, Golden and Bald Eagle, Acorn Woodpecker, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Swainson’s Thrush, Hooded and Bullock’s Oriole, Yellow Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, Western Tanager, Lazuli Bunting
How to Bird
Old Oak Glen Avenue is a quiet road at the west end of Chesbro Reservoir in Morgan Hill. The road dead-ends at a gate to private property so has next-to-no traffic. On one side of the road is hilly oak woodland with Coast Live Oaks, on the other side is a riparian habitat of Valley Oak, Cottonwood, California Bay Laurel, Sycamore, Willow, and Buckeye that lines Llagas Creek. Depending on winter rainfall, the creek may be anything between a trickle and a roar of water. (When I visited in mid-March it was flowing slowly and Chesbro Reservoir was essentially dry at this end.) There is a spring uphill, about half-way along the road, that keeps the area moist making this a good spot for spring migrants.
Old Oak Glen Ave under dense canopy. Brooke Miller
Park along the side of the road, there are several pullouts. I prefer to park almost immediately after turning onto the road, before the small bridge (see #1 on the interactive map and the photo below). Walk along this short stretch (0.8 miles one-way) scanning the ground, bushes, trees, and sky for birds. When you get to the private property gate (#2 on map), turn around and bird the road back to your car for anything you might have missed.
Llagas Creek by Brooke A Miller
Looking eastward on Old Oak Glen Ave by Brooke A Miller.
In and next to the creek, you may find Wood Duck, Spotted Sandpiper, Song Sparrow, Mallard, Acorn Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker and Red-winged Blackbird. Above, in the sky, you may spot Golden and Bald Eagle, Osprey, Caspian Tern and Swallows (Barn, Violet-green, Tree, Cliff and Northern Rough-winged). In the underbrush on either side of the road you may find House Wren, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Yellow Warbler and Wilson’s Warbler, my favorite bird in this area. It’s a bird that is always hard to see, as it hides and moves so quickly, but with several possible along this road, you have a good chance to spot at least one.
Wilson’s Warbler. Photo by Brooke A Miller
Swainson’s Thrush, a hard-to-find bird in the county, is often found in late-April and May, in the darker areas of the underbrush about half-way along the road. Similar in looks to a Hermit Thrush, it has spectacles around its eyes. However, you are much more likely to hear its upward spiraling flute-like song, than to see it.
Swainson’s Thrush. Photo by Brooke A Miller.
In the bushes and trees in the oak woodland and riparian habitat, you may find Hooded and Bullock’s Oriole, Black-headed Grosbeak, Warbling Vireo, Western Tanager, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Kingbird and Lazuli Bunting.
Warbling Vireo with Worm. Photo by Brooke A Miller
Ready for More? Not far from here is Chesbro Reservoir County Park and Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve.
Interactive Map
Directions: From US-101, take the Bailey Avenue exit and go west all the way up to McKean Road. At McKean Road, turn left (south) and go approximately 4.5 miles, then take the left at the sign indicating Oak Glen Avenue and Chesbro Reservoir, and immediately go right at the fork. Latitude/Longitude: 37.126214, -121.732848
Parking: Pull-outs on paved road
Fees: None, this is a public road
Public Transportation: None
Facilities: None. There is decent cell phone service. Nearest public porta-potty is at the parking lot at Chesbro Reservoir Dam. Latitude/Longitude: 37.118603, -121.695931
Trip Mileage: 0.8 mile, one-way
Trail Conditions: Flat paved road, poison-oak in the brush
Accessibility: This paved public road with little traffic can certainly be birded via wheelchair.
Bikes: You might want to ride your bike to this location, but you’ll want to walk the road.
Dogs: Yes
More Information:
eBird hotspot: Old Oak Glen Ave
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: Brooke Miller
Last Updated: 04/19/2022
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