Santa Teresa County Park - Pueblo Day Use Area (Spring):
Lazuli Buntings and Other Spring Migrants
by Brooke A Miller
This small section of Santa Teresa County Park, located in San José, offers a variety of habitats including oak woodland, grassland, sage scrub, chaparral, riparian, and freshwater seeps, attracting a larger variety of birds than would a single habitat. My favorite of these birds arrives in the second half of April: the Lazuli Bunting, whose song is a complex series of jumbling notes. I get goosebumps when I hear the first bird of the season singing his song.
Trip Covers: Late April - May
Key Birds: Ash-throated Flycatcher, Tree Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Western Bluebird, Lark Sparrow, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Bullock’s Oriole, Orange-Crowned Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting
How to Bird
Santa Teresa County Park is at the southern end of the Santa Teresa Hills, ten miles south of downtown San Jose. This guide covers the Pueblo Day Use area, a small open valley in the hills. This area is available for picnicking by groups and families and has several trails around it that go both up and down gently sloping hills.
On this trip you will bird a portion of the Hidden Springs Trail (towards Coyote Peak), the Mine Trail down the hill to the Rocky Ridge Trail, and across the mustard grass filled meadow. The total trip is about 2 miles on dirt trails.
Oak Woodland at Santa Teresa County Park. Photo by Brooke A Miller
Starting from the the trailhead across the street from the parking area (#1 on map), walk along the Hidden Springs Trail for approximately 0.4 mile. Walk slowly to look and listen for Lazuli Bunting starting at the creek crossing and as you continue up the steep hill past the Ridge Trail connector. They will be on the hillside in the chaparral (locations are shown on map).
Lazuli Bunting by Brooke A Miller
Male Lazuli Buntings do all the singing to attract a mate. They have lazuli blue heads and backs, a dark conical bill, and a rust-colored breast with a white belly. Their wings have two white wing bars. In contrast, the females are all warm brown and have some blue tint on their wings and tail. Listen to their song here: Lazuli Bunting song.
When you reach the small pond (#2 on map), return back down the trail back to the trailhead (#1 on map). Also along the Hidden Springs Trail you may find House Wren, Black-headed Grosbeak, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Bullock’s Oriole, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Orange-crowned Warbler.
Continue on the Mine Trail that goes downhill, parallel to the park road, behind the public restrooms and down to the horse trough (#3 on map). Along this trail you may find Grasshopper Sparrow in the grassy hillside, noisy Acorn Woodpeckers, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Tree Swallow in and around the nest boxes, and Western Bluebirds also using nest boxes.
Grasshopper Sparrow. Photo by Brooke A Miller
Lark Sparrow. Photo by Brooke A Miller
Female Western Bluebird at nest box. Photo by Brooke A Miller
After reaching the horse trough, keep left to continue downhill on the Mine Trail, then keep left again to continue onto the Rocky Ridge Trail (#4 on map) where you may encounter Rock Wrens on the hillsides, as well as Rufous-crowned Sparrows. There is a seep between the Rocky Ridge Trail and the Mine Trail. Here you may find Bullock’s Oriole and Black-headed Grosbeak. Upon reaching the bridge (#5 on map), turn around and return to the horse trough (#3 on map).
Rufous-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Brooke A Miller
Return to your car by taking the Connector Trail across the meadow to the Pueblo Trail (#6 on map), approximately 0.2 miles. Then turn right on the Pueblo Trail and walk back to your car at the parking lot, about 0.2 miles.
Ready for More? If you like hiking you can continue down the Mine Trail to the Fortini Trail, or go further on and connect to the Stile Ranch Trail. Or, continue on the Hidden Springs Trail and hike to Coyote Peak, and down the Coyote Peak Trail to the Rocky Ridge Trail. Also in Santa Teresa County Park, you can visit the Stile Ranch Entrance and the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch.
Interactive Map
Route Summary
Park in the parking lot at the top of the hill.
From the parking lot find the Hidden Springs Trail that goes east towards Coyote Peak and bird approximately 0.4 miles one way
Return on the Hidden Springs Trail to where it connects to the Mine Trail
Bird the Mine Trail going downhill, past and behind the restrooms, to just past the last parking lot, and to the water trough, approximately 0.4 miles
Go left on the Mine Trail continuing downhill
When you reach the split continue on the Rocky Ridge Trail for approximately 0.4 miles until you reach the wooden footbridge over the creek.
Turn around and retrace your route until you get to the water trough
Continue up the Connector Trail to the Pueblo Trail, approximately 0.2 miles, and then turn right on the Pueblo Trail and walk until you reach your car at the parking lot, about 0.2 miles.
Directions: From CA-85 S or US-101 in San Jose, exit Bernal Rd. Travel south on Bernal Rd for about 2.5 miles. The road travels past the Santa Teresa Golf Club and winds up the hills. Turn left onto the park entrance road. Continue to the first parking lot to pay for parking at the pay station. Park in the 2nd parking lot (shown on map). Latitude/Longitude: 37.214024, -121.786022
Parking: Paved parking lot
Fees: Day-use parking fees. See the park website for more information.
Public Transportation: None
Park and/or Trail Hours: 8 am to sunset
Facilities: Wheelchair accessible bathroom, drinking fountains and water faucets, picnic tables, poor or no cell phone service.
Heads-up! The area has limited to no cell phone service. To print or download this guide before you go, select the text you want (don’t include the banner photo), then print to PDF, or use a free service such as printfriendly.com, which lets you shrink or remove photos.
Trip Mileage: Approximately 2 miles
Trail Conditions: Unpaved, dirt trails are used by hikers, equestrians, and bicyclists. There is an elevation gain, in a short distance on the Hidden Springs Trail—take it slow while you are looking and listening for Lazuli Buntings, mostly complete sun exposure with little shade, lots more people on the weekends.
Accessibility: Partially wheelchair accessible: The paved road and parking lots, restroom. Good parking lot birding.
Bikes: Bikes are allowed but not recommended for this trip.
Dogs: Dogs are allowed on 6-ft leash
More Information
Santa Teresa County Park Trail Map
Santa Teresa County Park Website
eBird hotspot: Santa Teresa County Park
All About Birds: Lazuli Bunting
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: Santa Teresa County Park by Brooke Miller
Last Updated: 4/19/2022
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