Self-guided Birding Locations
Whether you want a relaxing lakeside drive with easy bird watching, or a vigorous hike through the rolling hills, Coyote Lake in Gilroy is a prime attraction for birdwatchers. Beautiful scenery is the backdrop to lots of overwintering waterfowl and wild animals like deer, wild boar, Wild Turkey and California Quail that are habituated to people. Come for the Bald Eagles and courting Western and Clark’s Grebes and you will find so much more.
Explore this oasis in Gilroy! The levees along settling ponds with varying amounts of water and vegetation attract ducks, shorebirds, raptors and more. This site is never crowded and has no hills, just level dirt roads, easy for walking and driving.
Just a short hop off Highway 280 in Cupertino brings you to this, our very first Santa Clara County park. Drive through lower Stevens Creek Canyon, stopping to bird at parking spots and picnic areas. Shady creeksides, a reservoir to scan, and oak and chaparral hillsides are alive with resident and migrant birds. The secret to finding them is to come early to beat the heat and crowds. And don’t forget your picnic lunch!
Much has changed since the fire of 2020, but this area remains productive for birding. Drive through grassland, cottonwood riparian, oak savanna, and canyon habitats in Stanislaus County to search for Grasshopper Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak. There is also a chance of Costa’s Hummingbird and Greater Roadrunner. Continue toward San Antonio Valley for Bell’s Sparrow and Lewis’s Woodpecker.
Skyline Boulevard runs at the top of the Santa Cruz Mountains. This higher elevation area is home to a variety of birds which are harder to find in other parts of the county. This guide covers 3 stops along Skyline Blvd which can be visited by car and with a minimal amount of walking.
The agricultural fields of the Coyote Valley floor in South San Jose/Morgan Hill are excellent birding for raptors and grassland specialties. A popular stop is Laguna Ave, where with luck you can watch courting Red-tailed Hawks, Golden Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, and more! This trip is best done by car or by bike as it involves scanning long sections of fields along roads.
There’s no winter birding experience quite like the dry rolling ranch lands and deserted flat earth of Panoche Valley. This trip nearly guarantees to provide the brave-hearted with world-class views of Ferruginous Hawk, Greater Roadrunner, Prairie Falcon, and Mountain Bluebird. It’s a magical, barren place!
For a location full of visual and aural extremes, visit Merced NWR where you can see and hear Sandhill Cranes rattling loudly and dancing together or enormous swirling clouds of thousands of Snow and Ross’s Geese. There are decidedly few experiences more life-affirming than a winter trip to this Central Valley location!
