Self-guided Birding Locations
Waterfowl and gulls are the main menu here in winter and you will find many! Located in Campbell, this park includes six percolation ponds to explore. It is flat, excellent for walking (as well as for bikes and strollers), and it is partially accessible for people with mobility issues.
Kevin Moran Park is a 10 acre park located in a quiet Saratoga neighborhood and could be easily missed. It's a beautiful multi-use park with plenty of parking. Its convenient proximity to major roadways makes it an easy option to fit some birding into your busy day.
Wintertime is an especially wonderful season to spend in the lush green Bay Area foothills, as well as enjoying the wintering birds. Chesbro Reservoir provides a location where you can do both. It’s a peaceful, less-crowded location where you can just stop and exhale. An excellent spot to view both a variety of waterfowl and raptors, there are also small shorebirds, woodpeckers, and brush inhabitants. Chesbro Reservoir is located 3 miles west of Morgan Hill.
Visit Almaden Quicksilver County Park in San Jose in the fall and winter months to enjoy the cooler weather, learn a bit about quicksilver mining, and hear the Golden-crowned Sparrows calling “no gold here” from the grassy hillsides.
The drought tolerant gardens of the Valley Water Headquarters (previously known as Santa Clara Valley Water District) off Almaden Expressway have become one of our “go to” spots when we are looking for a quiet place to bird in the Almaden Valley area. The one-mile, maintained trail through the gardens and around the large percolation pond is little used by people, has several benches along the route, and has plenty of suitable habitat for birds and other wildlife. This compact location is easy to get to making it an ideal and quick birding location.
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!
In the winter, Coast Casey Forebay is a resting and foraging place for large flocks of water-loving birds. There is often a surprise here: an American Wigeon below the pump house, a Sora in the drainage ditch, a Wilson’s Snipe in a hidden pond. This short and easy trip is great for birders of all ages and abilities, offering you ample views of many birds gathered together in a single spot.
Wondering how many Green-winged Teal and Northern Pintail can pack themselves into a small area? Pining for a glimpse of a rare Swamp Sparrow? Read on to start planning your winter trip to the Palo Alto Baylands via the San Francisquito Creek Trail!
Ogier Ponds is a quiet, birdy, freshwater haven located in Morgan Hill along the Coyote Creek Trail. It is the perfect spot to visit during fall and winter to look for wintering waterfowl, gulls, and sparrows.
Looking for a picturesque “get-away” to a beautiful area in the fall and winter without having to travel too far from home? The Sandy Wool Lake area of Ed R. Levin County Park is a nice escape in the east hills to spot birds and enjoy nature. Take a leisurely, less than 1 mile walk around Sandy Wool Lake in search of resident and returning wintering birds, all while enjoying views of the Diablo Range’s rolling hills.
