Self-guided Birding Locations
Along the bayfront in Mountain View, Shoreline Lake offers close-range views of waterbirds like Surf Scoters and Eared Grebes, occasional less-common species such as Horned Grebe and Barrow’s Goldeneye, and the ever-present possibility of finding an ocean-going rarity. Ducks are most numerous in winter, while in early spring, the spectacle of breeding Black Skimmers and Forster’s Terns returns to the lake.
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.
The highlight of this urban San Jose park is scouring through the hundreds of Canada Geese that cover the lake and lawn areas in hopes of finding a Cackling, Greater White-fronted or even a Snow or Ross’s Goose. Start this trip in the late morning after the geese have flown in.
A small, uncrowded place in East San Jose, jam-packed with waterfowl in the winter and offering great photo opportunities of ducks, herons, and shorebirds. The trails are made from gravel and offer easy, level walking, and there is plenty of sun during the colder months. The mix of creekside and pond habitat can result in a large number of species observed, especially in the winter and when water levels are favorable.
Picnic at the shady Live Oak Group Area near the Anderson Lake County Park Visitor Center in Morgan Hill and get a chance to view Wood Ducks in Coyote Creek.
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!
Enjoy your visit to this vintage farm in the middle of suburban sprawl in South San Jose, a throw-back to the days when Santa Clara Valley was known as “The Valley of the Heart’s Delight” long before it became known as “Silicon Valley”.
Watching shorebirds and water birds up close is fun at Charleston Slough and Adobe Creek. On a short or long walk you can take the time to study their behaviors and laugh at their antics: coots swim-chase each other, egrets dash after one another with plumes flying, dabbling ducks tip over with their tail feathers in the air…
Welcome back to Emily Renzel Wetlands. It's changed a bit since we last visited it in summer, but it remains delightful, and is home to many ducks and other waterfowl. It consists of two freshwater ponds which can be birded easily in an hour and a half. Located midway between Charleston Slough and Palo Alto Baylands, it combines well (by car) with either of them.
When I worked in the City of Santa Clara, I would take lunchtime bird walks along the portion of San Tomás Aquino Creek Trail that runs between US-101, Great American and Levi’s Stadium. Now I walk the trail to see the wintering Wilson’s Snipes and a nice variety of birds. This unglamorous trail offers flat walking, glimpses of nature, and some fun birds amid the office parks and neighborhoods, and often yields over 30 species in a 1-mile outing.
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!
The John Nicholas Trail in the hills of Los Gatos is a fairly flat, wide trail belonging to Upper Sanborn County Park. It is surrounded by native forest, including oak, redwood, fir and pine which provide a nice cover to be enjoyed year-round. This is one of the best places in Santa Clara County for a chance at seeing Pileated Woodpecker or Pacific Wren. Visit In the winter months to hear the unusual calls of Varied Thrush.
En las colinas de Los Gatos se encuentra el John Nicholas Trail, un sendero ancho y bastante nivelado, que pertenece al Upper Sanborn County Park. El sendero está rodeado de un bosque nativo compuesto de robles, secoyas, abetos y pinos….
