Within the east San Jose foothills lies Joseph D. Grant Park, Santa Clara county’s largest park. Included in this park are over 50 miles of walking trails and an impressive variety of bird species at any time of the year. In the winter months two excellent stopping points within Joseph D. Grant Park are Grant Lake and the more secluded, adjacent McCreery Lake. Just past the main park entrance on Mt. Hamilton Rd. (Hwy. 130), they are easily accessible and provide a wide variety of waterfowl and shorebirds in the peaceful oak woodland hills. Within this same area you will also encounter many raptors, woodpeckers, and songbirds.
Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch (Winter): Birding While Enjoying History
Visit a historic ranch setting while birding in the Santa Teresa foothills in south San Jose. The Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch offers visitors the ability to go back in time and re-visit life on the Ranch during the late 1800s/ early 1900s. And there is always a wide variety of raptors and songbirds in this easy-to-access portion of the Santa Teresa County Park.
Chesbro Reservoir (Winter): A Serene Setting for Raptors and Waterfowl
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.