Vasona Lake County Park (Fall):
Warbler Watching
by Eve Meier
Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos is a great place to visit in September and October if you are looking for warblers and other fall migrants. The route I’m recommending is short with lots of benches along the way making for a peaceful and easy outing.
Trip Covers: September - October
Key Birds: Brown Creeper, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler
How to Bird
Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos is a developed urban park with riparian woodlands, a small lake, eucalyptus groves and large shady manicured lawns. It’s also a great place for warblers and other songbirds during fall migration (September through October). This park can be busy on the weekends but as long as you stay off the paved Los Gatos Creek Trail, which runs through the park, you shouldn’t have any problems.
The route I’m recommending is a loop under one mile with plenty of benches and the best place I know for warbler watching. Start by parking in the LGS Recreation Boat Center parking lot (#1 on interactive map) and walk across the lawn to the red pedestrian bridge (#2 on map). Cross the bridge then turn right (south) and continue along the banks of the lake (#3) for the best birding opportunities. You will reach the park road that goes over Los Gatos Creek (#4). At this point, cross over the creek and turn right to continue north alongside the lake and return to your starting point.
Red pedestrian bridge that crosses Vasona Lake
As you walk along this short loop, watch the lawns. They will be busy with Black Phoebes, Western Bluebirds, Canada Geese, and the occasional Killdeer. Very soon the Yellow-rumped Warblers (October) will be plentiful and can’t be missed. These warblers are active so you'll often see them fluttering about in the trees and on the lawns as they catch insects in midair. In these areas, also watch for Brown Creepers making their way up the trunks of the larger maples. Learn the song of the creeper so that you can find them more easily.
Brown Creeper. Carter Gasiorowski
Throughout the route, check the tall eucalyptus and sycamore trees for the last of our remaining summer residents: Black-headed Grosbeaks, Hooded and Bullock’s Orioles, and Western Tanagers. At this time of year, most will be juveniles and dull in color. And very soon, the Cedar Waxwings will be returning from their summer breeding locations.
When you cross the bridge, take the opportunity to scan the lake for American Coots, Double-crested Cormorants and Pied-billed Grebes. A pair of Belted Kingfishers like to perch on the telephone wires that cross over the lake or can often be seen on the tops of the eucalyptus trees on the small island south of the bridge. (For more information on the Belted Kingfisher, watch SCVAS Education and Outreach Specialist Carolyn Knight’s Birding Basics Video: Belted Kingfisher.)
During your walk, remember to check the scattered small patches of marshy reeds for noisy Song Sparrows and the occasional Common Yellowthroat. Also, carefully scan the banks for Green Herons and Black-crowned Night Herons, both of which stand very still and blend into their surroundings as they stare into the water waiting for their prey.
Black-crowned Night Heron. Photo by Julie MacKinnon
Yellow-rumped Warbler by Sushanta Bhandarkar
My favorite birds here are the warblers which can usually be found in the trees and bushes that line the lake. This is a good opportunity to practice your slow birding by spending some time sitting on the benches to notice small movements in the trees or to wait for the birds to pop into view. Sitting quietly is also useful for listening to the small chips of the warblers as they forage. To learn more about slow birding, listen to the ABA podcast Secrets of Slow Birding with Bridget Butler.
One of the many benches that line the banks of Vasona Lake. Sit awhile and practice your slow-birding.
Wilson’s, Orange-crowned, and Yellow Warblers can all be found here. The Yellow Warblers tend to be high in the trees while the Orange-crowned and Wilson’s prefer the denser shrubs and low trees. Less common warblers that have been spotted here in recent years include Black-throated Gray, Townsend’s, Hermit, and MacGillivray's. I highly recommend watching SCVAS Executive Director Matthew Dodder’s BirdGuy Video 18: Fall Warblers 1 for tips on how to identify the more common warblers that you will see in this park.
Wilson’s Warbler by Caroline Lambert
Orange-crowned Warbler by Jean Zuo
Yellow Warbler by Tom Grey
Ready for More? Other quiet areas that are good for birding include the Peppertree and Lakeview Picnic Areas. I also recommend the little-used shady, short Viola Anderson Native Plant Trail behind the YSI buildings. Or check just below the dam for Spotted Sandpiper. Oak Meadow Park is right next door to Vasona and is also a good place to bird.
Interactive Map
Directions: From CA-85 in Los Gatos, exit Winchester Blvd. Continue south for about 1.5 miles (Winchester Blvd becomes North Santa Cruz Ave) then turn left onto Blossom Hill Rd. The park entrance will be on your left in less than 0.5 miles. Pass through the park entry kiosk and continue to the LGS Recreation Boat Center parking lot. Latitude/Longitude: 37.241319, -121.970961
Parking: Large paved parking lot
Fees: Day-use parking fees. See the park website for more information.
Park Hours: Park opens at 8 a.m. but the trails are open sunrise to sunset. If you wish to enter the park before 8 a.m., park on University Ave near the Peppertree Group Area. Latitude/Longitude: 37.241772, -121.972465
Facilities: ADA compliant bathrooms and additional porta-potties are available throughout the park.
Mileage: 1 mile loop route
Trail Conditions: Mix of lawn, dirt, and paved paths
Accessibility: Vasona is very accessible. There are many paved trails with lots of picnic tables, bathrooms and benches throughout the park. The route described in this guide travels over lawns and uneven dirt areas but, if you need pavement, you can travel a slightly bigger loop around the south tip of the lake. You won’t get as close to the water but you will see many of the birds mentioned in this guide. Another option is the dead-end paved trail that heads along the west side of the lake. It tends to have less bike traffic than the Los Gatos Creek Trail. Also, the many parking lots in this park make nice birding locations.
Bikes: Allowed but not recommended for this trip
Dogs: Allowed on leash
More Information
Vasona Lake County Park Park Map
Vasona Lake County Park Website
eBird Hotspot: Vasona Lake CP
All About Birds: Brown Creeper
Birding Basics with SCVAS Education & Outreach Specialist Carolyn Knight Video: Belted Kingfisher
BirdGuy with SCVAS Executive Director Matthew Dodder Video 18: Fall Warblers 1
ABA podcast Secrets of Slow Birding with Bridget Butler
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, birding identification resources, and more.
Read “What to Look for Now” by SCVAS Executive Director Matthew Dodder.
Banner Photo Credit: Yellow Warbler by Sarah Chan
Last Updated: 05/22/2022
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