Bay Area Work Trip - Birding Suggestions (1 Viewer)

[crettie]

I've got a work trip to the Bay Area in early June (staying in Fremont) is there any areas worth checking out in the local area early morning/evening for birds? Looking at the map the Coyote Creek area seems promising and not far from where I'm staying.

I'm coming from the UK and only briefly birded in California on a short previous work trip so most birds will still be new to me!

Also I'll have at least one free weekend on the trip plus access to a car is there anywhere slightly further afield that's definitely worth checking out?

Thanks!

 

[MelospizaMelodiaFan]

Oh boy, I am a lightweight birder, but I will do my best.
Here are parks I have been and birds I have seen there, all in Fremont or very close by
Quarry Lakes regional park: red tailed hawk, crows, cormorants, various ducks, white pelicans
Ardenwood Historic Farm: Brewer's blackbird, western bluebird, eurasian collard dove, bald eagle, red tailed hawk
Coyote Hills Regional Park/Alameda Creek Trail: white tailed kite, turkey, ducks, red-winged blackbird, cedar waxwing

The great thing about CA is you are close to the sea and the mountains. It really depends on what you fancy. I will be heading to Pinnacles National Park (2 hrs drive from Fremont) to see California Condors. This might be a rare opportunity for you to see this endangered bird. You can also try to see them in Big Sur, if you prefer the coast. Pt. Reyes National Seashore is another place to consider. If you want to head up into the Sierras, consider Calaveras Big Trees or Yosemite, if you don't mind crowds.

Let me also add, if you need overnight accommodations, book them NOW, as it is very busy in the summer here.

 

[crettie]

Oh boy, I am a lightweight birder, but I will do my best.
Here are parks I have been and birds I have seen there, all in Fremont or very close by
Quarry Lakes regional park: red tailed hawk, crows, cormorants, various ducks, white pelicans
Ardenwood Historic Farm: Brewer's blackbird, western bluebird, eurasian collard dove, bald eagle, red tailed hawk
Coyote Hills Regional Park/Alameda Creek Trail: white tailed kite, turkey, ducks, red-winged blackbird, cedar waxwing

The great thing about CA is you are close to the sea and the mountains. It really depends on what you fancy. I will be heading to Pinnacles National Park (2 hrs drive from Fremont) to see California Condors. This might be a rare opportunity for you to see this endangered bird. You can also try to see them in Big Sur, if you prefer the coast. Pt. Reyes National Seashore is another place to consider. If you want to head up into the Sierras, consider Calaveras Big Trees or Yosemite, if you don't mind crowds.

Let me also add, if you need overnight accommodations, book them NOW, as it is very busy in the summer here.

Awesome thanks that gives me plenty of options! Pinnacles National Park looks pretty interesting (especially if there is a chance of Condors!).

 

[MelospizaMelodiaFan]

Awesome thanks that gives me plenty of options! Pinnacles National Park looks pretty interesting (especially if there is a chance of Condors!).

I just returned from Pinnacles, stayed from 1 pm to 12 pm (23 hrs). Here are some notes:
1. We visited the East side of the park, this is where the campground and visitor center is. I can't comment on the West side.
2. It was recommended to hike up the Condor Gulch trail to the High Peaks trail as the best chance for viewing condors. This is ~2 mile hike from the Bear Gulch trailhead with significant elevation gain. Note: Bear Gulch trailhead was full by 11 am on a weekday. On weekends, expect to take a shuttle to reach it.
3. Before 10 am or after 5pm were recommended times for viewing condors; during midday, they range far and wide.
4. There are plenty of turkey vultures there. It will be a good birding challenge to distinguish them from condors.
5. We ventured up this trail twice, once after 4pm and once after 7am. We saw condors both times! The best viewing was in the evening, when they flew past the trail in a narrow passage. The next day, we saw one in the distance using binoculars, but were able to identify its field marks. We consider ourselves very lucky!
6. Even if you don't see condors, the place is bursting with other fauna and flora. The volcanic rock formations are very impressive as well.
7. I got pictures, need to sort through them, but will share later.

 

[has530]

Just north of coyote hills is Hayward regional shoreline. There is a least tern breeding colony there which can be quite spectacular (approximate location shown on the map) as well as many other species of possible shorebirds, raptors and others.

 

[MelospizaMelodiaFan]

Overexposed and out of focus, but this was a close flyby by the condors when we hiked up to see them in the evening.

 

[crettie]

I just returned from Pinnacles, stayed from 1 pm to 12 pm (23 hrs). Here are some notes:
1. We visited the East side of the park, this is where the campground and visitor center is. I can't comment on the West side.
2. It was recommended to hike up the Condor Gulch trail to the High Peaks trail as the best chance for viewing condors. This is ~2 mile hike from the Bear Gulch trailhead with significant elevation gain. Note: Bear Gulch trailhead was full by 11 am on a weekday. On weekends, expect to take a shuttle to reach it.
3. Before 10 am or after 5pm were recommended times for viewing condors; during midday, they range far and wide.
4. There are plenty of turkey vultures there. It will be a good birding challenge to distinguish them from condors.
5. We ventured up this trail twice, once after 4pm and once after 7am. We saw condors both times! The best viewing was in the evening, when they flew past the trail in a narrow passage. The next day, we saw one in the distance using binoculars, but were able to identify its field marks. We consider ourselves very lucky!
6. Even if you don't see condors, the place is bursting with other fauna and flora. The volcanic rock formations are very impressive as well.
7. I got pictures, need to sort through them, but will share later.

Awesome, thanks for the information that's very useful! Especially the part about the parking I suspect I may be going for a very early start if I fancy getting a spot.

 

[MelospizaMelodiaFan]

Just north of coyote hills is Hayward regional shoreline. There is a least tern breeding colony there which can be quite spectacular (approximate location shown on the map) as well as many other species of possible shorebirds, raptors and others.
View attachment 1509640

I just went to the Hayward Shoreline last weekend and it was great. I saw cliff swallows, barn swallows, double crested cormorant, forster's terns, great egret, snowy egret, california gull, black skimmer. It was all within 1 mile of the interpretive center. I had the best time with my camera. Didn't photograph any least terns, but maybe I was in the wrong spot. The forster's tern is bigger and took ownership of the pond near the first bridge, where I was camped out. Very much worth a visit.

 

[Patudo]

Funnily enough I had to visit SF and the Carmel Valley on a work trip last week. Having never visited the West Coast I had that brilliant experience of seeing lots of birds that might have been pretty commonplace to the locals, but were new and interesting to me!

Checking out where Coyote Hills is, I was nowhere near where you'll be (I visited Golden Gate Park, the Presidio and Marin Headland). But Coyote Hills Regional Park and the Eden Landing Ecological Reserve look like they'd give you most of the more common birds. One probably not so common bird I'd really hoped to see, but didn't, was the golden eagle - Ebird suggests there are quite a few recent sightings not too far from Fremont and if I was there I'd try to find a good viewpoint in the mountains and cross my fingers.

 

[MelospizaMelodiaFan]

Funnily enough I had to visit SF and the Carmel Valley on a work trip last week. Having never visited the West Coast I had that brilliant experience of seeing lots of birds that might have been pretty commonplace to the locals, but were new and interesting to me!

Checking out where Coyote Hills is, I was nowhere near where you'll be (I visited Golden Gate Park, the Presidio and Marin Headland). But Coyote Hills Regional Park and the Eden Landing Ecological Reserve look like they'd give you most of the more common birds. One probably not so common bird I'd really hoped to see, but didn't, was the golden eagle - Ebird suggests there are quite a few recent sightings not too far from Fremont and if I was there I'd try to find a good viewpoint in the mountains and cross my fingers.

I have seen more Bald Eagles in the Bay Area than Goldens. I just read the coastal mountain range has the highest population of Goldens in the world. Maybe at Pinnacles you get Condors and Eagles for the price of admission . Knowing this, I will make Goldens one of my priorities in the near future, as they are in my back yard!

 

[Lewis]

Welcome (in advance) to the Bay Area! The part of the Hayward Shoreline I most often visit (there are various roads in to various parts of that shoreline) is at the west end of West Winton Avenue.

I saw black skimmers there a couple weeks ago and it is AMAZING to watch them do their thing (i.e. skimming : ), especially when they do it in coordination with each other.

Palo Alto Baylands is not far away and is brilliant for ducks, shorebirds, swallows.

If you want to see San Francisco and Golden Gate Park and you’ll be here this upcoming Sunday, Golden Gate Audubon holds its monthly birdwalk in SF Botanical Garden: meet at the main entrance at 8am. Afterwards (or any time during your stay) you can go a very short distance to the west end of SF to the Cliff House/Land’s End and enjoy birds, maybe whales, and the wild and beautiful Pacific Ocean.

Here’s really bad skimmer photos from Hayward (hand held phone thru railing-propped Nikon HG 8x42s)

Oh! Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline by the Oakland Airport is a great place too!

Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline

Next to the commercial bustle of Oakland International Airport is a 748-acre park leased from the Port of Oakland, protecting the remainder of a once-extensive marshland at San Leandro Bay.

www.ebparks.org

Much love all!

Lewis

 

[Elkhornsun]

Don't overlook the Baylands Nature Preserve in Palo Alto area (on west side of the bay) which is great for shorebirds. Best to go at low to mid tide levels.

 

[has530]

Welcome (in advance) to the Bay Area! The part of the Hayward Shoreline I most often visit (there are various roads in to various parts of that shoreline) is at the west end of West Winton Avenue.

I saw black skimmers there a couple weeks ago and it is AMAZING to watch them do their thing (i.e. skimming : ), especially when they do it in coordination with each other.

Palo Alto Baylands is not far away and is brilliant for ducks, shorebirds, swallows.

If you want to see San Francisco and Golden Gate Park and you’ll be here this upcoming Sunday, Golden Gate Audubon holds its monthly birdwalk in SF Botanical Garden: meet at the main entrance at 8am. Afterwards (or any time during your stay) you can go a very short distance to the west end of SF to the Cliff House/Land’s End and enjoy birds, maybe whales, and the wild and beautiful Pacific Ocean.

Here’s really bad skimmer photos from Hayward (hand held phone thru railing-propped Nikon HG 8x42s)

Oh! Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline by the Oakland Airport is a great place too!

Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline

Next to the commercial bustle of Oakland International Airport is a 748-acre park leased from the Port of Oakland, protecting the remainder of a once-extensive marshland at San Leandro Bay.

www.ebparks.org

Much love all!

Lewis

View attachment 1513103

Very cool! And to be more specific about MLK shoreline, Arrowhead Marsh is the place to be! A very consistent spot to see rails as well as whatever waterfowl and shorebirds are "in season"

 

[MelospizaMelodiaFan]

@crettie I just read that they stopped shuttle service at pinnacles. It is their off season as it is getting hot there.

 

[MelospizaMelodiaFan]

@crettie what did you end up doing? Did you have a good birding trip?