Visiting San Jose, California, in December (1 Viewer)

[Nick Tonge]

Hi all,

I'm lucky enough to be visiting San Jose, California, for a week in early December. Please can anyone help with some advice on what birds I'd likely see there, and where the best sites are?

The trip is for work, unfortunately, but hey, it's a free trip so I'm not complaining o. I will have some limited free time while I'm there: basically the time I can make by getting up early, lunch breaks, and best of all, a free Saturday. I will have a car and be staying and working somewhere in central San Jose.

Most of the birds are likely to be new to me, as my only previous US birding was in Central Park, NY, ten years ago, so any tips would be appreciated.

Can you recommend any sites near to centre: parks, rivers, lake, shoreline, etc., that I can spend a free hour at?

Anywhere I must visit on my free Saturday?

Also, could someone recommend a decent field guide for the area? I've heard conflicting accounts of the ones on the market.

Thanks in advance.

Best Regards

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Hi all,

I'm lucky enough to be visiting San Jose, California, for a week in early December. Please can anyone help with some advice on what birds I'd likely see there, and where the best sites are?

The trip is for work, unfortunately, but hey, it's a free trip so I'm not complaining o. I will have some limited free time while I'm there: basically the time I can make by getting up early, lunch breaks, and best of all, a free Saturday. I will have a car and be staying and working somewhere in central San Jose.

Most of the birds are likely to be new to me, as my only previous US birding was in Central Park, NY, ten years ago, so any tips would be appreciated.

Can you recommend any sites near to centre: parks, rivers, lake, shoreline, etc., that I can spend a free hour at?

Anywhere I must visit on my free Saturday?

Also, could someone recommend a decent field guide for the area? I've heard conflicting accounts of the ones on the market.

Thanks in advance.

Best Regards

Pretty much anywhere around the San Francisco Bay area will have good birding at that time of the year. The Palo Alto Baylands are particularly good. You might find the book 'Birding Northern California' by Kemper helpful. Sibley's Western guide is probably the best field guide.

Searching Ebird can be very helpful, particularly for finding sites for specific birds:
http://ebird.org/ebird/eBirdReports?cmd=Start

 

[Richard Klim]

A drive along the San Mateo coast could be an enjoyable option for your free day - maybe a circuit from San Jose taking in the coast from Half Moon Bay or Pescadero down to Santa Cruz, including Pescadero Marsh, Pigeon Point, and Año Nuevo State Park (Northern Elephant Seal colony).

 

[jthoppes]

Second the field guide recommendation for Sibley.

I agree with Richard that the San Mateo coast is a great idea for that free Saturday. For smaller amounts of time nearer San Jose I might suggest Ed Levin County Park, Coyote Hills Regional Park, and Pacific Commons Linear Park (the last has regular wintering American Bittern).

You can check news of rarities from the local mailing lists as well as from eBird.

 

[StarainBoy]

Without wishing to blow my own bird writing trumpet (oh, alright, I do) Birding at the Bottom of the Bay is pretty good for the area.

 

[Nick Tonge]

Thanks everyone for the excellent info, links, and recommendations - really appreciated. Sibley book ordered, links bookmarked. Looks like I'll be very much spoiled for choice.

At the very least I'll have to persuade my bosses that I'm needed out there more frequently...

Thanks again.

 

[sneil]

Hi....can I hand over to my wife's cousin, who lived there (Los Gatos) for 30 years.......

Hello-The areas mentioned above are all good. If you really get stuck for distance you could visit the Guadalupe River which actually goes through the middle of San Jose, I never tried it but you wouldn't be far. It's in the city so I preferred going out to the country and coast more. Another area would be Vasona and the downstream reservoirs which is located toward Los Gatos. This is part of the Guadalupe river system and there is a lengthy trail from San Jose (or close by) all the way up to Lexington Reservoir. Wouldn't recommend going all the way to Lexington but Vasona would be good. I have seen many many birds such as osprey, wood duck, on an on. Busier in the spring....but worth a hike. Monterey Bay is great, but about 70 minute drive from San Jose. Closest baylands area would be Alviso which is a small town adjacent to San Jose. Anyway, this and the information alreay provided should put you in the right direction. Enjoy! ....Mike

....back to me (sneil).....I caught a taxi (cheaper-than-a-taxi.com) in the early morning from Los Gatos to Monterey for a Debi Shearwater trip into the bay.....but it was an early start (5.30 am)....but a great day....Even around the local streets you should be able to pick up Acorn and Nuttals W'peckers, Oak Titmouse, Black Phoebe, Anna's Hummingbird, Chestnut-backed chickadee, etc I even picked up a California Quail in one of the streets.... as Mike says....enjoy......if there's anything else you want, please let me know

 

[walshey]

Hi,

I birded the San Mateo coast recently (11th) and can recommend it, especially if you like waders. Actually went on a whale boat out of Monterey in the morning and had breaching humpbacks at 100 yds range. Only a small selection of seabirds this late, common ones Guillemot, Rhinocerous Auklet, Fulmar, Sooty Shearwaters and various gulls (as well as the Otters and Sea lions). After that we birded Moss Landing (Avocets, Stilts, Marwits, Willets, Dowitchers and lots of peeps). North of Santa Cruz we stopped at Scotts Creek (60 plus Snowy Plover), and Pescadero Beach (Surfbirds, Black Turnstones, Black Oystercatcher, Hud. Whimbrel. Pillar point just N. Half Moon Bay is a cracking site also, Wandering Tattler & PGP.
Any bit of coast should have divers, grebes, seaduck which are much commoner there than in the UK.

Of course if you feel really adventurous on your day off, Point Reyes is about 2 hrs away. This place is the business!

Have fun!