Coyote Hills Regional Park
I finally made it down to Coyote Hills Regional Park! Several people have been telling me about it over the last few months and it really didn’t disappoint, I just wish I had gotten there earlier! It was very crowded (Sunday), and we got nearly the last spot in the parking lot by the visitors center. We hiked the long loop, clockwise from the parking lot, around by the water, and then back towards the marshes. It was about 4 miles total.
This park is very beautiful and I can’t wait to return to explore more! Right off the bat I saw a white crowned sparrow, and there were a ton of wild turkeys.
I didn’t really see too many exciting water birds, I was hoping to see more. There were hundreds of coots and nearly 100 northern shovelers… also saw a few avocets and some peeps that I didn’t bother taking photos of.
As we proceeded down the path, there was a big red tailed hawk that flew down and landed nearby. There were several wild turkeys around it as well, and it was pretty funny how they tried to pass it and one got scared and puffed up!
On the water side there was a white-tailed kite! I wish my camera had better image stablization because it was very difficult to get a good shot that was actually clear… agh!
When we came back down the hill towards the marshes, I wanted to take the path that led through the marsh area, and I’m glad we did because shortly after, I saw a kestrel! It was ironic because just minutes prior, I had just met some birders from Oakland who were saying that they hadn’t seen anything exciting…
Here’s a shot from the top of the hill looking back towards the water… what you don’t see is my kid laying on the ground just beyond the crest of the hill complaining that he wanted to go home!
The kestrel flew really fast and landed on a branch… it was starting to get dark so I couldn’t really see what it was until I zoomed in…. it is so cute and much smaller in person that I expected it to be. Adorable! Then it landed on a rock and posed for me!
It was also nice to see a Say’s phoebe. I haven’t seen one since my little walk in San Ramon… that time I only saw it from the front, so Merlin helped me identify it from the back.
There are several smaller ponds and I saw these ducks and a northern mockingbird before we made it back to the parking lot. This is probably one of the best shots I’ve ever taken of a northern shoveler. Finally captured all of the colors and iridescence! I also have never seen a wigeon with a blue bill so that was exciting too.
When we got back to the parking lot, a red-shouldered hawk flew by and landed in a tree, just near my car! It was holding a dinner in its claw… intense! Very lucky to have this close encounter, best way to end my visit! Can’t wait to go back…
Birds at Coyote Hills Regional Park:
*first sighting!