Date: 7/26/26 1:39 pm From: Ryan L. via groups.io <ryanbirding...> Subject: [southbaybirds] Field Notes: SCVBA field trip to Edenvale Garden Park 7/26
Can you find birds in the hot summer months at an urban park? This morning’s field trip proves that you can!
This morning five birders joined me and my co-leaders Peter and Diane for a walk through Edenvale Garden Park. On this 2-hour, 1-mile walk we found 23 species of birds. Right at the beginning a few of us caught a glimpse of a parakeet high in the trees but we couldn’t ID it or find it again. We got great views of Hooded Orioles. Eventually, we saw three together: one male, and two female-type birds, one may have been a juvenile. We got good views of a pair of Western Tanagers. We spent a few moments trying to ID a scruffy, fluffy bird that we eventually agreed was a Hutton’s Vireo. We caught glimpses through the trees of a Cooper’s Hawk soaring over the park. We discussed the field marks of the Eurasian-collared Dove and Mourning Dove. Near Hayes Mansion we saw Black Phoebes and Dark-eyed Juncos. The palms around the mansion were filled with holes made by the local Acorn Woodpeckers for their granary and nests. At the end of the trip we added views of a Turkey Vulture and Nuttall’s Woodpecker.
This South San Jose urban park was once the site of the Frontier Land theme park, and before that it was the grounds of the Hayes Mansion estate, Edenvale. Now it is a park owned by the City of San José with many mature native and non-native trees that provide a habitat for a number of birds. In the order Mammalia we found California Ground Squirrels, Western Tree Squirrels, Pickleball players in their native habitat, and a large group of Pokémon Go players attending an event.
It was a beautiful morning to get out and appreciate our local parks and birds.
Do not disclose information that identifies the location of nesting birds of any species, to minimize stress on the nesting birds and the risk of vandalism or abuse.
