The best time for birding this location is in late fall and winter, from November through February. Many of the specialties can most easily be found along the stretch of Laguna Avenue between the riparian area and creek and the end of the road.

Yellow-billed Magpies and Lewis’s Woodpeckers (rare) have been seen in the oaks at the west end of the road. Large flocks of blackbirds that winter in the area will have Tricolored Blackbirds as well as many of the more common blackbirds of the area. Prairie Falcon and Ferruginous Hawk are also fairly common here and can be seen flying over or sometimes perched on a distant oak. Scanning the fields north of Laguna Ave, towards the IBM lab, may be productive for various geese - Canada Goose is common, and Greater White-fronted Goose, Cackling Goose, and Snow Goose are sometimes seen as well. The wires near the road may have an occasional Loggerhead Shrike or American Kestrel.

Finally, in addition to the more regular birds, Cattle Egret and Mountain Bluebird (both very rare in the county) have been observed here. The egrets have been seen foraging in the fields around the area, and the bluebirds have been seen perched on fenceposts, usually the more distant ones (although they have come to the fenceposts next to the road on occasion).

Prairie Falcon, Ferruginous Hawk, Yellow-billed Magpie, Lewis’s Woodpecker (rare), Tricolored Blackbird, various species of geese, Loggerhead Shrike, Cattle Egret (very rare), Mountain Bluebird (very rare)

Laguna Ave is a small, fairly remote road in Coyote Valley that has been very productive for several birds not often seen elsewhere in the county, such as Ferruginous Hawk and Tricolored Blackbird.

Access to the area is from the road itself, as the surrounding area is private and there are no trails here. In addition, there are no parking lots here, so you have to park on the side of the road if you plan on getting out of your car (which is not necessary, as you can see many of the specialties of the area from your car).

Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve is located at the western edge of the Coyote Valley and provides a greenbelt between San Jose and Morgan Hill. While only 20 miles from downtown San Jose, this preserve offers a truly rural and wilderness experience. Recreation amenities include a multi-use trail for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians.

There are no trails at this location, although you can walk along the road to bird the surrounding area.