The primary target for birders visiting is the California Condor, as this is a good place (and one of very few) to find them in Santa Clara County. Condors have been seen flying over the hills to the south, on the other side of Highway 152, although they are often distant. A scope is highly recommended for those planning to search for these birds. They appear to be more regular in the afternoon, and have not been seen in the morning.

In addition to the condors, this is also a good place to search for other raptors such as Golden Eagle. The pullout area itself and nearby chaparral often have California Quail present as well. Based on the location in the south county, this spot may also have Greater Roadrunner, although they would likely be extremely infrequent (eBird does have several roadrunner sightings in the area, however).

California Condor, Golden Eagle, California Quail

This location was recently discovered in 2023 as a location to search for California Condors in Santa Clara County. The main birding is at a small pullout along the dirt road just past the farmer's market turnoff - this has been used as a place to scope the hills for the condors. You can park at the pullout itself or at the farmer's market - if you plan to park at the latter, make sure to buy some of the produce offered there to support the market.

If you continue along the dirt road for a fairly long distance, you will eventually reach the Dowdy Ranch area of Henry Coe State Park, which can also be another birding location. However, it is only open during certain times - check the park webpage for Dowdy Ranch (https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25820) for details on when it will be open.

Directions: From San Jose, take Highway 101 south and turn left onto Pacheco Pass Highway/Highway 152. At the intersection with Highway 156, merge left towards Casa De Fruta (another good spot to search for condors). Continue past Casa De Fruta and turn left onto Kaiser Aetna Road (about 6.5 miles past the Highway 152/156 junction). From Los Banos, take West Pacheco Blvd towards Highway 5. Continue past Highway 5 and the San Luis Reservoir and head into Pacheco Pass. Turn right onto Kaiser Aetna Road (22 miles past Hwy 5). 

None (pullout/road birding only)