Check the tall trees inside the park and the dense landscaping at the east end around the restroom building and Sesto Pavilion barbecue area, including the roundabout. Watch for traffic. In winter, sparrows, thrushes, and juncos. Pines can be good for warblers, kinglets, and the occasional woodpecker. Eucalyptus trees above the playground show signs of sapsucker use. In the open areas look for Western Bluebird and Western Meadowlark. There are rows of eucalyptus trees along Herado Ave. and South Dakota Ave. which can be good for Yellow-rumped Warbler flocks.

Mainly warblers, sparrows, and thrushes in winter months. Reliable spot for spring migrants. Red-breasted Sapsucker, Red-breasted Nuthatch (irregular), Hermit Thrush, Fox Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Hermit Warbler, and Townsend's Warbler have been recorded here.

NOTE - This is a restricted access Hotspot found within the Cantonment Area of Vandenberg SFB. It is only accessible to visitors possessing a VSFB pass.

Cocheo Park is a small community park within the Cantonment area of Vandenberg SFB. It is not open to the general public but is accessible to those with a base pass. There is plenty of parking in three separate lots, the largest is found along Herado Ave.

Suggested Hotspot boundaries: Herado Ave. and golf course driving range (north), Alaska Ave. (east), a portion of the disc golf course (south), South Dakota Ave. (west)

Cocheo Park has a variety of trees surrounding it including very tall eucalyptus and Monterey Pines. There are also a number of densely planted trees and shrubs in a nicely landscaped area toward the east end that provides good cover for birds. The park features a playground structure, open lawn areas, horseshoe pits, and a sand volleyball court. The park also has two sizeable outdoor barbecue areas, one with a covered pavilion. There are two restroom buildings available.

In addition to the main park, a 5,635ft length disc golf course is located in the open property immediately to the south and east. The disc golf course features scattered pine and eucalyptus trees and open spaces. The disc golf course is rarely used on most days. Outside of the park to the north of Herado Ave. is an unfenced golf course driving range which should be avoided.

Bird activity varies here because there is a lot of habitat in the surrounding acreage. When small flocks of birds are present in the park the birding can be good. At other times these flocks may be outside of the park and there is little bird activity.

Vandenberg Space Force Base is located in western Santa Barbara County and makes up a significant portion of coastal north county. VSFB totals some 99,579 acres in size and includes 42 miles of pristine, undeveloped coastline, 9,000 acres of sand dunes, and 5,000 acres of wetland habitats. The topography of Vandenberg SFB is varied and includes hills, mountains, terraces, floodplains, mesas, canyons, and rocky headlands. The highest point on VSFB is Tranquillion Peak located on south base and reaches a height of 2,297 ft. The base contains some of the highest quality coastal habitat remaining in southern or central California.

VSFB also contains a number of freshwater environments including the Santa Ynez River, San Antonio Creek and Barka Slough, Shuman, Cañada Honda, Bear, and Jalama Creeks, as well as man-made lakes. Riparian woodlands are found along these river courses and streambeds and are particularly important for migrating and nesting birds. Because of its protected nature, none of the backcountry areas of VSFB are open to the public or to any kind of development.

Coastal bluffs and rocky headlands provide important roosting and nesting habitat for a number of seabirds. Nest sites are found along cliffs and on offshore rocks along the coast from Purisima Point on north base, to Point Pedernales and Destroyer Rock, and Point Arguello on south base. Coastal access is only available at Ocean Park (Santa Ynez River Estuary), and Surf Beach to the general public. Seasonal restrictions are in place for Ocean Park, Surf, Wall, and Minuteman beaches annually from March 1 to September 30 as part of the annual program to protect the threatened Western Snowy Plover.

The main cantonment (urbanized) area of VSFB located on north base consists of residential, industrial, community service, administrative, and recreational use areas. This cantonment area lies within the restricted security zone of the base and is only accessible to personnel with a base pass. Several VSFB birding hotspots are found within this security zone and are therefore off limits to the general public, while other Hotspots are accessible to the public by county roadways but are still found within the boundaries of the base.

Vandenberg SFB hotspots can be categorized as follows:

1.     Publicly accessible hotspots found within the Vandenberg SFB boundary. Birders are subject to the authority of VSFB security forces while visiting these locations. Examples of publicly accessible Hotspots include Barka Slough, Triangle Pond, and Surf Beach. These hotspots do not have "restricted access" in their names.

2.     Restricted-access hotspots found within the security zone of Vandenberg SFB. These areas are only accessible to visitors possessing a VSFB pass. Examples include Lake Canyon Ponds, Brown's Beach to Lions Head, and Point Pedernales. These all have "restricted access" in their names.

Base passes will not be issued to the general public at this time and visitors must be “sponsored” onto VSFB by individuals who have this privilege. Birders are permitted to visit any of the hotspots listed as publicly accessible as described above and as indicated on the various hotspot pages found in this guide.