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If you haven’t been to the Shorebird Egret Rookery in Mountain View before—or even if you have—now is a great time to visit. The birds are very active and many of the young have hatched. It’s remarkable to be able to observe so many large birds and their nests at one time.
The egret rookery is somewhat surprisingly situated on Google’s campus north of 101, on a short piece of road at the end of Shorebird Way and Charleston Road. It’s best to visit on the weekend when there is parking available, but you can also bike or walk over there any time.
The small street where most of the birds are is closed during this time of year so the baby birds are not disturbed. The rookery is lined with London plane trees that are studded with nests of snowy egrets, black-crowned night herons, and even the occasional great egret. Many of the nests are only 1-2 feet apart. The trees are alive with bird activity.
The first thing you will notice when you get close is a fishy smell permeating the air. Stevens Creek is close by and many of these birds go there to forage. I have seen both fish and crustaceans (crawfish) there, though these birds will also eat rodents and insects.
The next thing you will notice at the rookery are the sounds, from squabbling to gobbling to croaking to incessant requests for food emanating from the trees.
Third, you will see a lot of motion—birds flying around with sticks to repair nests, squabbling with nearby birds, and bending down to feed their young. There is so much going on that it is hard to believe. The birds apparently don’t mind nesting in close quarters!
Finally, on the street beneath the nests, you will notice lots of big white splotches. People who have visited the egret rookery more than once will tell you to avoid standing in those areas for too long…
So bring some binoculars. See if you can spot each of the three species. Can you find their nests? What are the birds doing? Do you see any young?
This is a great experience for all ages. Bring your kids. Bring your parents.
Google, the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance, and the City of Mountain View work together to preserve this egret rookery year after year. The Bird Alliance has some information about the rookery and the birds you will see there. You can also read a 2024 writeup about it.
