Alum Rock Park and Sierra Vista Open Space

10-31-202610-31-2026 photography an hour read (About 12500 words) visits

Introduction

On October 31st, 2026, I visited Alum Rock Park and Sierra Vista Open Space for hiking and photography. It turns out that Alum Rock Park is a great place rich of various wildlife. The species I encountered and photographed include California Scrub-Jay, Oak Titmice, Northern Mockingbird, American Bushtits, and Steller’s Jay, California Quail, Bewick’s Wren, California Towhee, Hermit Thrush, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Black Phoebe, Red-Tailed Hawk, Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Acorn Woodpecker, Golden-Crowned Sparrow, and California Mule Deer. Sierra Vista Open Space has fewer number of species in my opinion. But on mountains in Sierra Vista Open Space, there are a lot of opportunities to encounter raptors, such as Red-Tailed Hawks, Golden Eagles, and Peregrine Falcons. More specifically, Golden Eagles are rare and I have not seen Golden Eagles elsewhere in Bay Area.