While walking through Coyote Hills that day, I encountered a family of Black-tailed Deer right on the trail. Perhaps because it was around Thanksgiving and there were fewer people, it was rare to see them out like this. I’ll also include some of the birds I observed that day.
From the series of rolling hills, you can enjoy views of the Bay Area from various angles and sometimes even look down on raptors from above.The “HIGH VOLTAGE” marking indicates that this must be the remains of an old utility pole. Red-tailed Hawk.White-crowned Sparrow. This fall (2025), Coyote Hills seems to have a lower bird density compared to last year.
As I was walking without much luck, I suddenly spotted a group of deer ahead on the trail.
Likely a mother and fawns of Black-tailed Deer. Judging from their size, two of them appear to be young.
This trail is usually quite busy with people, but today, with almost no foot traffic, the deer must have felt safe enough to come out this far.
One has a swelling near its eye. Some wild deer show this kind of symptom due to viral infections.A shot of all four together. The two in the middle seem to be adults, and you can clearly see their characteristic black tails.
Even when a jogger passed close by, they barely reacted. This might be a group that’s fairly accustomed to people.
There were few birds, and curiously, even squirrels were scarce. I saw only a single California Ground Squirrel, perhaps waiting for someone to start lunch at the picnic table.In the brushy area near the visitor center, I found some different birds. Ruby-crowned Kinglet.This species has a slender bill and yellow feet, so it’s not the similar-looking Hutton’s Vireo.A California Scrub-Jay standing against the reflections from cars in the parking lot.It might be the same young bird I saw here before. If so, it’s now fully molted into beautiful blue plumage.
Equipment used: 400 mm f/2.8 (with built-in teleconverter).
