Picchetti Ranch Open Space (4/27/2026)

Today I had ALL DAY and NO RAIN and not supercrazyhot temps for my Naturing options. After spending some time looking through all the recently observed Wildflowers in the Bay Area on iNat as of late, I decided to visit a newtome place to see the White Globe Lily. One of the latest observations was down in Cupertino at some place called Picchetti Ranch Open Space, which is part of MidPen. As in, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.

Pretty random, but I was game!

Okokok, so it’s tough not to talk IMMEDIATELY about THE BOBCAT. I’m going to do my best…

Arrived to the trailhead, where there were signs for Rattlesnakes and Mountain Lions. OOH! It was pretty cool for a late April day in the South Bay, so it’d be downright BIZARRE to see a Rattlesnake today. But exciting to know they’re in the area. As for Mountain Lions, I wasn’t going that far from the Picchetti Winery (at the trailhead) to really be concerned.

What I DID notice soon after arriving was entirely annoying sounds of gunshots nearby. Little did I know that there was the Sunnyvale Rod & Gun Club across the main road.

😐

Now, this is just awful. They should require Gun Clubs to be indoors if so close to public green spaces. Where the WILDLIFE are and all. Ridiculous.

So even on a Monday afternoon, I could hear gunshots for a bit after starting out on the Zinfandel and Bear Meadow Loop route on AllTrails. Fortunately, it did finally get out of earshot.

Ok, where was I. Right! The Coast Live Oaks were lovely, but I only saw a handful of interesting sights after starting out. Rough Hedgenettle and California Wild Rose and one Large-tailed Aphideater. Oh, and the first sighting of a number of Dusky-footed Woodrat nests!

Valley Oaks started to appear as did the first view of the Picchetti Ranch Pond. Where there was a grand Wild Turkey showing every single feather it had! It was facing me as I first saw it. And it kept on me for a bit. Noticed a female laying down closeby. Hm! Do they display like that to attract? The female seemed to already be with him. So? So curious! Need to look that up.

And then I spotted a pair of Wood Ducks on the pond! Can’t remember the last time I saw one! As usual, they quietly swam away from me once they noticed me. I wasn’t even close to the pond, but they were not having it. Wish I’d been able to get closer for better photos, but ah well. Got to see them! There was even a second pair on the opposite end of the pond. Have I ever seen two couples together before?

I got to the far end, where you can actually get close to the pond’s edge. A Spotted Towhee was stomping on the ground near me. A White-breasted Nuthatch flew into the Oak behind me. And the male Turkey kept facing me. Was I making him nervous? I wasn’t even that close to him! But I kept on my way, even though I wanted to stay and find the Nuthatch for better photos.

After passing by a couple blooming Smooth Mule-Ears, it was time to round a corner of the loop. But the iNat observation I was after was further ahead on the continuing Zinfandel Trail. So I kept on it.

And it opened up into a vast grassland in the sun. I took all the scenery in. Noting a female Wild Turkey minding her own business under an Oak. And I looked across the grasses and saw an unusual-looking stump of sorts hiding in the grass? Held my digital camera up and saw it was A BOBCAT!!! Just sitting with its eyes closed, soaking up the sunshine.

As I took some photos of it slowly realizing it was being watched, it stared at me a bit more. I was not close to it whatsoever. And I started taking video of it, which I wish I could share here. Gotta figure out if there’s some plug-in I need or something. But it licked its chops, scratched the right side of its face or ear, then calmly turned to saunter off and out of sight.

WOW.

I’ve never watched a BOBCAT sitting still for so long. It was MAGIC. I didn’t like that I made it uncomfortable enough to leave its spot in the sun. I didn’t approach it or anything. But using my small camera clearly wasn’t its favorite thing. But I quickly made my way to give it space. Hope it didn’t need to go that far.

But, OMG. BOBCAT!!!!!!

Yeah, I was pretty high on that sighting and experience. But I still had the White Globe Lily to find…

Soon came to another clearing where I could see Mt. Umunhum in the distance. Some good views from this trail, yep. The whole mountainsides in the area that aren’t developed are quite stunning.

Once I entered the woodlands, the native wildflowers started popping up. After noticing lovely blooms of Ocean Spray above me, I stumbled upon the first of a handful of still-blooming White Globe Lilies. Including an unusual bouqet of them, which may have been the iNat observation that prompted me to come find them here. Just adorable, they are. Wish I could’ve seen more. Love the different hues of pink they can be.

It was around this time, while I was cooing over their beauty, that I heard A HOOT. This was close to 4:30pm. Yeah. Kinda odd timing. Those Great Horned Owls really keep you on your toes! But it was coming from a bit away. And not anywhere I could access by trail. Ah, well. Maybe if I’m ever back on the Zinfandel Trail (which I’d like to revisit when the Checker Lilies are out, or even in Winter for Fungi), I’ll time it to be there close to sunset…

From there, it was frequent sightings of native wildflowers. Like Western Starflower (just past its prime, sadly), Solomon’s Plume (already fruiting), a couple Western Columbine blooms (in just one spot), Creeping Snowberry, Checker Lily (just a couple that I found, both having gone to seed, of course), and Pink Honeysuckle. But it was just a handful of all these. Like the native wildflowers are struggling amidst the alltoofrequent invasive weeds along the whole trail.

Did spot some Fungi, like one mushroom that reminded me of Questional Stropharia, but it was too small and just on its own to pull. A couple large (like bigger than my fist) bracket-looking things that might be newtome Robust Bracket?

More native wildflowers, like Golden Yarrow, Deerweed, and Orange Bush Monkeyflower. More and more Bobcat-looking message board spots along the trail. A Lesser Goldfinch, eversobriefly. A maybe-smushed Button’s Banana Slug?

Soon after documenting a Pacific False Bindweed, a Moth came swirling into my view. It actually landed AND just sat there, so I was able to get a couple crap photos of it. It’s seemingly a One-banded Pyrausta. Pyrauastas are ones I’ve seen from time to time in the daytime. Wish I’d gotten better photos to see more detail. But I was DELIGHTED to finally see a Lepidoptera!

It was at that moment that I realized I should start to head back. Though, how cool is it that this trail goes all the way to Stevens Creek County Park? Would like to see it to its end someday.

On the way back, I saw newtome Redberry Buckthorn (mistaking it for Huckleberry), Coffee Fern, maybe heard a Black-headed Grosbeak, and caught sight of two Columbian Black-tailed Deer grazing in the grass.

Only noted California Pitcher Sage and a small Clarkia on the way back. Oh, and a couple California Quail. And maybe The Largest Ever message board of Bobcat scat there EVER WAS. This was all part of the uphill climb near the end of the loop. Not necessary whatsoever. I recommend just going out the Zinfandel Trail and back.

And that was it. I was sad to see relatively few of the variety of native plants on the Zinfandel Trail. But maybe on a warmer and sunnier day there are lots of Butterflies with the patches of grasses along the route. But I was able to find and dote on the White Globe Lily today. And that encounter with the BOBCAT was worth the dang trip all on its own!!