Los Gatos Birdwatcher — Attraction in Los Gatos

Settle in with a nice cup of tea, this will be a long-winded review! I only leave reviews when I feel a store or company truly exceeds my expectations, and the Los Gatos Birdwatcher is definitely worthy of a five star, lengthy review!

Los Gatos Birdwatcher is one of the most unique stores I've ever visited. I'm a recent New Hampshire transplant and a long time birder and have never gone to a bird supply store that actually cares about wild birds as well as conservation AND the environment. I have always felt money was first and birds were second when it came to these stores; that is not the case here. I found this by accident while living in NH and Googling birding hot spots near Los Gatos. What a find. I couldn't wait to relocate and start supporting this jewel of a store.

The Newsletter: The owner of LG Birdwatcher, Lisa, is a reputable birder and a conservationist. She puts out a newsletter every month that offers events like Saturday bird walks and bird identification workshops during the week (which is epically cool if you're a new birder to the area or a beginning birder) and other bird-related workshops featuring guest biologists or experts in their field. She also includes educational events happening in the area that anyone can participate in and current news about the state of birds and other useful information. I wait for that newsletter to show up in my inbox at the beginning of every month and signed up for it long before I moved here because it is THAT useful! If birding and bird conservation isn't your thing (that's okay, caring for our backyard birds is important, too), there are coupons and featured sale items in the newsletter each month. (No, this isn't a paid advertisement, but it's starting to sound like one!) I've visited the store many times and have only been here two months. I have spoken with Lisa twice, who is a wealth of knowledge about birding in the area as well as back yard birding. She's amazing.

The Store: Yesterday, I went in to find a feeder that would blend in with our surroundings since we rent and don't want to be too obvious or obnoxious. I was assisted by Kathleen and Paula who were very helpful (and patient) since this was my first time feeding birds on this coast and not sure about which seed to feed which birds, etc. These two ladies were so great! They set me up with a feeder (beautiful earthy colors, recycled plastic and made in the US, nice!), the perfect seed, and the spicy magic sauce (Coles' flaming squirrel sauce) that deters squirrels and "other mammals with taste buds." I also picked up a small, easy to clean bird bath that will be a great addition to our little patio. Within 15 minutes of putting the feeder up I had several birds checking it out and chickadees already picking at the seed. During my first visit I purchased a hummingbird feeder, which is awesome and easy to clean and fill, as well as birthday cards, field guides and a guide to birding hotspots in the area. I also picked up a bird thermometer for our new place. One-stop eco friendly shopping!

Not one thing was overpriced and the eco friendly feeling of the store including bird seed offered in paper bags instead of plastic (YES!!!!! THANK YOU!) was a huge draw for me. I couldn't recommend this store more highly, but also remember to sign up for that monthly newsletter....

What a great shop for outdoor birds and wildlife. I mean to say, it's a great shop for those who appreciate all their backyard creatures, not a shop for the creatures themselves to shop at. I've been coming here for years now, and long with many kinds of bird and squirrel feed and feeders, they have a ton of lovely gift items as well. And, if you don't know that much about birds all of the staff is fantastic at providing all the info you need. If you have a few minutes, it's worth checking out what they have. They even have a small nest museum of various birds in the area. Take a moment and go say hello. If you're luck, their little dog will come out...

Los Gatos Birdwatcher is a lovely store. Not only do they have all the supplies you could ever want for feeding, watching and identifying birds, they have an extraordinary selection of gifts for any nature lover in your life: wind chimes, note cards, colorful socks, clothing, jewelry, books for children, art and more. I always check in with them around Christmas because I love the ornaments they carry. If you're in the area, definitely...