California Wildlife

Recent Gulf Frutilluary                                            CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE SEPTEMBER 2025      Updating local wildlife photos with a mixture of some interesting encounters from the past, and new encounters, including a special black tail fawn in Alameda County above Del Valle reservoir. This last month I experienced some setbacks and inability to get out in the field for a couple of weeks, so I apologize for possible views seen previously.   My earlier blogsite has disappeared completely. The California site started in early 2024, and contains a couple of guides for raptors and mammals with pictures from the past. Though the earlier site is lost forever, the photographs are not. I have made an effort to keep every photograph I have ever taken on...

                                                 CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE AUGUST 2025  Allens hummingbird Oakley Early in Eastern CC County perhaps the cooler weather this year       Hope all is well! Sharing some recent photographs and good news in regards to local Coyote populations. The last couple of years I have noticed a significant reduction of coyote numbers in the open plain’s areas of Contra Costa County and surrounding areas. I have traveled these areas consistently for many years, and I am impressed with recent observations.                There has been a change this year. Pups a plenty, I ‘d say. And confirmed also from a acquaintance I’ve known for years who works five days a week at a local watershed park. He starts early in the morning, and stays late in the afternoon or ...

                                                CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE JULY 2025 Recent Young White tailed kite in Oakley, coming in for a landing next to sibling- see below...    Summer is here... Raptors in the sky are the safe fireworks. Stay safe on the fourth!  More information in the individual photos text, please click on photos to get a better detailed view. All views from our Bay Area. Recent Great Egret on Rock slough CA Delta Swainson hawk with ground squirrel Knightsen CA Recent Mallard family picture taken a break along seven mile slough Delta... *Older retro photo from Mines Rd. Livermore taken October 2017 Recent western coyote proving-yes' the coyote will generally look back prior to going over the hill. North end Los Vaqueros reservoir property. Recent White tailed kite youngster in flight in Oakley CA... Recent Dark morph swainson hawk Con...

                               CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE JUNE 2025    Photographs of California pipevine swallowtail butterflies near the North end of San Pablo Reservoir. These butterflies are common in the spring and summer of Western CC County in the slightly cooler and damp regions of Tilden-Briones-Wildcat Cyn areas. I have been always intrigued with the blue-black color variations of this species, though sometimes hard to relate in photographs. These butterflies can be found in many other Bay Area areas, yet this area is by far the best area I have found for this species.   Also, in the Oakley area the white tail kites have fledged three new youngsters in the Oakley area near my home. Sharing some photos of this family. These bird’s ability to support sometimes three or four youngsters is amazing to me. One year, as mentioned before, there were five from one nest. I was only able to get of...