Male American Kestrel CCC foothills East of Vasco Rd

                                             

                                               CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE JANUARY 2025

         Happy Holidays! Hope all is well. Updating the local wildlife photographs with new recent looks. As foggy days have been the average last month with much needed rainfall occasionally, there were a few times I had to travel up above the fog to witness the sunshine. This is a fairly easy process in the bay area as foothills and taller peaks are never too far away and usually rise above the layer. My routes were to mostly the Alameda foothills, Morgan Territory, Marsh Creek and areas around Del Valle and Los Vaqueros reservoirs. It is an amazing sight once up above, looking down onto a gray carpet extending sometimes near endlessly. 

   What I saw up there was a sky full of raptors in the sun. I am featuring a couple red tail hawks, who look amazingly alike, both with a similar common color morph. One photographed near Marsh Creek Dam, and the other up on Mines Rd. in Alameda County. There are two photos of each, from different angles. Many other raptors, and other species found up there in these hills as well, with info and short stories in the individual text. All of these are recent photographs taken in December 2024...

Red tailed hawk Marsh Creek Area CC County

Oak Titmouse Alameda foothills, this bird was following two hermit thrushes trying to get leftovers as they scratched around in the leaves, the hermits kept chasing it away. One of the hermit thrushes below

Bobcat up near the top of Morgan Territory, in two straight outings I was able to find bobcats in December... the other at a distance below...

Young Red tail hawk all fired up chasing others. A sunny day, the last of 2024 in Eastern CC County

Red Shouldered hawk screaming and acting aggressive near Del Valle reservoir in Alameda Co

Hermit Thrush kicking about the leaves was with titmouse earlier in the post. Foothills Alameda County

The other common morph Red tailed hawk, this on Mines Rd Alameda County

Witnessed two golden eagles up Mines Rd in Alameda during the fog below. Had to settle with a distance picture of one, as this was as close as I was allowed...

Another of the red tail hawk near Marsh Creek CC County

And another of the Mines rd red tail hawk, Only noticable difference is the tail tips dark on this hawk

Little female bobcat (I believe) at a distance between Los Vaqueros and Camino Diablo area foothills.



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