Carpenter male bee

                                               CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE MAY 2025 

         Springtime in California, The Swainson hawks are back! (Recent photographs) Including three pictures from the past in this month. This group includes a ferruginous hawk which usually leaves the Bay Area to the North East usually in late March or early April. Ferrugies overlap here for a few weeks with swainson hawks, prior to heading out for nest sites to the North and East. . It seemed to me that overlap time period was slightly extended this year with colder than normal spring weather. I saw Ferruginous hawks into early April this year, though the photograph shown below was from 2019. 

  Swainson hawk numbers have been solid in Eastern CC County and the Central Valley. In these areas swains may even outnumber red tails this time of year. I used to believe that the lighter morph swains were more common than darkies. However, especially in the Eastern CC County areas I believe the dark morphs far out-number the light color birds these days. 

Swainson hawk in Byron recently

Neighborhood coopers hawk in Oakley. (taken in March of 2020) 

Recent blue heron out in the grasslands of Los Vaqueros North side property

Great year for jack rabbits near the Delta in Eastern CC County. Recent photo near Taylor Slough

Recent Swain finishing off a vole out near Discovery Bay 

Recent Coyote North side of Los Vaqueros property. Range coyotes making a comeback in this region

Older gray fox photo taken on Mines Rd. Alameda County (June of 2010)

Swainson in flight recently Eastern CC County

Recent mink photo in the CA Delta Eastern CC County. Been seeing these in my favorite areas

The Ferruginous Hawk (Older November of 2019) Unfortunately, I am seeing a decline of these birds in Eastern CC County fall and winter vistors. Eastern CC County towards Bethel Island is developing faster than anywhere else with new homes pushing these birds further out into the Delta, good news is I do see them every year.

Swainson in Flight, Knightsen area of Eastern CC County. 




Comments

  1. JosieMay 4, 2025 at 1:31 PM

    I look forward to your lovely pictures every month........ Josie Fike

    ReplyDelete

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