American Kestrel Camino Tassajara area of CC County South

                              CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE DECEMBER 2025   FALL RAPTORS

          A good time to chase raptors as weather cools and most large raptors chill a bit. The fall season presents opportunities for viewing and photography. Migrating birds like ferruginous hawks and merlin’s can be seen in Northern California in the fall and winter. A couple of Merlin photographs to share this month. (First one Taiga subspecies) I believe. Kestrels here year around, yet fall and winter brings the population up in many areas. I have been in the open grass lands in Eastern Contra Costa County and into the foothills around Morgan Territory and over the Camino Tassajara and Southern CC County across into Alameda County. I have not had luck with ferruginous hawks and Golden Eagles this month, though I have seen them, just not in close encounters. Ferruginous hawks have become scarce out my way. It is my opinion the incredible amount of home construction in Eastern Contra Costa County has played a role. Perhaps I can adjust some of my travel options making visits to grasslands further North, and next month have better luck. This month’s views  include seven different species of  raptors from recent times. Also, a story of a small hermit thrush who may have had too many holiday berries… All recent

 

Dark Morph Red tailed hawk from Highland area also South CC County.


Merlin (Taiga sub species-I believe) came into my back yard, met by an annas hummingbird who hovered about twenty feet away from the raptor. He caught the merlins attention for enough time allowing me to gain closer access. This is an area where I have photographed cedar waxwings in large numbers. That may have been on this birds mind... 


Western Coyote North side of Los Vaqueros reservoir property

Coopers hawk in Eastern CC County, (Corrected I.D. by a friend) does not appear to be happy to see me... 

Red tailed dark morph juvenile, this one from July in Byron.

Another different short eared owl photo from last month taken in the CA Delta...

A male osprey also fro CA Delta Eastern Cc County...

With the earlier Dark Morph Red Tailed hawks comes this lighter morph red tail from Eastern Cc county.

Another recent merlin from the CA Delta area. two in one month a first for me...

American Kestrel in Eastern CC County, out on the plains...

Little hermit Thrush, one recent morning while Rebel and I were getting ready to go out after wildlife, a bang on our back glass sliding door occurred. Standing by the door was this little bird, stunned, but standing with head tilted.  I picked him up thinking this will be another trip to Lindsay wildlife. I gently placed him in a staw hat with paper towels beneath him on the back porch and kept an eye on him for cats and such. His awareness continued to get better then he made a short flight onto the deck where I took this picture. I continued to watch him as he pooped out berry seeds. Soon he flew up high into a group of trees. These are very interesting little birds, seen a few times through the years in this site...

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