CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE MAY 2026 -   ALLENS AND SWAINS

   Happy May Day! Hope all is well. Updated wildlife photographs in our Bay Area. Glad to see another solid year of swainson hawks returning to Eastern Contra Costa and the Central Valley. Occasionally, some are seen in other areas like Walnut Creek, Livermore or the Camino Tassajara area of CC County South. It may happen more than I realize. Though I can say in the Central Valley and surrounding vicinity, the swains are as nearly as common as the red tail hawks. This year, in Oakley for the first time in about ten years, there is a nesting pair in an area behind our Oakley home. In my travels around our areas, the swains seem to get along reasonably well with other raptors that do not migrate. That would include red shoulder hawks, white tailed kites, and red-tailed hawks. All of them very territorial in nature, performing aerial dives and loud screaming at one another. 

     Another spring time and summer visitor is the Allens hummingbirds, or rufous hummingbirds. With my photos, I have tried to get a professional I.D from folks on local bird forums. If anyone has an opinion on this, please email me. These photos have been taken in Oakley, and I can say it seems like the populations of the Allen’s or Rufous have increased over the last several years. By far, the Anna’s hummingbirds strongly outnumber the others, I’ve shared photos of both in recent years. This time around I focused on the Allens / Rufous, or possibly both.

All photos in this group are recent, with the exception of the Phainopepla. (Last photo in this collection) Using an older photo from a 2023 encounter. Additional info in the text of individual photographs.

Recent swainson hawk in Eastern CC County

Buckeye butterfly in Alameda foothills

Male allens or rufous in Oakley CA, our back area has become a hummingbird studio for photography

Western coyote Los Vaqueros property N/S...

Swainson hawk perched in Eastern CC County, a dark morph... I've said before I believe the darkies may be more numerous than the lighter morphs...

A Female rufous or allens, in Oakley CA

Red tailed hawk perched in Eastern CC County

A male rufous or Allens in Oakley CA

Swainson hawk in Oakley CA, all the swains I have seen thus far look to be in good health...

The older photo of this collection, this plainopepla female was with a large group of cedar waxwings eating berries from mistletoe growth in trees near Knightsen... Taken in March of 2023

Brush rabbit at Los Vaqueros N/S property. A note "Rabbits in Contra Costa especially near the Delta have had boom years in the last few seasons. These little cotton tails are all over the place this spring. Jack rabbits too, it is a healty trend for our area...


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
                                                 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 ...
Read more
Image
                               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...
Read more
Image
                                                 CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE MARCH 2026          Continuing recent looks at wildlife in our Bay Area, as I looked closely at Kestrels last month, I am dialing in on red tail hawks this time around. The color variations with the redtail hawks can be interesting. From the Delta, to Southern and Eastern Contra Costa County. More info in the text of individual photographs. Weather warming, decent rainfall, spring coming! Mostly snow geese, a few White fronted geese, Eastern CC County Delta... Western Coyote near Byron Eastern CC County... Red tailed hawk Eastern CCCounty Another portrait from a different angle of last months bobcat, N/S Los Vaqueros property near Camino Diablo... Dark morph red...
Read more