California Wildlife

  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 h...

                                   CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2025 This late year fall season has become a favorite of mine, letting the photos do the talking. Hope all is well! Additional information in the individual photo text below... Recent Monarch in Oakley CA in a year I observed less than average on sightings. Recent accorn woodpecker Alameda foothills. Recent short eared owl, first I have photographed in many years CA delta system Eastern CC County Recent young Coopers hawk surprized me in Oakley by scoping out our back yard... Additional look at same young coyote photographed last month in Eastern CC County.  Young white tailed kite from earlier this year in Oakley.  Recent black tail buck in Alameda foothills near Del Valle reservoir. Recent Un-expected guest at our bird bath... Praying mantis One more look at my second time visit of this Albino black tail. Extremely rare. He...

                                              CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE OCTOBER 2025   Cooler temperatures and rain coming, brings us to a season of change. Hope all is well, continuing with local wildlife photographs from our local areas of California. This time around brings  hummingbirds, update on the albino black tail fawn, raptors, and a meeting with a song dog puppy, and more.. All taken recently, additional info in the photo text. Stellars Jay @ the Del Valle waters edge in Alameda county... Recent Allens hummingbird Oakley CA ...Recent Last of the young swainsons hawk, probably in South America by now in whaat is an incredible migration, can you imagine the flight down... Recent Eastern CC County Young coyote pup I found along the trail. Eastern CC County. Recent photo Annas hummingbird, we created an area where the action goes on nearly all day. Allens and Ann...

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 ...