 A male kestrel sat for my camera for more than ten minutes - what a treat! I did notice the bird was banded on one leg, maybe a little more used to human attention?   Male American Kestrel, Pt Reyes  The kestrel became so relaxed, he started grooming!
 American kestrel, fluffed up for grooming   Male kestrel in flight, Pt. Reyes National Seashore
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 Male pileated woodpecker, near Occidental  Same bird, as it jumped onto a different tree trunk, Occidental woods  A visit to Bodega Bay - male and female bufflehead ducks in flight  Black Phoebe on the rocks, along Bodega Bay  Willet coming in for a landing, Bodega Bay  Black turnstone, Bodega Bay  Least sandpiper, Bodega Bay  Western sandpiper along the shore  Dunlin! Bodega Bay  Sanderlings browsing the shore alongside some least sandpipers, Bodega Bay  Sanderlings  Closer look, Dunlin, Bodega Bay  same bird, grooming  Dunlin, Bodega Bay (last October)  Every fall, the Say's Phoebe returns to Tolay Lake,; this beautiful bird is always just curious enough for a close photo - Fall 2018  Same bird from a different perch, Tolay Lake Regional Park, Petaluma  Black phoebe, in the same flycatcher family as the Says, only they are year round residents, Tolay Lake  A loggerhead shrike in the park, Tolay Lake Petaluma, Fall 2018  Two ravens on a fence, making a striking pair, Tolay Lake Regional Park, Petaluma  And the burrowing owl! Which I hadn't seen in awhile! Tolay Lake, Fall 2018  Burrowing owl - it flew away pretty fast after locking eyes with me.  Burrowing owl in flight, wings tucked in for speed.  Slowing down for a landing, a bit of a ways distance from where I first saw it.  Once it landed in the dry grasses, its location was no longer discernible due to its perfect coloring with the surroundings.  Mallard ducks at the pond, Tolay Lake Regional Park, Petaluma  Male northern harrier flying past overhead.  The commonly seen savannah sparrow, especially along the wire fences, Tolay Lake Regional Park  Red-tailed hawk, surveying its kingdom, Tolay Lake Regional Park, Fall 2018  Two white-faced ibis make a brief stop during last year's fall migration to rest and feed, Bodega Bay  One of a pair of white-faced ibis, Bodega Bay, late September 2018  A foggy September morning, but some of this bird's iridescent coloring can still be seen, Sept. 2018  Finally the pair flew off towards the ocean, presumably to continue their migration journey.  The day before, a wrentit at owl canyon, Bodega Bay  Anna's hummingbird, feeding from the blackberry flowers, owl canyon, late Setpember 2018  A small migratory warbler, not sure of the i.d., owl canyon last fall.  Warbling vireo, owl canyon, last year  Chestnut-sided warbler with a bug, owl canyon, September 2018  Another view, chestnut-sided warbler  Yellow warbler with a bug, owl canyon, Bodega Bay, Fall 2018  Hovering over the bay, a female belted kingfisher, actively hunting, directly across from owl canyon, fall, September 2018  Same kingfisher, making a low pass over me before flying off, Bodega Bay  Ferruginous hawk Willow Creek Rd from September last year.  Very low flyover, seemed curious  Slightly above photo, shows different coloring  Made a higher pass over, heading back out over the river, Ferruginous hawk  Also this American Bittern among the willow tree brambles along a stream inlet to the river, Willow Creek Rd  Hutton's vireo, Willow Creek RD  Another view, Hutton's vireo - could be a youngster.  Pacific slope flycatcher along Willow Creek Rd, hunting for bugs.  Warbling vireo along willow Creek rd  Further inland, two red-tailed hawks circled above  Cooper's hawk on a utility pole near the entrance to the first pond.  A large flock of vaux swift were zooming above, Las Gallinas treatment plant, San Rafael  Stockier body than a swallow, short tail - also known as "flying cigars"  Cormorant and a white pelican taking a break, in one of the ponds.  Snowy egret catching tiny fish, Las Gallinas.  Ruddy duck in one of the ponds.  Black phoebe on a wire fence, Las Gallinas, San Rafael  Common sight at Las Gallinas, a northern harrier  Northern harrier flying over  Red-shouldered hawk, hunting from one of the buildings, Las Gallinas.  Female or juvenile Townsend warbler  Pacific slope flycatcher  Hutton's vireo, Occidental woods  Townsend warbler, agrresively combing the trees   Townsend warbler - many of these birds overwinter in this area. |
