Images of California's Sacramento River Delta

Burrowing Owl This burrowing owl was photographed on the Sacramento River delta, just south of Davis.

Shrike Shrikes are interesting birds, they eat insects. What makes them unusual is that they'll keep a larder of insects, impaled on thorns, barbed wire, etc, and eat them as they get hungry.

White-tailed Kite The white-tailed kite is one of the most beautiful birds of prey, when they are kiting, and their tail is backlit by the sun, it glows.

Swainson's Hawk The Swainson's Hawk is a long range migrant, with destinations in the Pampas of Argentina. The population has recently suffered steep losses from pesticides used by Argentinian farmers. An accord reached last year should help the species recover.

Short-eared Owl This owl was seen flying in daylight, at high altitude. This was just after lunch, so it destroys the myth of owls as purely nocturnal hunters.

Long-billed Curlew The fields of the delta were filled with curlews. These are shorebirds, and are not frequently seen, so the numbers were astonishing.

Cathartes aura This turkey vulture was eating its meal.

Curlew A long-billed curlew in flight.

Harriers at Play Two harriers at play. Top left is an adult male, bottom right is a juvenile.

Juvenile Harrier A juvenile harrier

Juvenile Swainson A juvenile swainson's hawk. This kettle stayed over me, maybe 20 feet up, for about 10 minutes. It gained altitude then took off south.

Swainson's Hawk One of the kettle

Adult Swainson And another

Stick Carrier This hawk was carrying a stick. It isn't nesting season...

Juvy Two Another of the kettle.

Swainson in Flight Still more of the kettle.

Swainson in Stoop This hawk was stooping on its prey

	Swainson's Hawk Getting ready to migrate.
	Burrowing Owl Standing on a post.

	Ibises in Flight These are white-faced ibises in flight. I had never seen a flock so big.
	Ibises in Flight
	Ibises in Flight
	Ibises in Flight
	Ibises in Flight
	Ibises in Flight
	Ibises On the Ground The ibises are on the ground.
	Swainson's Hawk This is a juvenile Swainson's Hawk. He looks a bit ratty, doesn't he?
	Swainson's Hawk
	Swainson's Hawk
	Swainson's Hawk
	Swainson's Hawk
	Swainson's Hawk
	Swainson's Hawk
	Swainson's Hawk
	Swainson's Hawk This is a different bird.
	Swainson's Hawk Looks a bit better.
	Swainson's Hawk
	Swainson's Hawk

	Sharp-shinned Hawk The next few pictures are of a sharp-shinned hawk that landed in a tree next to where I was standing.
	Sharp-shinned Hawk He probably thought he was well camoflaged, but I saw him
	Sharp-shinned Hawk And I took a lot of pictures!
	Sharp-shinned Hawk
	Sharp-shinned Hawk
	Sharp-shinned Hawk
	Sharp-shinned Hawk
	Sharp-shinned Hawk
	Sharp-shinned Hawk
	A Pair of Dark Morph Red-tails This pair of dark-morph red-tails was cute.
	Dark-morph Red-tail Then one sat alone
	Dark-morph Red-tail And waited
	Shrike Food Shrikes will take their kill and impale it on thorns
	Shrike Food Barbed wire is as good as a thorn for a shrike!
	Prairie Falcon The prairie falcon is a rare bird
	Prairie Falcon to keep as still as this one did!
	Prairie Falcon Still sitting...
	Prairie Falcon Still sitting...
	Prairie Falcon Still sitting...
	Prairie Falcon You almost never get this close!

	A curlew This is a curlew
	Curlews A lot of curlews will gather in the valley near Dixon, CA.
	More Curlews They're cleaning up the land after the farmers have plowed their crops and the Swainson's Hawks have eaten the flying insects.

	Pair of Kites Two white-tailed kited were perched on a wire.
	Soaring Turkey Vulture A Turkey Vulture soared nearby.
	Back to the Pair One last look at the pair.