Raptor hotspot of the day …

I stopped off at the reservoir in Lafayette today to make a few phone calls before I started driving North to Sonoma County, also to see what the osprey were doing – they were, shockingly, fishing And going big. There were more than a few jealous two-legged anglers looking on today:

Then, as I was about to head back to my jeep, a red-shouldered hawk came coasting over me – the image quality of my snaps today were disappointing, not doing justice to the  amazing color this bird and its kind have here on the West Coast:

Lafeyette Reservoir red-shouldered hawk

There were plenty of vultures and ravens as well, in addition to the large number of swallows, pigeons, cormorants, and one or two white pelicans. It was tough to tear myself away, but I was treated to one last gift as I was sitting in my jeep ready to pull out – two red-tailed hawks dancing in the sky behind me.

red-tailed hawk pair dancing in the warm mid-day sun

red-tailed hawk pair

Not a bad showing for about an hour spent there in the middle of the day. Truly an unexpected gift!

Hopefully next time I can get my camera settings dialed in better … wah!