Delta Birds: Pacheco Marsh
Great Egret in flight over the marshland in the afternoon sun
Delta Birds: Pacheco Marsh
Great Egret in flight over the marshland in the afternoon sun
About Birds of the California Delta; Photography by Tim Seay
About Tim Seay
Beauty is Everywhere
Beauty is Everywhere
I have been passionate about photography ever since my high school days in Hillsboro, Oregon. Back then, it was all about sports and news events. These days, I love photographing birds in their environment. It's my passion in life.
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Beauty is Everywhere
Beauty is Everywhere
Beauty is Everywhere
Wildlife photography has helped me reconnect with nature. It has also made me appreciate life and all the beauty it has to offer.
Photo: Osprey on the Carquinez Strait
My Mission
Beauty is Everywhere
My Mission
To tell the story of birds in their natural habitat through my lens, and to help educate people on the importance of birds in our environment.
Photo: Brewer's Blackbird on the Carquinez
Bird of the Week: Red-Tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is the most widespread and familiar large hawk in North America, known for its iconic brick-red tail and broad, rounded wings. Often seen perched on roadside poles or soaring in wide circles over open fields, it is a versatile predator that has adapted well to both wild and urban environments.
Key Characteristics
- Appearance: Adults are typically brown above and pale below with a dark "belly band" of streaks. Their most famous feature is the cinnamon-red tail, though immature hawks have brown tails with dark bars.
- Size: They are large raptors with a wingspan of roughly 4 feet (110–145 cm). Females are generally 25% larger than males.
- Vocalization: Their call is a raspy, descending scream (kree-eee-ar). This sound is so "iconic" that Hollywood often uses it as a sound effect for bald eagles and other birds of prey.
- Hunting & Diet: Primarily "perch hunters," they scan for movement from high vantage points before diving. Their diet consists of 80–85% small mammals like rodents and rabbits, though they also eat reptiles, birds, and carrion.
Behavior and Life Cycle
- Mating: They are monogamous and often mate for life. Courtship involves spectacular aerial displays where pairs may lock talons and spiral toward the ground.
- Nesting: Pairs build bulky stick nests in the crowns of tall trees, on cliff ledges, or even on urban structures like billboard platforms.
- Lifespan: While many die within their first two years, those that survive can live for more than 20 years in the wild; the oldest recorded wild individual was over 30 years old.
Habitat and Range: Red-tailed hawks are found across North America, from central Alaska and Canada south to Panama and the West Indies. They prefer open country interspersed with patches of trees for nesting and perching. While some populations are permanent residents, those in the northernmost ranges migrate south for the winter.
Conservation and Cultural Significance
- Legal Status: They are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, making it illegal to kill, harass, or possess them (or their feathers) without federal permits.
- Falconry: Due to their abundance and trainability, they are the most common hawk used by falconers in the United States.
- Native American Culture: Many indigenous tribes consider the red-tailed hawk and its feathers sacred, viewing the bird as a spiritual messenger or a symbol of strength.
Red-tailed Hawk taking a morning dip in a fresh water puddle in the lush green grass at Radke Park
Adult Male Red-tailed Hawk
Adult Female Red-tailed Hawk
Adult Female Red-tailed Hawk
Male Red-tailed Hawk on Waterbird Way
Adult Female Red-tailed Hawk
Adult Female Red-tailed Hawk
Adult Female Red-tailed Hawk
Female Red-tailed Hawk in flight at Radke Park
Birds of the California Delta; The Birds of Martinez
Pacheco Marsh
Pacheco Marsh is the latest restoration and public access project from the John Muir Land Trust. It is a great place for a nice, peaceful walk along the marshlands of the Carquinez Strait. There are a variety of birds, including egrets, hawks, ducks, marsh wrens, finches, sparrows and White-tailed Kites.
Photo: Marsh Wren foraging for food
Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline Park
I love my morning photo walks at Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline Park. Located just off the Carquinez Strait in Martinez, it is a hidden gem in the vast system of waterways in the California Delta. It is also a great place for birding, with a variety of birds year-round, including egrets, herons, ducks, sparrows, wrens, turkey vultures and osprey.
Photo: Greater White-fronted Geese on the damp grass
Mt. Wanda
Part of the John Muir Land Trust, Mt. Wanda is a great place to explore nature and a cool place for birding. If you love Acorn Woodpeckers, this is definitely the place for you. They can be seen frequently, either in flight or hoarding acorns on one of the granary trees in the area. Their unique “waka-waka” calls can be heard quite often along the trail systems of Mt. Wanda.
Photo: Acorn Woodpecker on a granary tree