Delta Birds: Radke Park
Great Blue Heron perched on the remnants of the Schooner Forrester with the Carquinez Strait in the background
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.
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: Common Goldeneye at Radke Park
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: Golden-crowned Sparrow at Radke Park
Bird of the Week: Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is the largest and most widespread heron in North America, reaching up to 4.5 feet in height with a wingspan of up to 7 feet. These "statuesque" birds are common sights near almost any body of water, ranging from coastal marshes to urban park ponds. Quick Facts
- Scientific Name: Ardea herodias.
- Identification: Slate-blue body, long yellow-orange bill, and a white head with a black stripe.
- Flight Style: They fly with their necks tucked into an "S" shape, unlike cranes which fly with their necks extended.
- Specialized Feathers: They have "powder down" on their chests that they use like a washcloth to remove fish slime and oils from their plumage.
- Lifespan: They typically live about 15 years, though some have been recorded reaching age 24.
Diet and Hunting Great Blue Herons are patient, opportunistic hunters that eat almost anything within striking distance.
- Technique: They often stand motionless or wade slowly in shallow water, waiting for prey to come near before striking with lightning speed.
- Main Prey: Fish make up about 75% of their diet.
- Other Food: They also consume frogs, snakes, lizards, insects, small mammals (like mice or gophers), and even other birds.
Nesting and Behavior
- Colonies: They typically nest in groups called heronries (or rookeries), often high in trees to avoid predators like raccoons or coyotes.
- Mating: They form new pair bonds each year through elaborate courtship displays that include "bill clappering" and stick transfers.
- Offspring: Both parents incubate the 2–6 pale blue eggs and feed the chicks regurgitated food for about two months.
Conservation Status Once hunted heavily for their plumes to decorate hats, Great Blue Herons have since recovered and are now a species of Least Concern. They are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, making it illegal to harm them or their nests.
Great Blue Heron doing a little fishin' at the Bill Nichols Pond in Radke Park.
Patience, perseverance, wisdom and grace
Patience, perseverance, wisdom and grace
Patience, perseverance, wisdom and grace
A Great Blue Heron landing on top of a large oak tree at Radke Park. This tree is a favorite of a variety of birds, including Turkey Vultures, Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons and last but not least, Anna's Hummingbirds.
Symbolic Meaning of Great Blue Herons:
The Great Blue Heron symbolizes patience, wisdom, grace, and self-determination, often acting as a bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds.
Hannah the Heron
Patience, perseverance, wisdom and grace
Patience, perseverance, wisdom and grace
This Heron, we'll call her Hannah had fishing line and lure wrapped around her beak for over three weeks making it nearly impossible for her to eat. Now, nearly three months later, she is in perfect health. She never gave up on working the line and lure off her beak and she succeeded. So cool! She still fishes near my boat every night at low tide.
Birds of the California Delta; The Birds of Martinez
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: American Coot at the Bill Nichols Pond
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
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