More food on the fly

Mike shared these amazing raptor reports on December 8,2014:

Yesterday while walking of the walkway near the Bayside Cafe in Morro Bay, I saw an osprey way off in the distance on the ground in the estuary.  As the osprey flew off, I was able to get this photo. We were pretty far away, but you can see that there is a fish in its talons.

On my way back from Morro Bay this morning, I saw a hawk on the ground in a field near our house in Atascadero.  I had my camera, so I stopped to take a photo.  Unfortunately, I stopped my car too close and startled the bird.  I was only able to get one shot.  I believe this red-tailed hawk has a band-tailed pigeon in its talons.

Fast food on the fly!

A while back I happened upon a red-tailed hawk catching a ground squirrel in Cambria. (MK, December 2014)

Catalina Wildlife

Michael and Ruby Klatt shared these photos and notes from a recent (November 2014) trip to Catalina Island.

We saw this acorn woodpecker (above) at the Botanical Garden on Catalina.  The drought wasn’t bothering him at all.  The island fox (below) had one too many cactus pears.  Our tour guide said that they get kind of “drunk” and crash on the road.  These little guys have recently been saved from the brink of extinction. See Catalina Island Fox Information to learn more about this interesting mammal.