Readers’ wildlife photos

I have only a few more batches of photos, so please send yours in if you have good ones. Thanks!

Today’s bird photos (and one mammal) come from regular Susan Harrison, an ecologist at UC Davis.  Susan’s IDs and captions are indented, and you can enlarge her photos by clicking on them.

Going About Their Business

This set of photos — my 75^th for WEIT — emphasizes animals who are doing a little more than just sitting around.  All of these were taken near Davis, California, in January 2025.

Western Bluebirds (Sialis mexicana) in my backyard on New Year’s Day, checking out a years-old and not-yet-used nest box.   Perhaps I’ll become a bluebird landlady at last!

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) stalking, pouncing, extracting its prey in a clump of vegetation, and finally swallowing its meal.  Light reflected from the ripples caused the striking “lava lamp” effect on the bird:

Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) creating a DNA strand pattern with their legs:

Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) digging for goodies in the bark of a Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) festooned with Oak Apple Galls (Andricus quercuscalifornicus):

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) fleeing and flashing a bit of his fiery crown:

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) preening and fluffing:

White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) heading west with the sunset:

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) striking a catlike pose:

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) hovering against a strong wind:

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) pausing from its murderous work, with a backdrop of snowy Sierran peaks:

Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) glaring at an annoying photographer: