kurtgeiger:I will second that this is a Swainson's hawk, no doubt and great picture. Where did you go. I live in Chico so 30 miles north of you is not to far from my home base. I am planning to take the wife and kids out this weekend to see some Swainson's. Sounds like you found a good number of them.I read that Swainson's eat mainly insects when they are breeding. I have so far only a few single birds.As far as the other photo goes I would say yes but I am not 100%
We were traveling Hwy 113 between Woodland and Yuba City, not far from Knight's Landing. There are miles and miles of open farmland on this stretch of road. It was only in this one field that we saw a congregation of hawks, egrets, and herons. No doubt there was some sort of insect hatch going on. We saw a few other hawks along the way, some Swainson's along with Red-tailed and Red- shouldered. Last year about this time we saw large groups of hawks, no doubt Swainson's, in two fields beside I-5 just south of Woodland.
We did not inherit Mother Earth from our ancestors...... we have borrowed Her from our descendants.
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