Bald Eagles
For the forth year in a row, a bald eagle breeding pair and the last two years, a juvenial, have spent the months of January and February hunting ground rodents in the open field that is bounded by I-5 and Bell road, Stuhr Road and Orestimba Road. The two adults are here again this year, being seen together regularly, the most recent being Saturday the 10th of march, 2001.
If you were to pull into the stone entry gate right near the intersection of Bell Road and Stuhr Road, and pull your vehicle in between the stone postsm you will see a very large dead Sycamore about one hundred yards down the drive and these preditors like to watch for a kill and then return her to strip and eat it out of the way of the local Ravans who like nothing better than to harass an eagle or a hawk.
They are usually around in the morning, for sun up to around one p.m. (7:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m.) and occasionally in the afternoon but not often.
Golden Eagles
On the top of the hill on the far end of this field, is a pair of breeding golden eagles, and they have had a juvenial last year and this, and they are around some of the same hours, but more in the afternoon to dusk (1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) .
They are not usually around at the same times, but last year, there was one afternoon that we had three bald eagles and five golden eagles flying in large circles around this hunting field.
Bald Eagles In Other Areas
Along with the bald eagles in the Stuhr Road site, there are several other areas of regular sightings on the west side and the fringes of the west side.
Casa de Fruita
The most recent new area for a sighting is Saturday, 10th of March, 2001, by my brother, Scott Pedersen, Also of Newman, had ann adult bald eagle fly right across his path while driving highway 152 just east of Casa de Fruita. This is a first for the bald eagle although we expected to see them there eventually because the sightings of golden eagles had been very regular in that Pachaco Pass area in general.
Santa Nella
There is also the Santa Nella Sightings, these both being on the edge of the California Aquaduct, just west of highway 33, and looking south into the trees, about two miles down the aquaduct road. This has also bee a regular area for golden eagle sightings as well as several very large groups of turkey vultures.
Other major birds you will see in this area:
Red Tail Hawks
In the cedar trees on the edge of the bell road Orestimba compound lives a Red Tail breeding pair with on Juvenial, in the end tree from the road at the top.
Swainson's Hawk
These have only been sighted a few times out where Mitchel Road starts, near the end of Kelly Road.
Ferruginous Hawk
There are many of these around the area and the hangout on the poles along most of the farm road around the area. They are darker than the redtail and they have a darker colored tail and a white checked chest
Coopers Hawk
One of these was sighted last week on the television antenna of the house next to the Diamond market parking lot in town. that is right across the street from the office of the Newman newspaper, the westside Index. this is the third year we have sight the coopers hawk in town, but most were on the first two miles of highway 33 as it goes south toward Gustine. There is at lest one pair living here as well as some Black Shoulder Kites.
Some of the many others include:
Northern Harrier
Marsh Hawk
Black Shoulderd Kites
Kessler Hawks
Sparrow Hawk
Barn Owls
Horned Owls
Berrowing Owls
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Wild Turkeys
King Fisher
Beatton
King Fisher
Night Herons
Green Herons
Great Blue Herons
Great Egrets
Snowy Egrets
Cattle Egrets
Sand Hill Crains
Road Runners
Quail
Ringtail Pheasant
Ravens
Grackles
Crows
Magpies
Blue Jays
Scrup Jays
Red Shouldered Black Birds
Yellow Headed Black Birds
Cow Birds
Black Birds
Mocking Birds
Starlings
Meadowlarks
Warblers
Finches
Purple
House
American
Swallows
Purple Martins
Cliff
Barn
Spugs
Sparrows
Juncos
Orioles
Robins
