Bird Watching In The Delta Is Outstanding

Bird watching in the Delta is outstanding because the unique combination of farm land and waterways make a perfect environment for fowl.

Of all the ports we’ve visited none match the variety and abundance of birds found in the Delta. Bird watching in the Delta is so outstanding that I’ve found myself spending a lot of time watching them, too. And I’m not a bird watcher!

There is always some species to watch no matter what time of the day. Even at night there are owls and Blue Heron stalking their prey. But, there is nothing to match the shear volume of the goose and duck population here in the Delta.

Blue Heron at Willow Berm Marina, Isleton (Its favorite fishing spot!)

The owl is also around the marina regularly. It can be heard at night but is pretty hard to get a look at during the day. We just happened to be around when the tree this guy was hanging out in was undergoing some pruning. By the look of him he was not exactly happy to be rousted from his perch.

Long-eared (Great Horned) Owl

This is one husky predator and we were lucky to get a good look at him.

There is also an abundance of cormorant in the Delta. These unique birds also have impressive abilities. It is one of many “water” birds. But, aside from Penguins, Cormorants are avid swimmers. In fact, they spend a great deal of their time under water.

Cormorant 2

I have spoken with scuba divers that report having seen Cormorants as deep as 60′ down. Swimming along as easily as flying above the water.

Cormorant getting ready to go back under.

While there are many birds that can go under water the Cormorant is the only one I know of that can sustain under water diving and then surface and fly away.

Other fun species of bird to watch are the hawks and the crow. Hawks are loners that usually hunt in pairs. Occasionally you’ll see a third join the hunt. It’s probably an off-spring.

The crow family is one of the most interesting to watch. They also work together. Usually in pairs. But, they have communities that congregate at night and in the morning they all go off to work. These birds are smart and learn new tactics for surviving.

As I said, I am not a “Bird Watcher” but I do enjoy living in an area where I can experience the scale and variety of this species.