Hi, I'm Michael Hurder!

A new year has arrived with the promise of better things to come. The country is opening back up. The Eagles will soon be here (if not already). I am back to school refining my art, and I can't wait to share it with you again. This is the first of this year's shoots at Del Valle Regional Park. No Eagles yet, but this was early February. Any day now...

This park is one of my "go-to" places for raptor shots. There is a rich supply of prey here, from squirrels to Lizards, snakes, rabbits, and small rodents. I've captured Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, Red-tailed Hawks, Kites, Osprey, and Kestrels here. Of course, Turkey Vultures are always present to clean up the residue or steal the catch from an outnumbered preditor.

This is a new year, and I'm raring to go. The West side of the park is still closed, so I can't get to the area where I can view or capture the Eagle's nest. Hoping this condition changes and soon.

I made the trip here for many shoots at my favorite hometown locale, DelValle Regional Park. I have never tired of capturing this gorgeous location for its raw beauty, wildlife, and contrasts.

With so many great places to hike and shoot here in Livermore, I often forget about the obscure, out-of-the-way parks, like this gem, Holdener Park. Nestled in between Sycamore Grove and DelValle, and situated on just 55 acres, this place is one of the girls' favorite places to frolic. There are seldom many people, so they can go hog wild chasing each other and pretending to catch a squirrel or two. 😉 The scenery is nothing to bark at either. I love the views of Livermore, the vineyards, Mount Diablo, Brushy peak, and all the other hills. Especially in March when it's all so verdantly green. The girls often have to stop and wait for me. In one shot, Shea is looking down at me as if to say, "Come on, Popi. It ain't that steep." In another, they have raced down a hill. I was debating whether or not I should sit and slide the rest of the way down the slope. 😮 The White-Tailed Kite we ran into was hunting. I've caught them hovering so many times, and yet I've never seen one make a kill. Not that I'm bloodthirsty, but that is the nature of nature, and I love to capture it all. After editing this shoot, I decided to go to Holdener park for our daily walk. The hills didn't get any less steep. Phew! 😵 Check for the short video.

This is a short set from around town. It was shot in April so it was still green here. I always thought the view from the top of Altamont pass would make a great panorama. I was right. By the way, this is Livermore, doncha know, and we'll leave our horses wherever we see fit. Y'all might just as well get used to it. Yessuh! 😎

I spent almost as much time here as I did in DelValle in 2019. Another target-rich environment with birds of all types.

Another fantastically picturesque park in Livermore is Sycamore Grove. I don't spend as much time here as I'd like. They don't allow the dogs to be off-leash and there's no way I can shoot and hold onto the two dynamos, Kitty and Shea. So my time here is limited to when I've already taken the hounds for their walk and I still have energy left for a shoot. Still, that's just fine...

There's another excellent place for bird photos in Livermore. There's no name for the park; as far as I know, it's a small patch of green across from the Gillig Plant and next to the Tesla Warehouse on Discovery Drive. Facebook recognizes it as "Tesla Livermore Discovery." I started walking my dogs here when we first moved to Livermore before there were any structures. Beyond the park (in blue highlight), there's a vast drainage ditch (circled in pencil) bordered by a bicycle path and a dirt track on the other. It's about a mile around; the perfect hike. Before I had a camera to shoot with, I started recognizing this place was a haven for many kinds of birds and particularly, Birds of Prey. The area is infested with squirrels, lizards, and rabbits—a raptor's smorgasbord.

This was one of those dreary winter days. The rains were finally turning us green again. I decided to drive around the valley and shoot what I saw randomly. I drove out North Livermore Ave, Manning Road, Morgan Territory Road, Marsh Creek Road, and then Vasco Road back into Livermore.