The Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) is one of the HCPs’ “Covered Species.” And, we on the Conservancy staff freely admit, it’s a favorite. The reason is simple: these birds are so gregarious and fun to watch, they are irresistible. Some 20 years or …

It’s a great time of the year when rice harvest begins. One of our favorite parts of harvest is the aroma of a freshly-harvested rice field. Maybe it has something to do with the bran or bran oil on the rice grain where the aroma is released in part by …

The Conservancy has redoubled efforts to use mitigation lands for prey production purposes. A big component of that is an effort to enhance small rodent populations at strategic locations. These small rodents are favored prey of raptors, and the Swains …

Okay, so some call it button bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). We call it button-willow. It’s a favorite among the staff here at the Conservancy. It’s easy to see why. One of the reasons is that large insects are attracted to them. We’re trying to enha …

On the Conservancy’s flagship preserve, Conservancy field staff photographed an interesting assembly of birds. They are resting on a low island, surrounded by a watered marsh complex. And appear to be pretty content. What is interesting about this scen …

The report from years ago regarding the state of Tri-colored blackbird (Agelaius tricolor) populations in California was foreboding. The message was clear: populations of Tri-colored blackbirds are in trouble, and as one of the NBHCP’s 22 “Covered Spec …