Sometimes the strangest things happen on Conservancy preserves. Recently, I saw this brightly colored bird (see photo). I was pretty sure it was someone’s loose parakeet. The bright colors really stood out. Conservancy Board member Mike Bradbury officially identified it as a Budgerigar. It is a native of Australia, but my guess is that this guy was someone’s released pet. It’s a non-native, so it is not something we’d find particularly appealing for Conservancy purposes. But still, it was a surprise and a colorful addition to the preserves, even for a moment or two.

They’re back!
We are so pleased to see one of the NBHCP’s “Covered Species,” the Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), back on Conservancy property! Going back 15 years, the owl used to be seen frequently on Conservancy mitigation lands. At the time, we documented too-common depredation of them by dogs from nearby residential… Continue Reading They’re back!