The adjacent photo is of the first kid and its mother goat at the Conservancy’s Silva preserve this year. The Conservancy maintains a small herd of goats to do the “soft path” vegetation management around giant garter snake-sensitive areas. Goats are lighter in weight, soft-footed and generally avoid water. They do a tremendous job of keeping aquatic weeds like water primrose at bay and thus keep the marsh complexes fully functional for giant garter snakes and other aquatic species. They also reduce the need for other types of weed management intervention. The little goat in the photo is less than two hours old, and comes from a brown-coated mother, but curiously has the black and white patches. A real cutie.
Prey production
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 Swainson’s hawk (Buteo swainsonii) is frequently seen foraging on them. The… Continue Reading Prey production