In cooperation with the Friends of the Swainson’s Hawk and Sacramento chapter of the Audubon Society, the Conservancy hosted an on-site visit and tour with 47 wildlife lovers recently. The group, under the direction of Frank Gray, toured the Conservancy’s Silva tract. The group identified ruddy ducks, white-faced ibis (an NBHCP “Covered Species”), wild turkey, marsh wrens, Western kingbird, Black-necked stilts, Pied-billed grebes and many other species. The tour was arranged at a time when there was least likely to be disturbance to the NBHCP’s list of species the site was designed to serve as a refuge for. This was a particularly well-informed group, and even so, there were many excellent questions about the preserves and how the Conservancy operates. It was good to have the group back out on site again.
The Hoot of Success
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 so ago, the Conservancy, working in cooperation …