Slowly but surely, beavers are taking down David Island on the Conservancy’s Silva tract. See the photo for recent evidence. There just aren’t any predators to keep their numbers in check. These trees are intended to be nesting trees for the Swainson’s hawk, one of the “primary species” the Conservancy is tasked to help out. The natural impulse is to not plant any trees anywhere near water. That is probably where we’ll end up going with this.
A very good sign
The photo that is shown with this post is of a Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), photographed in the Conservancy’s Central Basin Reserve Area. It has become a “friend” of Conservancy field crews since it is so gregarious. Conservancy crews always recognize it because, as you can barely see in the …