A dedicated group of volunteers recently completed a research project on Conservancy land detailing the numbers and types of birds on the preserve. Working under the direction of Julia Camp and Doug Leslie, the range of birds identified by the team is extraordinary. The list includes the expected (quail, woodpeckers, sparrows), but it also includes some that are remarkable for the farming-intensive Natomas Basin (Pacific-sloped flycatcher, Lazuli bunting, Warbling vireo). See Conservancy “Research and Education Series” paper #0903 for more information (.pdf).
New land acquisition
The latest Conservancy land acquisition, the “Richter tract,” adds 80 acres to the organization’s Central Basin Reserve Area. This is the portion of the Natomas Basin where rice production is the dominant land use.