A related story...
There is a ranch not too far from where I live that has these cool old abandoned buildings on it. I really wanted to shoot the old buildings from the vantage point where I could get Mount Shasta in the background. So, I drove out there several times looking for a sign or name on a mailbox, or something that would help me locate the owners so I could obtain permission to go on the land.
One time when I was out there investigating, I saw a pair of ospreys flying around. And I thought, how strange to see "fish birds" out in the middle of ranch land. That was also the trip when I figured out who owns the place.
As it turns out, the ranch is owned by The Nature Conservancy. They bought it 3 or 4 years ago as a proof-of-concept project for restoring salmon habitat. The Shasta River runs through the property, although it is so far upstream, it's actually more of a small stream. So, they fenced off the river to keep the cattle from trampling the banks and eating the plants near the water. In three years, the number of salmon they were able to count spawning in the stream went from about 3 dozen to over 1500! That's why the birds were there! It's great to hear such a wonderful success story, and right in my neighborhood, too. Cattle ranching doesn't have to be incompatible with salmon habitat, and by helping the salmon, other animals are helped as well. It just gives me the warm fuzzies!
Oh, and here is one of the old buildings.
