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region comprised of island forests, savanna, seasonal marsh, riparian strands, and agricultural lands. The dominant wildlife habitat in the area is the Cosumnes River Preserve, 4 miles to the northwest. This 5,500-acre preserve couples natural wooded bottom land and marsh flood plain with restored seasonal marsh (1,000 acres) and riparian woodland (300 acres). The preserve supports over 200 species of birds and includes an important winter roost of sandhill cranes and tens of thousands of waterfowl. Between Brovelli and Cosumnes are a mosaic of agricultural land uses including pasture (grass and alfalfa), row crops, vineyards, and a few orchards. The largest urban development is the town of Galt, 4 miles northeast of Buckeye. The pasture and row crop lands are critical to the existence of Swainson's hawk Buteo swainsoni) and sandhill cranes Grus canadensis), both threatened species, in Northern San Joaquin County. Curlew, geese, ducks, numerous other shorebirds, kites, falcons, and other raptors also depend on these open pastures and fallow agricultural fields for foraging. Another local resource 6 miles west of Buckeye is Bract Tract a mix of restored seasonal marsh (Woodbridge Ecological Preserve), pasture, corn and other row crop fields, riparian scrub and vineyards. During winter over 1,000 acres of the row crops are seasonally flooded and along with the ecological preserve provide critical habitat for waterfowl, cranes, raptors, and shorebirds. Annual Christmas counts yield 90- 110 species of birds with numbers often exceeding 60,000 birds (Engilis unpublished data). Because of its diversity of habitats, Buckeye Ranch is home to a moderate diversity and abundance of birdlife. The most reliable records are those compiled over a number of years by the San Joaquin Audubon Society. They report 166 species have been found on the property (Appendix B). Since December 1992, we have documented 87 species. Buckeye Ranch's birdlife is best characterized by seasons. Year-round residents are joined in summer by forest species that winter in the neotropics. Most arrive to nest in mid-April and depart by mid-September. Fall heralds the return of species that breed to our north (or Buckeye Ranch Resource Plan (November, 1993) 34