How a surprising San Jose spot became a last refuge for the Bay Area’s burrowing owl population

Near the huge sewage plant that treats San Jose’s wastewater at the southeast tip of the San Francisco Bay, wildlife biologist Phillip Higgins peers through binoculars. A powerline hums in the background while he scours the ankle-high grass ahead for signs of life.

In less than a minute, he spots what he is looking for — a small head with large yellow eyes is poking out of a buried pipe. This is a burrowing owl, less than a foot tall and weighing just ounces. Higgins indicates that if we approach, it will surely fly away.