Soon after we put up Box 10 at Blue Moon Meadows Farm, I received an email. The cows had been using the nest box setup as a scratching post and, well, it didn't work so well. The box lay on the ground only hours after installation. When I went back to investigate, some of the cows looked sheepish about the whole thing. "It wasn't me, I swear!"
Obviously I had to find a better spot for the box somewhere on this farm. Luckily, the cows were separated by a fence from some alpacas. I figured the alpacas would be better stewards of our Barn Owl condominium, and they seemed quite interested in the proposal.
In all honesty, I'm still not sure how to tell an alpaca from a llama. A quick google search reveals that llamas are much larger. In any case, this friendly guy (or gal) seemed cheerful enough, and nowhere near as threatening as those unruly beasts across the fence.
When moving 200 pounds of tire, pole, and nest box, it helps to have a really cool front end loader. Louanne quickly offered her services, and away we went into the alpaca field. The spike on the end of the loader, intended for carrying hay bales, is also an effective weapon against zombies (it was Halloween weekend, after all).
My friend Ken helped out. He is particularly adept at using iPhone Apps to help with installation. One Compass App helped us orient the box towards the southeast, away from prevailing winds. Another Level App helped us to find flat ground. When installing nest boxes, it's always good to have the coolest farm equipment AND the latest tech gadgetry.
Here I am (Mark) with the final product. The alpacas had already grown bored, and wanted nothing to do with us or the nest box. Clearly, we had found the right location. We'll have to be more careful with siting the next time we place boxes amongst livestock.
Box 10 is now easily visible from Union Grove Church Road in Orange County. Given the prize habitat, we think the move was worth it. And there isn't a cow or zombie in sight!
