White Feathers!

As winter approaches, I thought I'd do a final inspection of our 26 nest boxes this past weekend. This inspection took the better part of two days, and required a lot of driving, as our boxes are spread out over three counties (actually four, if you include the box at Prairie Ridge). Some boxes are off the beaten path, and require a bit of a hike.

In order to inspect the boxes, I use a telescoping monopod with a camera attached. I set the camera to flash, turn on the ten second timer, then hoist it up into the entrance hole. This is a good strategy if a) you don't want to get stung by potential insects, or b) you don't want to get mauled by a Barn Owl. I only inspect the boxes a couple of times a year in this manner, as any disturbance could scare away desired inhabitants. Please don't repeat this procedure if you come across a nest box on your own!

I'm sad to report that I didn't find any Barn Owls this weekend. That doesn't mean there aren't any of the owls in the area. There just weren't any in the nest boxes. I did have my heart skip a beat, however, at a box at Mapleview Farm. See the white feathers?

When I first glanced at the camera screen, I was sure I was looking at Barn Owl feathers. However, after closer inspection of the image at home, and consulting with friends, I realized the feathers lacked the characteristic golden or cinnamon tones. Plus, I saw a grey feather or two mixed in with the others. Rock Pigeon, perhaps?? The only bird known to utilize Barn Owl boxes on a regular basis is the American Kestrel. These were certainly not Kestrel feathers, though, and those pesky pigeons seem to turn up just about everywhere. For now, I'll assume these feathers are from undesired feral squatters.

Roughly a third of our boxes were affected by insect nests this year. One box in particular had become a party house for all sorts of crawling and flying critters, from spiders to mud daubers to wasps. Thankfully, this was the only owl home that had fallen into severe disrepute.

Most of the boxes were fairly easy to clean, once the ladder was set up. (Hauling the ladder was the toughest part of this job). Remaining wasp nests, which now sit empty after a severe freeze, were easily scraped away and removed. Here's what my collection of wasp nests looks like. 

Thankfully, I no longer have to inspect one of the nest boxes at Jordan Dam. That one has a webcam in it, and can now be accessed day and night!!!! There are currently no residents, other than a few hardy insects, but we hope to have a Barn Owl in there at some point. Simply click on the link at http://184.3.96.78:100 You can also access this link at the New Hope Audubon Society website, newhopeaudubon.org.

Wasps and a Webcam!

With the initial nest box installations complete, the Piedmont Barn Owl Initiative has entered a second phase. We now await our first avian inhabitants. This chapter of the story may require some patience.

With current supply outstripping demand, the real estate market for owls has been slow. Our deluxe condos, with all their custom amenities, won't sit empty forever. With the slow rollout, though, a few unsavory types have decided to try their luck with squatting. Meet some of our new neighbors: wasps!!!

Last winter, after the first hard freeze, I pulled a wasp nest out of an owl box in Orange County. The nest was roughly the size and shape of a human brain. I kept it, thinking it would make an interesting conversation piece. 

Wasps, bees, and hornets are to be expected. The combination of a comfortable nest box, plus a favorable climate, is almost too much for our waspy friends to pass up. Every summer, we expect buzzing in at least a handful of boxes. Most bees and wasps, thankfully, will have died or moved on before our more favored clients arrive. 

Our best potential residents are juvenile Barn Owls, which begin to disperse in September and October. Many of the birds in the mid-Atlantic states move southward. This fall, during dispersal, we had our first confirmed sighting of a Barn Owl hunting near one of our boxes in Chatham County!! Unfortunately, the bird was only seen once, and has yet to be relocated.

It may take a while for Barn Owls to realize that these beautiful homes are for the taking. Birds like to fully inspect roosting sites, long before they begin raising a family. Wintering Barn Owls may have several roost sites, too, and may return to a nest box after weeks at another location. Our dedicated team of Barn Owl Guardians will be checking for any activity in the coming months.

With monitoring in mind, New Hope Audubon Society, along with the Army Corps of Engineers and Spy on a Bird, has installed a webcam in one of our owl boxes. This webcam, which was built for a box at the B. Everett Jordan Dam, will allow live viewing 24 hours a day. Anybody with a computer can access the link at http://184.3.104.165:8150/en/login.asp  Once on the site, simply click Enter. . .no password is necessary.

Breeding season begins in a couple of months. If any of our nest boxes is being utilized as a roost, it's only a matter of time before a pair of owls tries to nest in it. We may be several years from a confirmed nesting. But if we keep our nest boxes clean and free from insects, we may have owl inhabitants sooner than later. Keep your fingers crossed.

Box 26: Going Live at Jordan Dam

The last few weeks in central North Carolina have been nothing short of crazy. In mid-February, we had a small burst of tornadoes. The following day, it was 70 degrees. Next came a ten year snow event, with 8-10 inches of snow. Three days later, it was again 70 degrees. Soon after came a devastating ice storm, which brought down trees and electrical wires all over the area. After the ice melted, we had two or three more days of 70 degrees.

This past week was marked by 45mph gusts of wind, followed by a deep freeze. A few days later.  . .you guessed it, we were back up to 70 degrees. The mid-Atlantic has always been climactically bi-polar in late winter, but this year, 2014, is the worst I can remember.

A few of our nest boxes went down with the spate of high winds in February. So my friend Ken and I spent two weekends installing anchors and moving vulnerable nest boxes to better locations. You can read about our anchor system in a previous post. I am happy to report that our nest boxes survived the latest onslaught of heavy winds, and not one box went down. Given that nesting season is starting here in NC, that's some good peace of mind.

Earlier this month, just after the snowstorm, I talked with Francis at B. Everett Jordan Dam about putting our final phase one nest box, number 26, at the dam. We had already placed two boxes there, but the dam offered some of the best habitat available, and I wanted to fully utilize it. He agreed to meet with me on a Saturday afternoon in mid-March, to install the final box.

As the installation date approached, however, I was contacted by Perry Herpai from Spy on a Bird, the same company that had installed a Bald Eagle nest cam at Jordan Lake. Perry asked if we wanted to install a Barn Owl nest cam in one of our boxes, which would allow for live viewing over the internet. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. I talked to the board at New Hope Audubon, to secure funding, and asked Perry to meet with Francis and me at the dam.

Francis and I, after some discussion, decided to put the final nest box, as well as the previous two, on 4x4 wooden posts for extra stability. Wooden posts mounted in the ground are very secure, and don't sway at all, an important factor when thinking about live video hook-ups. Unlike most of our previous nest box set-ups, which were designed to be somewhat mobile, these would be permanently fixed in place.

On the day of installation, I arrived to find Jordan Lake much higher than usual, as a result of all the weather events we'd been having. The dam was in the process of releasing more water than I thought physically possible, dropping the lake level one foot per day. Considering the size of Jordan Lake, the amount of water being released at the base of the dam, in terms of cubic meters per second, was simply mind boggling! 

Francis and I went right to work, removing one box from a tire-mounted metal pole and moving it to a 4x4 post before the others even arrived. This box is now a permanent installation right across from the visitor's center!

We then met with Perry, who deemed Box 19 to be the best candidate for a camera system. Box 19 is situated next to a pump station with electrical outlets, only a quarter mile from the Army Corps offices at the dam. We lowered the box off the existing pole, and Perry went right to work installing the camera.

With Perry busy with his electronics setup, Francis and I turned our attention to the new installation, Box 26. My friend Ken showed up to help with digging the hole and getting the box properly secured. Here's a pic of Ken and Francis busy with the prep work:

Digging a two foot hole in North Carolina soil is no easy chore. With large rocks imbedded in hard red clay, this ground is just brutal to human joints. The upside to this soil, though, is that any post imbedded in it is unlikely to go anywhere, with or without concrete. Here I am with Francis, lifting the post into place:

We decided to add a sack of concrete at the base, for extra stability in high winds. Box 26 is located on the far eastern side of the Corps of Engineers property, and can be seen from the hiking trail on the far side of the dam, going towards the spillway.

Below is a photo of the newly installed box 26, in habitat. This was the final nest box placement in phase one of our program!!

But it wasn't time to celebrate just yet. Upon arriving back at Box 19, we found Perry putting the finishing touches on the camera wiring. As with the other two Jordan dam boxes, this one was to be mounted directly into the ground.

Perry's company installs camera systems in nest boxes all over the country, including bluebird houses in back yards, and eagle nests in remote locations. We were very lucky to have him donate his time and expertise to our project. Here is the camera, fully mounted to the inside of the nest box:

Because the camera is mounted in the upper corner, it is out of the way of potential inhabitants, and offers nice images of the back of the nest box. An antenna will soon be installed at the Army Corps office, about a quarter mile away, to receive signal from the camera. Once the antenna is in place, hopefully within a few weeks, we will be able to stream live video online!!! I will post when the stream is ready to go live.

Here's a photo of the camera-installed nest box ready to go, on its new, permanent, wooden post. When the camera goes live, it will mark the end of phase one of our Piedmont Barn Owl Initiative, which set the intention to install 25 boxes in optimal habitat by 2015. We managed to install 26 boxes before the spring of 2014! Countless hours of talking on the phone, driving, and backbreaking work went into completing this part of the project.

We will now turn our attention to maintaining and monitoring the 26 boxes, inquiring about existing nest sites in the area, and educating the public. New Hope Audubon will continue to donate nest boxes where recent Barn Owl activity has been observed. Please contact us at newhopeaudubon.org to report sightings, or to ask questions about our program.

Box 25: Fearrington Village

Fearrington Village is a residential community south of Chapel Hill, best known for its Belted Galloway cows. The rare Scottish beef breed looks like an oreo cookie on four legs, and is especially popular with children. Families come from all over the region to take photos of the cows and take in the scenery.

Fearrington is also a popular retirement community, offering the allure of a rural English village with Carolina weather. The large barn, once part of the old Fearrington farm, has been converted into a space used for weddings, art shows, and concerts. Charming shops and eateries fill the village square, and a five star restaurant and inn are well known destinations.  Here's a view of the inn and gardens:

The open pasture and fields surrounding Fearrington offer good habitat for birds and wildlife, and potentially for Barn Owls. The community at Fearrington has also been a big supporter of New Hope Audubon over the years. So I approached Laura Morgan, the general manager at Fearrington, about putting up a Barn Owl nest box there. She enthusiastically supported the idea.

After reviewing the possible locations for installation, we decided on a spot at the edge of a field south of the inn. The location offered relative seclusion, direct access to habitat, and ease of observation. The only stipulation was that the proposed wooden post be painted white, to blend in with the surrounding architectural theme.

Laura graciously offered to help with installation, early on a Saturday in late winter. Within an hour, we had dug the two foot hole for the post, and mounted the box with the necessary brackets. We then hoisted the box into place. The entrance hole was faced southeast, towards open pasture, and the post was secured in concrete. Here I am with the finished product:

Here's a view from across the pasture. Fearrington residents can easily view the box from the bend in the road at West Madison.

Fearrington Village, famous for it's barn, restaurant, inn, and cows, may one day become famous for its Barn Owls.

Anchor systems

North Carolina, as a mid-Atlantic state, gets a fair amount of wacky weather in late winter. March is particularly schizophrenic, with 70 degree temps one day, and ice storms the next. High winds and even tornadoes are not that uncommon during this time, as warm air from the Gulf of Mexico moves north to clash with Arctic air moving south. In just the past two weeks, we've experienced a major rainstorm with sporadic tornadoes, a ten year snowfall event, three days of spring-like weather, followed by a devastating ice storm. The day after the ice storm, as trees lay broken over houses and roadways, the temperatures were back up in the 70's.

During the period of recent severe thunderstorms, three of our nest boxes went over. All three of these boxes were empty, but the mere thought of them falling over was keeping me up at night. Part of the problem was placement. All of the boxes placed in lowland areas and marsh did fine in the high winds, but some of the ones placed in open grassland were vulnerable, especially on hillsides.

Barn Owls don't particularly like hilltop placement of nest boxes anyway, favoring areas near running water and wetland. So each of the most vulnerable boxes needed to be moved to lower ground. We also decided to be safe and anchor 21 of the 24 boxes with a cable system, which would require a significant amount of time and work.

After some experimentation, my friend Ken and I devised some anchor systems that had a very small footprint. Where the ground was clay, we used auger anchors, essentially long metal corkscrews, and 1/8 inch cable to prevent any tipping of the tires. Here's what the system looks like:

In areas that had more rocky, unstable soil, we used three foot metal stakes and the 1/8 inch cable. That system, which we also used in the windiest locations, ended up looking like this (the sign is for education purposes only):

Where boxes were adjacent to silos, we anchored the poles directly to the structure.

With each of our three systems, the threat of leverage forces toppling the box was practically eliminated. In many cases, we couldn't even budge the pole when we tried to move it.

Now why wouldn't we save ourselves the hassle, and mount the nest boxes on wooden poles placed directly in the ground? Well, that's certainly an easier and less expensive option, and in dry areas would be the preferred route. I would recommend 12 foot 4x4 posts for most farms with open grassland. (In fact, we will be using a wooden post for our installation at Fearrington Village this weekend). A telescoping metal pole system, set into the ground, is also an option in areas with stable soil.

This tire system requires a lot more work, but allows us to place boxes in less hospitable places subject to flooding. In the Piedmont, Barn Owls are most associated with wetland areas close to open fields. Tires also allow land managers to move the boxes if necessary, as for a prescribed burn. Most importantly for us, moveability allows us to experiment a bit with placement. Wooden posts will likely be used in places where we get some activity.

Due to some very hard work by three of our volunteers, we were able to move the most vulnerable nest boxes to better onsite locations. We also managed to anchor every single nest box that had a remote chance of toppling, 21 boxes in all! The only thing to fear at this point is an inland hurricane.

Box 24: South Wind Farm

South Wind Farm is home to the Body Therapy Institute, a massage and healing arts school nestled into the heart of the Silk Hope community in Chatham County. BTI, as it is called by students and faculty, is a very special place, considered by many to be one of the best massage schools in the country. The land itself is designed to soothe body and soul, as woodlands turn to open grasslands yielding eventually to a picturesque little pond. Breathing becomes noticeably easier the moment you enter the driveway.

South Wind Farm and BTI also happen to have good habitat for Barn Owls. Only a couple of miles from our existing Silk Hope nest boxes, South Wind Farm provides necessary open space, along with proximity to working farms in the near vicinity. Since Barn Owls are known to have very large home ranges, and may forage up to five miles from a nesting site, the surrounding landscape is as important as the potential nest site itself. 

When we originally scouted sites in Silk Hope, I couldn't imagine better guardians of a nest box than Rick Rosen and Carey Smith, the owners of South Wind Farm and BTI. Having gone to the school myself, back in the mid-90's, I knew them not only to be great people, but avid birdwatchers as well. The feeders at the school are typically covered in goldfinches, and bluebirds are a common site almost every day of the year.  

The nest box was installed within a hedgerow, at the edge of a draw, close to the pond. 

Mounted on a 12 foot 4x4, the Barn Owl box blends in nicely with the overall aesthetic of the property. Look closely at the right side of the photo below, and you may see the small white speck along the hedgerow.

As one of the few truly rural areas of the Triangle region, the Silk Hope community may offer some of our best hopes for attracting imperiled Barn Owls back to the area. We now have five installations in Chatham County, with hopes of more in the future. Will the healing vibe of BTI and South Wind Farm attract a nesting pair in the next season or two?? 

Boxes 22 and 23: Cane Creek Reservoir

Cane Creek Reservoir, in western Orange County, is one of the most picturesque locales in all of central North Carolina. Rolling hills and farmland meet clear water and open sky to create a scene more reminiscent of the mountains than the piedmont. Managed by the Orange Water and Sewer Authority as a drinking supply, the reservoir is one of the best places in the county for seeing ducks and other avian wildlife, including wintering kestrels.

When I approached OWASA about the prospect of locating two Barn Owl boxes at the reservoir, they directed me to Johnny Riley, the Lake Warden. As the manager of this spectacular piece of property, he would have the final say on the matter. Luckily for us, Mr. Riley had an educational background in wildlife biology, and he quickly agreed to host the boxes. He even agreed to help us to set them up.

On an unseasonably warm Saturday morning, the assembly team met at the reservoir. Typically OWASA opens the gates on Fridays and Saturdays in spring and summer, so we had the whole place to ourselves. We even got to drive over the dam!

An American Pipit flew overhead. Two dozen Ruddy Ducks fed near the shore of the lake. The day could not have been any more beautiful for a February. We soon had the first box up, facing an open farm field. Pictured below are Sasha and Johnny.

This box can actually be seen from Sanford road, even when the reservoir is closed. The second box was placed on the western side of the dam, closer to the lake. Prime habitat can be found in nearly every direction. 

These Cane Creek Reservoir nest boxes complete our western Orange County cluster strategy. We now have 9 boxes placed along a "Barn Owl highway" of sorts, running from Mapleview Farm to the Reservoir. Several of these boxes can be seen from the road. Keep your eyes peeled at dawn and dusk if you are out in this part of the county. 

Box 21: Lindale Farm

If you've ever bought a carton of Organic Valley milk in central NC, chances are that milk came from Lindale Farm in Chatham County. A 500 acre family dairy in the heart of the Silk Hope community, Lindale Farm retains the character of the 19th century rural South. A massive old oak stands sentinel over a historic farm house, and old rustic buildings and silos dot the landscape.

Organic farms of this size are hard to find in central North Carolina. Most organic farms are small operations of five to ten acres, typically interspersed with dense woodlands. Lindale Farms is massive enough to enable scheduled grazing rotations over several large pastures. The result is healthier, more productive dairy cows, and hundreds of acres of potential grassland habitat.

In California and other states, Barn Owls are being increasingly used on organic farms as natural pest management. The Barn Owls thrive, since organic methods prevent the use of potentially harmful pesticides and rodenticides. The result is a win/win both for farmers and the owls.

We arrived late on a Sunday afternoon in February to install a nest box at Lindale Farm. Cori and Neill, the owners, told us to place the box wherever we wanted. There were so many structures and fields to choose from, it actually took us a while to find the right spot.

Any farmer will tell you that structure has the potential to attract pests. They love to hide out in these places, as do their predators. Because the fields are so open and sprawling on this particular farm, we decided to place the box amongst some of the old barns and silos.

I half expected to find a roosting Barn Owl somewhere in these old barns. In every direction I found scenes like this one. This place is the real deal.

After deciding on a location next to a grain storage bin, we had the box up in minutes. Norm and I, both being perfectionists, had trouble getting the pole just right. 

Box #21 is now fully installed at Lindale Farm. We are thrilled to be working with organic farms to help promote natural, sustainable pest management, while simultaneously aiding a threatened bird species. With a little luck, this picturesque dairy may have some new avian tenants come breeding season.

Boxes 19 and 20: Jordan Lake dam

When Jordan Lake was created in the '70's and early '80's, it produced a tradeoff of sorts for the bird world. Gone were vast swaths of bottomland forest, open farm fields, and marsh. Prothonotary warblers, wood ducks, and other bottomland species declined precipitously. The sheer size of the newly flooded area, however, became a boon for Bald Eagles and wintering gulls. Jordan Lake, essentially an artificial body of water, has today become one of the top breeding areas for Bald Eagles in the eastern US.

Jordan Lake was created by the development of the B. Everett Jordan dam, a massive project by the Army Corps of Engineers designed to control flooding in the coastal plain. By limiting outflows from the Haw and New Hope river systems, the dam effectively tamed the Cape Fear river to the south and east. The water above the dam has since become a resource for recreation and drinking water, though rarely without controversy.

The habitat surrounding Jordan Lake is dominated by loblolly pine forest, which supports healthy numbers of Brown-headed Nuthatches, along with the nesting Bald Eagles. The lack of large open fields, however, along with encroaching development, make the area largely unsuitable for Barn Owls.  In fact, when I initially pored over maps of Jordan Lake, I determined that our nest boxes would be better off elsewhere. The only section with any viable habitat was at the dam itself, way in the southeast corner of Chatham County.

Then I got news that my friend Andrew, while birding at dawn near the dam, had seen two Barn Owls in flight!! That was all the incentive I needed. I contacted Francis Ferrell, who works for the Army Corps, and asked if we could put up some nest boxes at the dam. We then arranged to meet on a Sunday in February to install two boxes.

The weather was perfect for nest box installation, though the ground was still soggy from a recent snowstorm. Francis thought that one box could be situated near the pump station. After showing us the spot, we all agreed that the surrounding habitat was perfect.

Barn owls like two things in particular: open grassland, and proximity to running water. This spot has both. . .the discharge from the dam is only 100 yards away. We quickly had the first box assembled and installed. Pictured below: Francis, Sasha, and Norm.

This box can easily be viewed from atop the dam. On the horizon is steam from the Shearon Harris nuclear facility. The clearcut area in the far background is being converted to longleaf pine and native grasses.

We decided to put the second box on the lake side, just north of the dam. Wintering Barn Owls are known to be fond of open marsh habitat. We quickly found just the right location.

We soon had the second box installed and ready for roosting owls. The visitor's center can be seen across the lake. 

Personally, if I were a Barn Owl, I would find this deluxe, lakeside penthouse to be a sweet little pad. Plenty of habitat in all directions, and lots of tiny rodents just waiting to be eaten.

The view in the picture below is from the visitor's center. Squint your eyes, and you might see the second nest box to the left of the distant trees. Might there be a hunting Barn Owl or two out there in the near future?? Scan the grassy areas, and the dam itself, with a good pair of binoculars at dawn or dusk. 

The Barn Owls that were recently seen were likely migrating through our area. It's possible, though, that a juvenile pair will find this area enticing, and want to stay. Breeding should be starting very soon. Will a pair of young owls find our nest boxes, and make Jordan dam their home??

Boxes 15-18: Butner Gamelands and Flat River Impoundments

The Butner Gamelands and Flat River Waterfowl Impoundments offer some of the best potential Barn Owl habitat in central North Carolina. Near the Granville County line in northern Durham County, these lands were set aside by the Army Corps of Engineers for waterfowl hunting, after the creation of Falls Lake. Today, state officials manage the vast acreage for various species of duck, as well as popular game species like Mourning Dove, Woodcock, and Snipe. The combination of flooded impoundments, dry open fields, hedgerows, and fragmented forest also provides ideal conditions for small rodents. The abundance of small rodents in turn feeds the resident predators, which include coyote, fox, bobcat, and various birds of prey.

Barn Owls are highly adapted to flooded wetland and marsh environments. In the Eastern US, the Barn Owl is most associated with coastal marshes, low country grasslands, and inland wetland areas near agricultural fields. The contiguous nature of the Butner Gamelands, along with the quality wetland and grassland habitat, make it an ideal location for our nest box program.

In early December of 2013, I approached Chris Baranski of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission about placing some Barn Owl boxes on the gamelands and surrounding properties. Chris was very accomodating, and even offered to help with the siting process. He knows the gamelands as well as anyone, being the land manager, an avid hunter, and a current resident on the property. By early January, Chris had helped us select four or five optimal nest box locations, and had our project approved by all the necessary agencies.

On "Superb Owl" weekend in late January, we had four boxes and mounting systems ready to go. Because I had managed to injure my back (lifting 80lb bags of concrete can do that), I called upon Sasha and Tom to help out with installation. Norm and I wanted to get all four boxes installed in one day, so we needed two trucks. We loaded the equipment we needed during a heavy downpour.

We arranged to meet Chris, who offered to help with installation, on Monday morning. We had all arrived a little bit early, so some milling around and comparison of pickup trucks ensued. This is the trusted process men use to assess work situations and figure out logistics.

It wasn't long, however, before Sasha had us back on task. We had four boxes to install, and rain clouds continued to threaten. Luckily for me,  I wouldn't have to do any real work, as my back was experiencing agonizing bouts of spasm.

Within minutes, the team had assembled the first nest box. After putting up more than a dozen of these things, we had the system pretty much down pat.

Below, Sasha, Chris, and Tom model our first installation of the day. Sitting in a patch of blackberry and sumac, adjacent to several dove fields and equipment sheds, this box offers excellent accomodations to potential Barn Owl residents.

By 11am, we had hardly even gotten started. The team was soon on the task of putting up the second nest box. I have to say, it's really nice being the photographer during the installation process. These tires are heavy!!!

Norm is all business during these operations, but Tom and Sasha find ways to keep things light. Here's Sasha wielding a machete. I'm pretty sure Tom is only laughing out of nervousness.

Chris seemed right in his element during this process. I'm convinced he was having even more fun than we were. Here he is using a chainsaw to clear out space in the hedgerow.

I really enjoy installation pictures, because a lot of prep work goes into scouting the locations, ordering the parts, assembling the poles and boxes, and transport. When a box finally goes up, there's a palpable feeling of euphoria in the air. It feels great to be outside, doing something tangible for a threatened wildlife species. Here's the assembly gang next to the second nest box at Butner Gamelands.

Like the box we installed earlier in the day, this one overlooks dove fields, which are primarily planted in millet during the springtime. There are plenty of voles and cotton rats to be had in these parts.

After the second installation, Tom had to head back home, but we still had two more nest boxes to put up. The remaining two boxes were slated for the Flat River Waterfowl Impoundment, on adjacent gamelands in Durham County. Hunting lands, while seemingly dangerous to all flying critters, are actually beneficial for non-game species like the Barn Owl. State regulated hunting lands are subsidized by license fees, and are well managed by trained professionals. Where any sort of grassland or wetland management is in place, Barn Owl nest box programs should take full advantage. 

By noon, storms were threatening again, and the team went right to work. Chris leveled the ground, while Norm and Sasha navigated the pole mount system.

Within minutes, the third box of the day was put into place. It now takes us, on average, about twenty minutes to install a nest box, once the pole and box have been assembled and transported. These boxes can easily be placed by a team of only three people.

As you can see, this box is easily accessible by the public, being located next to the trail around the main impoundment. In the spring, the water will be drawn down, leaving most of the area as relatively dry, open fields. Below is a shot from across the impoundment, and illustrates what much of the area may look like in late March. If you squint, you may see the small white speck that is the nest box.

Box four was to be installed on the opposite side of the main impoundment, in much the same habitat. The division of labor had already taken on a predictable pattern by this point. I still enjoyed the role of staff photographer, though I admit to being a little jealous of Chris and his chainsaw.

With the hardwood mulch inside the box, and the mount fixed, Sasha and the gang did another Iwo Jima impression.

Due to the prevailing winds, and the movement of the sun, it's important to orient the opening of the nest box to the southeast. This prevents the dehydration and overheating of any future inhabitants, especially during spring and summer.

Four nest boxes are now installed at Butner Game Lands and the nearby Flat River Waterfowl Impoundments. We are especially excited to have Chris and the Wildlife Resources Commission as partners in sponsoring these four boxes. Having dedicated biology professionals on board is crucial to bringing Barn Owls back in any sustainable numbers.

Please be mindful that the Butner Gamelands and Flat River Impoundments are open for hunting during most of the year. Although birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts are welcome, it's best to explore the areas on Sundays, when hunting is off limits. Please check with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, or your local wildlife officer, before venturing onto state managed gameland properties.
The Piedmont Barn Owl Initiative now has 6 boxes up in Durham County, and a total of 18 in the four county Triangle region. We are hoping to put 8 more boxes up before springtime. With any luck, we may just get a roosting Barn Owl, or even a nesting pair, this April or May. Stay tuned!!!