Boxes 13 and 14: Quail Roost Farm

In 1875, a group of prominent businessmen acquired 800 acres in northern Durham County to form a hunting club, which they named the Quail Roost Hunting Lodge. Among the club members were tobacco magnate Washington Duke and visionary banker and developer John Sprunt Hill. For decades, the lodge and the surrounding grounds provided ideal recreation for the Durham elite. Deer, turkey, and fowl were in good numbers. By the end of the first world war, however, the abundance of wildlife, particularly quail, had dropped precipitously. The members realized that economic changes had to be made, and soon began to operate the lodge as a dairy.

John Sprunt Hill and family acquired the property outright in the 1920's, buying hundreds of adjacent acres in the process. Houses were built on the farm for the workers, and Quail Roost Farm, as it came to be called, became a thriving dairy operation. By the 1940's, Hill's descendents had amassed over 1800 acres and had established a reputation for breeding the finest Guernsey cattle. A thoroughbred horse operation was also started on the property in 1937.

During the 1960's, the dairy industry changed dramatically, and the business model for the property changed once again. The equestrian operation was expanded, riding rings were added, and a veterinary clinic was built. By the mid 1970's, Quail Roost Farm had become a local hotspot for riding lessons and more technical equestrian training. Today, Equiventure LLC, an internationally known equestrian training center, operates out of the main barn. Though much of the land has been donated or sold off in recent years (much of which has become NC State's Hill Forest), the original property is still owned by members of the Hill family.

Quail Roost Farm today offers a rare glimpse into a genteel Piedmont past. Stately cottages and barns dot the hillside, interspersed with ponds, forest, and horse pasture. The farm is so picturesque that it's listed on the National Film Registry. Quail Roost also offers excellent wildlife habitat, especially for birds. It is one of the best places in Durham County to find Eastern Meadowlarks, American Pipits, and Grasshopper Sparrows. Kestrels are usually present, working the open pastures for grasshoppers. Even the eponymous Bobwhite quail can be seen darting across the road on occasion, though they have never returned to their past abundance.

When I spoke with Mrs. Hill last December about placing Barn Owl boxes on her property, her eyes lit up almost immediately. Many years ago, she had rescued and raised an injured Great Horned Owl, and had grown very fond of owls in general. She also mentioned that her land managers, years ago, had discovered "monkey faced" owlets in the attic of her barn. She quickly agreed to host some boxes. "Anywhere you want," she said.

Luckily I knew the property fairly well. My friends Scott and Tom count the birds at Quail Roost with me twice a year for Audubon, and we often remark how perfect the habitat is for Barn Owls. Unfortunately, these threatened owls had not been seen for over a decade. Research shows, however, that Barn Owls will often return to previous haunts when appropriate nest boxes are installed.

In late January, I met up with Norm, Ken, and Sasha to install two new nest boxes on the Quail Roost property. A winter storm was headed our way, so we knew we had a small window of time to work. Luckily, the boxes and poles were ready to go, due to some prep we had done the month before. My dog Tita tagged along for the ride.

Every time we do an installation, Norm ends up with the drill duties. He quickly had the box ready to mount on the pole. We used sturdier tires this time around, going with 205s rather than 185s, and using over 200lbs of concrete. This system would be virtually indestructible, and very resistant to wind and the elements.

It didn't take long for Sasha and Ken to level the ground and erect the first box. We had chosen a spot that was along a hedgerow, relatively open, but out of the way of tractors. The site is also adjacent to a trail used by people riding their horses. I foresee this box becoming a frequent topic of conversation for riders.

Here's a photo of Box 13 fully installed. If you squint, you'll see the Mute Swans way back in the pond. They have begun to breed on the farm, and have established a feral population. The pond is also very popular with ducks. On this January day, we saw American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Mallard, and Bufflehead.

Below is a wider view of the potential habitat. The field here is managed for hay, but there are dozens of acres of potential habitat in every direction. Can you see the little white speck way in the back, just below the tree line?

With one box installed, we soon turned to Box 14. I had planned on placing the second box closer to  the structures on the property. After scouting around, we found some grain silos that looked promising.

Barn Owls often use grain silos as roosting sites, and have even been known to nest in them on occasion. I took the opportunity to study the functional architecture of these ubiquitous farm structures. Here's a view looking up from within.

Here's a view of the shaft running adjacent to the silo. There weren't many ledges suitable for young owlets, but plenty of footholds for a roost site. 

There were many doors and openings into the silos as well, offering entrance to both predator and prey. Surely this spot has harbored Barn Owls in the past. I decided to take a closer look inside.

A bit of forensics turned up some startling clues. Remnants of Barn Owl pellets, perhaps?? Small rodent skulls and femurs littered the floor. "Look at the bones!!!!!!!!!!"

We quickly decided to locate the box right next to the silos. Where there is smoke, there's bound to be fire, right? The team went right to work.

Within twenty minutes, we had put up a box too good to pass up. If only one of our 14 current boxes is to get Barn Owls this spring, I'd put money on this one.

Any potential residents will have premier box seats for all equestrian events.

How could a Barn Owl family pass on this opportunity? Plenty of food, premier habitat, horses.  Heck, I'd like to move to this place myself!!!!!

Boxes 13 and 14 are fully installed at Quail Roost Farm. These boxes represent our first two installments in Durham County, and the third "cluster" in the Triangle region. Maybe, with some luck, Quail Roost Farm can change its name in the future to Owl Roost Farm.