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.