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. 

Box 12: Cohen Farm

Silk Hope, North Carolina is a small rural community in western Chatham County. Only a 30 minute drive from Chapel Hill, Silk Hope retains the character of the 19th century Piedmont. . .large, open farmlands interspersed with rolling hills and endless country roads. Without a GPS or a good map, it would be very easy to disappear in this part of the Triangle. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Silk Hope gets its name from a little piece of rural history. Legend has it that many decades ago, a local farmer travelled to China and brought back some mulberry trees. With the idea of starting a new silk industry here in the Carolinas, the farmer planted the trees, and waited several years for them to grow. When the trees were large enough to harvest, silk worms were placed on the leaves. . .but they wouldn't eat. The farmer had planted the wrong species of mulberry tree!!!! 

The attempt at creating a silk industry might have been a disaster, but it hasn't deterred Silk Hope from becoming a resilient farm community. Much of the productive land today is planted in monoculture crops, like corn and soybeans, not unlike the rest of rural America. However, there are plenty of cattle farms in the area, which can provide ideal hunting grounds for Barn Owls. 

When scouting land around Silk Hope for our Barn Owl Initiative, I asked Bo Howes of Triangle Land Conservancy if he had any leads. It turns out that TLC had bought some easements around a large cattle farm, and most of the land was in pasture. He sent me the ArcGIS maps of the property, and I quickly realized the property was perfect for one of our nest boxes. 

I then looked at the map a little closer. The layout seemed strangely familiar. The address seemed familiar too. Wait a minute! I knew this property!!!! Of all the farms in Silk Hope, I knew this exact property. . .because I had lived on it!!!

Back in 1997, when I first moved to North Carolina, it was in Silk Hope that I landed. I rented an old rustic cabin on a large farm, and commuted into Carrboro and Chapel Hill for work. It was a magical time for me. I remember being very in touch with the seasons, even the phases of the moon, and all the wildlife sounds on the property. I loved that farm!!! Here's the old cabin as it looks today. 

I spoke with the landowners, who remembered me, and they quickly agreed to host a Barn Owl box. They were particularly pleased with the prospect of owls eating the mice, voles, and cotton rats on the property. Barn Owls are called Barn Owls for a reason. They like to roost and nest in structures where there is plenty of food, and rodents are the main course on the menu.

Modern structures, however, don't always have the right kinds of rafters necessary to support owls. So instead of putting a nest box in one of the barns, we decided to go with our trusted pole mount system. On a chilly day in early December, we loaded up the truck, and took the scenic route out to the Cohen farm in Silk Hope, with the mission of installing Box 12. We quickly decided on an open field. An embedded rock in the ground made this section too dangerous for the farmer to mow, but provided a nice flat spot for a nest box. 

Within minutes, the team was at work. Norm screwed the flange to the base of the box. Ken used his smartphone Apps to assess level ground, and to find the right direction for the nest hole. I placed mulch in the box, to prevent the excess movement of any potential owl eggs. Once the system was ready, Ken did his best Iwo Jima impression.

Box number 12 is fully installed and ready for residents!! This is our first nest box in Chatham County, and represents another opportunity for re-establishing Barn Owls in the Piedmont. We hope to have more boxes up in Chatham soon.

Look closely at the next photograph, and you will see the nest box in the distance. Open pasture plus barn structures equals Club Med for Barn Owls. Hopefully a migrating juvenile will recognize the opportunities here and want to stay.

And no, Barn Owls will not eat your chickens, or your cats for that matter.

All in all it was a special day. Ken made a new friend.

This young calf seemed eager to make new acquaintances.

This beautiful farm in rural Chatham County, with hundreds of acres of open pasture, offers new hope to a very special bird. Maybe one day, if our nesting program is successful, they will rename this community Owl Hope. Let's hope our nest boxes don't prove to be the wrong type of mulberry tree!

Stampede!!!!

I've learned a couple of things in the process of putting up 11 Barn Owl boxes this year. One, when using a tire and concrete to support a pole mount, size really does matter. The Anilorac box may have blown over this summer simply because the tire size was too small. Two, no matter what sized tire is used in the mount, a pole and nest box system is no match for one ton herbivores. Stampede!!!!!!

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!

Box 11: Green Acres Farm

Green Acres Farm, which is adjacent to Mapleview Farm in western Orange County, is yet another cattle farm with large, open pastures. (Noticing a theme?) It turns out that most large farms in central NC plant monoculture crops, typically corn or soybeans, which are not good habitat for Barn Owls. Cattle farms provide the open space these owls need, and lower grasses in which to trap unsuspecting rodents.

When the Dodson family graciously agreed to host a nest box, it allowed us to have four boxes within a relatively small area. Clustering nest boxes within a close range is believed to increase reproductive success rates in Barn Owls. With two boxes at Mapleview, and another at nearby Blue Moon Meadows, a box on the Dodson's land makes it difficult for migrating owls to ignore the area.

When I first scouted the farm, I was a little concerned that the hayfields might be too high. Like corn, hay, when it gets tall, becomes a deterrent for avian predators, as rodents have too many places to hide. But Norm and I decided that there was enough good habitat around to warrant a box, so we went ahead as planned. My friend Bonnie was there to help us out with site selection.

Tom and Norm had the box up and installed in about 20 minutes. The clouds overhead provided a nice visual backdrop.

Box #11 is fully installed at Green Acres Farm!! Box 12 should be going up in a couple of weeks at an Orange County horse farm. Stay tuned.

Box 10: Blue Moon Meadows Farm

Blue Moon Meadows Farm specializes in pasture raised cattle, free range chicken eggs, and alpaca wool, only ten minutes from downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill. Run by a mother and daughter team, Louanne and Amanda, the farm sells many of its products, including worms for vermiculture, at the Chapel Hill Farmers Market. The rolling acres of pasture at Blue Moon Meadows just happen to be ideal for Barn Owls.

We arrived on a beautiful fall afternoon, and driving out onto the open pasture, we were quickly greeted by the cows. I'm always amazed at the bravado and curiousity of these large herbivores. Within minutes, they had scoped out the entire situation.

The cows were not the only grazers on this farm. Alpacas and a few llamas also make these fields their home, as do a few friendly donkeys. Everyone wanted to check out the commotion.

I had to get all the animals out of the way, so Tom and Norm wouldn't accidentally smack them with the pole and tire. 

I also had to keep the cows away from the ladders during installation, lest a sudden move topple Tom, Norm, and the nest box to the ground. 

My main strategy was to make funny noises, so the cows would be more interested in me than the other two. A flyswatter would have been handy, too.

Eventually, the installation was a success. The cows thought so, too.

If you squint your eyes, looking out past the llamas and the pond, to the left of the distant juniper, you can see the white speck that is the nest box. This is Barn Owl heaven!

There are also numerous structures on the farm, which can harbor the rodents upon which Barn Owls feed. 

Barn Owls feed almost exclusively on rodents, so livestock and chickens are not under any threat. Because these special owls can eat such large volumes of mice, voles, and rats, they can be very helpful on small farms such as this one. This chicken looks like it can take care of itself anyway.

On the way out, we noticed a scarecrow on the front lawn of the main house. Luckily for us, it wasn't a "scareowl." With any luck, this quaint farm in western Orange county will become a welcome home to a future family of Barn Owls. 

Box #10 is fully installed. Double digits!!!!!

Box 9: Prairie Ridge Ecostation

New Hope Audubon Society serves Orange, Durham, and Chatham Counties in North Carolina. The Piedmont Barn Owl Inititative was conceived primarily to serve those three counties. Today, we made an exception.
Elizabeth Bennett, formerly of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, approached us last April with the idea of putting up a box at Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh. At first, we hesitated, given that the site is in Wake County. Then she offered to pay for the box herself. Mrs. Bennett, already host to a box on private land west of Chapel Hill, simply wouldn't take no for an answer.
Prairie Ridge is actually a very good site for our initiative. For one, the habitat is good, with managed native grasslands surrounded by large cattle pastures. Secondly, the education potential is high, as the site is managed by researchers, and is open to the public. Finally, there is a chance we might encourage our neighboring chapter, Wake Audubon, to take the baton and put up some owl boxes of their own. So we agreed to put box number 9 at Prairie Ridge.

Prairie Ridge is situated near the NC Museum of Art, NC State's football stadium, and the Carl Alwen Schenck Memorial Forest, not far from Wade Avenue. The Reedy Creek Greenway System runs right beside it. Aside from serving as a research center, the site is excellent for general birding and nature exploration.
Tom, Norm, and I arrived on a beautiful Saturday morning in late September. We quickly discovered that native grasses at Prairie Ridge are quite high in autumn, which could make it difficult for future Barn Owls to hunt for rodents. We needed to find a mounting spot with access to mowed trails, lower patches of grasses, and neighboring farm fields, offering alternative hunting opportunities for the owls.

After scouting the area, we decided on a location in the northern section of the ecostation, close to the equipment sheds. Sheds tend to harbor mice and cotton rats, prime food sources for Barn Owls. The location also met all our other needs. It took us only 20 minutes to find level ground and mount the nest box.

Box number 9 is now open for business in Wake County! We hope the investment will pay off in the years to come.

Box Eight Down!

It's been a long summer here in the Piedmont, and to our knowledge, we have yet to attract any owls to our nest boxes. That's OK, because odds are long for getting owls the first season. We knew this would be a long term process.

We suffered a minor setback when box number 8, at Anilorac Farm, went down. I drove by one day and the box appeared to be missing!! After a little investigation, it turned out that the box and pole had merely been knocked over.

The owner of Anilorac suspects the box may have been blown over by a strong wind. When I inspected the site, however, it looked like someone may have lowered the pole and box to the ground. There was no damage to the box.

Local farmers lease the land, so it's possible the box was lowered for some reason unbeknownst to us. In any case, we will re-examine our pole mount system to see if we can't improve on it in cases of wind. We may have to use guy wires to secure boxes located in vulnerable areas. 

When I returned the box to the upright position, I tested the wobble of the tire and pole, and the system seemed pretty secure. The box itself looked a bit pitiful in its dirty state, but the molded plastic has proven itself to be a resilient material.

Boxes 9-12 should be up soon, so stay tuned.