Hi Everyone,
I have been noticing more Burrowing Owls than usual as I have birded in
Lubbock and Levelland over the past few weeks. After conversations with
others, it appears as though this may be a good nesting season for them,
thanks to the rain that we received this and last year. We are at the
beginning of their nesting season and I would like to ask everyone to
please keep an eye on the Burrowing Owls that you may drive by or see on a
regular basis this summer. They nest and fledge their young from March
through October. If disturbed during this time, males will remain above
ground or fly while females and nestlings will duck back down into their
burrows. This makes the females and young extremely vulnerable to prairie
dog exterminations during this time. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act
prohibits disturbance to their nests and to do so carries legal
repercussions.
Concerned about prairie dog encroachment on the baseball field at McAlister
Park, I contacted Lubbock Parks and Recreation to ensure that there were no
plans to exterminate the prairie dogs, and with them the Burrowing Owls.
They informed me that they generally cannot poison prairie dogs after March
1st due to the Burrowing Owl's breeding season, but I still think that it
is important to keep an eye on them during this critical time. If the city
knows that we are watching, hopefully they will adhere to the regulations
prohibiting interference with nesting as outlined by the Migratory Bird
Treaty Act.
If you see disturbance on private or public land occupied by Burrowing Owls
from March through October, please inform the authorities below.
Disturbance includes poisoning, preparation for building, soil compaction,
etc. If any of these occur, it will be important to have a good idea about
the location of the burrows that the owls were using in order to try to
save the Burrowing Owls or prove that they were exterminated.
*Texas Game Wardens:*
Shannon Chambliss
806-761-4930
Shannon.Chambliss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mallory Mitchell (after August)
806-761-4930
Mallory.Mitchell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
*U.S. Fish and Wildlife Special Agent:*
Russell Carter
806-472-7273
I would love to see twice as many Burrowing Owls next year if they can
have a successful nesting season this year! Please let me know if you have
any questions and I will do my best to track down the answers.
Thanks,
Jennifer
--
Jennifer Miller
Lubbock, TX
{o,o}
/)_)
" "
Blog - http://foundnature.weebly.com/index.html
