Thanks, James and great info! I didn't know about this colony.
Jennifer
Jennifer Miller
Lubbock, TX
{o,o}
/)_)
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Foundnatureblog@xxxxxxxxx
Blog - http://foundnature.weebly.com/index.html
On May 6, 2016, at 5:23 PM, James Leatherwood <jamesleatherwood@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I drive back and forth to Yellow House Canyon every day (east 50th St.) and
drive thru the grey water farms maintained by the city. I'm amazed at the
carnage of prairie dawgs squished on the hiway...I see the burrowing owls
sitting on fence posts or on the prairie dog mounds. I have not, happily,
seen any car-strikes of the owls. I think we're having a resurgence of the
owls as well as scaled quail and bobwhites and roadrunners due to the amazing
abundance of grasshoppers late last summer, it was NO trouble at all to keep
your brood fed! Thanks for your efforts at monitoring the owls!
From: leasbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <leasbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on
behalf of Jennifer Miller <foundnatureblog@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, May 6, 2016 5:08 PM
To: leasbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [leasbirds] Burrowing Owl Request
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
