That is a popular question.
To recap, our HOA agreed to take up rat boxes (almost a year ago) as a friendly gesture to raptors, specifically owls. That along with following Wildewood's rules to not hang bird feeders (seeds that fall become vermin food) and trimming palms before their drupes fall are ways to reduce vermin and raccoon encounters.
Then we installed two different owl nesting boxes. Ed Straight said, with rat boxes gone, he'd feel comfortable releasing rehabbed Barred and Screech Owls here. Some neighbors indicated an interest in watching the release so we thought that we'd wait until October. We're hoping that Ed has Barn Owls to release in Springlakes since Marc Holtsberg installed a nesting box for them.
But, owls are already here in Wildewood.
For the last month, I've photographed a Barred Owl in the Southern Live Oak grove behind Pineneedle and also in the Butterfly Garden near the irrigation pump (heard a pair calling back and forth, too). Can you see the Barred Owl? It briefly stopped at the Jacaranda tree opposite Steve's place. Steve reports this owl frequently hangs out in this spot early mornings. In the past, the Higbees photographed a Barred Owl by the Woodlawn pool.
Perhaps owls are already checking out the nesting box.
In the meantime, we believe a family of Wood Ducks nested in the Barred Owl box this summer.
