THE OWLS COMETH

[John A Green Jr]

Be vigilant folks, they are here and they are real. Plan for it. I didn't want to believe it so now I am scrambling, don't let it happen to you! Take care.

[KathyF]

John,
I'm not sure what you're trying to implement to deter the owl, but I've posted about what I'm currently doing here:

http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com/2016/06 ... hange.html

and there are other things on my blog about building the cages if you're interested - I'll give you the links.

Good luck - this IS the biggest challenge a landlord can face.

[John A Green Jr]

Thanks Kathy,
I have followed your journey with your owl problem pretty closely and kudos to you and your cleverness. I simply refused to see what was right in front of me. I returned home last year from three weeks in Seattle in July and found a couple of owl feathers in the yard. I only had a few pair left but they seemed fine and not acting strange. So I chalked it up as if I had just simply missed the big fledging party.
Well, that changed last night when I worked an odd shift and came home around 11 pm and seen one sitting on top of the rack! So it's confirmed now. I stayed up until 1 am out and around the yard until I had to rest. I have some ideas and will pass them along as implemented. I read your blog and congrats on the success so far, seems you're the wiser owl! Thanks for the support.

[KathyF]

Thanks Kathy,
I have followed your journey with your owl problem pretty closely and kudos to you and your cleverness. I simply refused to see what was right in front of me. I returned home last year from three weeks in Seattle in July and found a couple of owl feathers in the yard. I only had a few pair left but they seemed fine and not acting strange. So I chalked it up as if I had just simply missed the big fledging party.
Well, that changed last night when I worked an odd shift and came home around 11 pm and seen one sitting on top of the rack! So it's confirmed now. I stayed up until 1 am out and around the yard until I had to rest. I have some ideas and will pass them along as implemented. I read your blog and congrats on the success so far, seems you're the wiser owl! Thanks for the support.

you're welcome.

If you'd like to chat about ideas, send me an email at [email protected]. and I'll send you my phone number.

[avesrun]

Kathy I too have read up on your owl experiences and deterrent measures and John please post anything new you may try. I will be spending my off-season building cages unfortunately. I've seen a great horned owl 3 times in my yard and have fired warning shots in their direction. I only have one martin pair at home; however my satellite site has grown from two pair last season to over10 pr. this season and is in prime owl territory. My only issue with the cages is their unsightliness........wish there was a better way........
TimG

[avesrun]

Kathy (and John): do you have any thoughts about noise as an owl deterrent. Landlord LynnH east of me has interestingly seen little in the way of owl trouble since a set of wind chimes was hung around his colony. It does seem that since owls rely heavily on their sense of hearing that background noise of some kind could be of help in keeping owls away. Also seems like it may work better if employed BEFORE hunting martins has become a successful learned behavior by an owl. I'm thinking that once an owl has learned about martin hunting they really aren't relying on their sense of hearing when raiding a martin house? Appreciate any thoughts.
TimG

[warbird]

I had a perch broke today, nothing missing but something happened. It's not if it happens its when

[KathyF]

Kathy (and John): do you have any thoughts about noise as an owl deterrent. Landlord LynnH east of me has interestingly seen little in the way of owl trouble since a set of wind chimes was hung around his colony. It does seem that since owls rely heavily on their sense of hearing that background noise of some kind could be of help in keeping owls away. TimG

Tim, thinking about noise as an owl deterrent seems like going way back in time for me....if I knew then what I know now, I would have had Pink Floyd, Lynnrd Skynnrd, Led Zeppelin, among many others playing all night in my backyard, over 4 years ago.
But you're right - they rely on sound first, then sight. Unfortunately, I found out too late that my colony was under attack. Ironically, my Trendsetter house was her favorite...I suppose because the martins were sitting on the porches, and / or sitting inside moving around on the metal/mesh flooring. So, cover sounds would be, in my opinion, a good measure to deploy - besides, doesn't cost you anything...or much, anyway...unless you don't own any of the albums I've mentioned above. LOL

Also seems like it may work better if employed BEFORE hunting martins has become a successful learned behavior by an owl. I'm thinking that once an owl has learned about martin hunting they really aren't relying on their sense of hearing when raiding a martin house? Appreciate any thoughts.
TimG

I agree - she comes around now just to see if there are any easy meals. She already KNOWS there is food here, even if no one is sitting on the porches and not making a sound. I imagine even if my owl left my neck of the woods (she wouldn't - this is her territory), but pretend she did - she would KNOW what martin housing across the country contains and raid those boxes.
Anyway, here's a post I made on the PMCA Facebook page this morning....seems, I've at least forced her to change her tactics.....

Well, I knew better than to talk about it, but I suppose 3 visits / attacks in 19 days is STILL better than EVERY night, right? It appears that I've impacted her hunting tactics too. I now have 5 cds of various sounds that Mr. Freeze and I have made around the house. On THIS particular night, we were trying out a cd he had made with computer-generated, sound effects.
Apparently, the owl knew the difference. When I found this video the next morning, I immediately changed the cd back to one with me yelling out into the yard, 'get the heck outta here!!*, and other colorful language, along with scraping chairs on the porch, doors slamming, etc.
I had also turned off the lights that were on a timer and brought in the extension cord because of the rain earlier that night. I need to find a permanent solution for the lights so they are weather-proof. At this point, everything...EVERYTHING...is an experiment with this owl. And frankly, she really does challenge my imagination.
Either way, since she ended up hitting the side of the cage, then landed in the yard and looked back at the rack for a bit, I'm pretty sure she didn't get whomever was sitting on either the cage or the gourd she went after. There's a second video from the same night, showing her returning and WALKING up the grass line further out, watching the racks. Please, my beloved martins, either stay inside, or if you're coming out to dawnsing, SPRINT your butt out and get up high to do your thang!!!
(regarding the video - she attacks from the right - watch the ground and you'll see her eyes glowing in the video before she launches. try to ignore the creepy cobwebs growing on my camera. that's another story. )
https://youtu.be/JZkqwStvwA0

[BW Fowler]

I'm down with the Pink Floyd, Lynnrd Skynnrd, and even the Led Zeppelin. Thanks for sharing,

BW

[avesrun]

Yes Kathy thanks for the insight on your attempts to foil one of landlords' most difficult challenges. Sounds like you are slowly getting the better hand. Would you recommend cd playing all martin season long or just during fledge time? Luckily I'm still rural enough that I think I could get away with some all night noise. Speaking of Led Zeppelin: Have you checked out any of Robert Plant 's latest works? Robert Plants Band of Joy and Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation is good stuff. Another cd of Robert Plant and Allison Crouse is excellent . It will be strange having a cd playing in my backyard at night but I will do what needs to be done. I may opt for Lynn's tactic too though. Maybe wind chimes with a fan nearby for calm nights?

[KathyF]

Would you recommend cd playing all martin season long or just during fledge time? Luckily I'm still rural enough that I think I could get away with some all night noise. Speaking of Led Zeppelin: Have you checked out any of Robert Plant 's latest works? Robert Plants Band of Joy and Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation is good stuff. Another cd of Robert Plant and Allison Crouse is excellent . It will be strange having a cd playing in my backyard at night but I will do what needs to be done. I may opt for Lynn's tactic too though. Maybe wind chimes with a fan nearby for calm nights?

Regarding playing / timing of the cd - the problem is you never know when the owl will be around scouting/ hunting. I've even taken the perspective now that every time I'm out in late evening, the owl is probably around watching me, so I make a big show about being out in the yard and on my deck when I'm out during that time. I even go out last thing at night and shine bright lights around, slam doors, yell out into the night at her, etc.
My opinion - always assume it's there watching your colony. Play the cd, a radio, or some kind of 'cover' noise, wind chimes, engine running, etc. I think the benefit of doing all that *before* an owl finds you've got food behind those doors is two-fold - you cover up the martin noise AND, you interrupt her hunting for other things around your yard, so she will need to go somewhere else where it's quiet to find food.

I tried a radio a couple of years ago (after she had already found my colony) and bright lights. The only station I could get out here, late at night was a religious broadcast on AM. I have a video of her attacking my colony with the lights and radio going. I guess the preacher couldn't turn her away from her evil ways.

Regarding Robert Plant's latest works - no, but I will now! I will check it out - thanks for mentioning it! He is so danged talented and that band has been around for so long! We still have "Mothership" on vinyl....how funny is that??