Owl problem

[GFB]

Late Summer while mowing the lawn I spotted an OWL feather around 20 or 30 foot from my Martin houses and some long narrow black feathers scattered, not next to the martin houses but next to my house under some large pine trees a couple hundred feet from the bird houses. I believe it happened later in the season when the hatchlings were older and do to the number of birds I think during the night they attracted owls. My question is has anyone ever tried a wireless driveway alarm system? I see them advertised for around $15 and it says it detects a car or person that walks in front of a infrared sensor then it sends a signal to a indoor receiver that can be as far as 400 feet away that chimes. I have a third poll that is the same height as the houses and around 20 feet from my houses that I was going to use for another set of gourdes this year. But now I'm thinking to put a winch on it and use it for a feeder platform and also mount this driveway sensor on it. Has anyone tried this and do you think it would work? I do have owl guards on the T14's but nothing on the gourdes.

[C.C.Martins]

I dont know of any LLs who installed them, guess a system like that would have to be fairly sensitive to pick up an owl in flight if thats the plan.
My suggestion would be to install the martin gourds with owl protection first, second layer of defense may be electronic. Sorry to hear about the loss, doesnt sound like heavy predation but no way to tell off season.

[Bird Brain]

Scattered feathers on the ground is a screech owl attack. Screech owl likes to attack birds that are busy grazing on the ground, usually at dawn. Early bird gets the screech owl. The bird never knows what hit em. Probably wasn't a martin if it was grazing on the ground and attacked by screech owl. Screech owls don't prey on martins successfully very often since martin feed on the wing. If the martin was on the ground searching for nest building materials, that would be the only time it could become victim of screech owl. Coopers hawk also attacks birds on the ground but you said it was an owl feather. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

[GFB]

OK, Thanks for the information. Now that I'm retired I'll be able to monitor my colony more closely. If it happens again this year I'll post a picture of the feathers, maybe someone could tell me what bird they belong to.

[C.C.Martins]

I too think that if you havent noticed a loss of birds in the season your predation is probably minimal, however an owl attack is of concern, enough for you to want to put up an electronic system. My suggestion stands, what have you got to lose by putting up guards on the gourds. Owls are a top predator, you noticed the remains, simple fix to protect the birds. Owls are successful, why not make it harder on it.
Tom

[flyin-lowe]

I assume the driveway type sensors basically work like a garage door sensor and there is only a straight line, similar to a laser been that has to be broken to trip the alarm. I can see anyway you could set it to ensure that an approaching owl would trip it.

[GFB]

It's a little different than the garage door sensor that has a signal between two sensors that has to be broken. The driveway sensor only has one module that reflects The signal back but but you could be correct that the owl might have to be straight in front of it. I was thinking that I could aim it above the roof of the house but I just don't know what owls do when they attack. I think it's a great horned owl because all summer I could hear the hoot that it made and I looked up the hoots that different owls make on youtube.

[GFB]

One other thing I forgot to mention is the gourdes are troyer horizontals with tunnels and SREH's. If the martins would stay in the houses or gourdes they would be safe but I heard that the GHO beats its wings on the sides and flushes the martins out.

[C.C.Martins]

If its a GHO you'll probably pick it up. all that commotion won't go unnoticed...I take it that once the sensor sounds you'll hustle out? Im with you, wish they would stay inside.

[TerryW]

My only known attacks by an owl was against a non-mated martin roosting outside the cavities at night. All other martins were inside cavities except for two or three non-mated ones, at least I figured they weren't mated. I assume it was a barred owl...a "who cooks your food" hooter was what I had been hearing at night, and that is a barred, isn't it? The martin never knew what hit it and others inside never knew anything happened. It was silent, I just happened to be sitting on the porch looking up at the time it happened...was a swift moving dark shadow then a quiet thump as it hit the martin, seemed to never even slow down and kept going with the martin in its clutches. I was thoroughly impressed. It didn't stop to eat it on-site. Not much can be done about such a thing as that. It's a conflict of interest because owls are so fascinating. I have never experienced an owl banging on a cavity, I expect they would though if they thought about it.

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

The best protection for owls probably is a wire cage. Another excellent method is to build your housing so that the owls cannot see the martins inside the cavity. A third way is to make or use a longer tunnel as this may discourage the owls.