Side project - Bats and Owls

[woodlandfarms]

Put together a few bat boxes and barn owl boxes. Now hoping they find the darn things.

Neighbors say an elk herd has moved in above us. I have not heard nor seen them. Wondering how I convince them to move onto our place.

I will use a tractor to mount on the trees and poles so it kinda qualifies for TBN

Carl

 

[20 20]

Thanks for the post/pictures. I have a bat house out by our pond, we really enjoy them. It was sad when they got white nose, like losing a pet, but they say they should be making a decent come back within the next 4-5yrs{??} sure hope so. I do want to make another bat house and a couple of owl houses. Is there a site you used for the plans on your owl house?

 

[Baby Grand]

Nice work! Yes, please share any info or links you may have on the owl & bat boxes as we could use all the help we can get with our mice and mosquitos.

 

[Kyle241]

Definitely if you can post any tips, plans, etc. I would be interested. I have a bat house that I built last summer but we did not paint the interior black so it never got put together. Would love to entice some barn owls to my property as well plus wood ducks!

 

[jonyyuma]

I am interested in making Owl house and bat house too...Plan to paint them black..

 

[Arkaybee]

Here are a couple of links to information about raptor housing & perches.

Wild WIng Company Nest Boxes and Perches


Birds of Prey Assist Farmers (SA Fall, 1992 (v5n1))

Love the raptors. If not for them the mice would take over everything.

HTH

Arkaybee

 

[woodlandfarms]

I have only seen owl boxes in CA. They are quite successful so this is the plan I used.

http://www.scvas.org/pdf/cbrp/BuildingBarnOwlBoxes.pdf

The only thing I don't like is the possible water leak in the top, but I think I will just put some old shingle up there and that will fix it.

Bat Boxes... there are tons of plans online

https://www.google.com/search?q=bat...D4n02QWi4sCLAg&ved=0CF0QsAQ&biw=1638&bih=1079

I got a book from a friend and used that plan, but read a lot on the internet and made some changes.

I understand taller and narrower is more desirable. I have not painted mine yet and am on the fence about it. I do know the big thing is that most of the builders are getting away from the mesh interior and just going with roughing up the inside box.

There are oils that are supposed to attract them

At the end of the day I feel this is a hit or miss proposition. As we are not them, and don't think like them, you have a 50.50 chance of this working.

But I am thrilled none the less. Hoping it pays off handsomely.

 

[whiskywizard]

I'd love to add some owl boxes and encourage more owls to stick around. Does the increased presence of owls scare off all the other birds?

 

[ch47dpilot]

Got an odd question but maybe someone reading this forum knows the answer. I've heard tails of owls and eagles taking small dogs from back yards. I have a mini Chihuahua. We have a big barn owl(I think) that hangs around always afraid something will grab her. She's about the size of a rabbit. Always hangs around our Black Lab and Black Lab/Pit Bull so she's well protected but at times she does wonder off on her own.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

We have an owl that hangs around somewhere in my neighborhood. I hear him/her often at night. I think the owl is cool, but there's a negative side, too. We've had a lot of kittens that just disappear without a trace. A few small dogs have also come up missing.

 

[Doloe]

I'd say paint it black and put some asphalt shingles on the top. Here in W. Wash. the boxes aren't going to get too hot. So far I've only been able to attract a few bats during the summer. Good luck.

 

[jonyyuma]

We have an owl that hangs around somewhere in my neighborhood. I hear him/her often at night. I think the owl is cool, but there's a negative side, too. We've had a lot of kittens that just disappear without a trace. A few small dogs have also come up missing.

this seems to be the answer for here too..I don't let small dog very far out, read in a magazine about a tough-of- war over dog on leash and woman in yard.

 

[Arkaybee]

LET FREEDOM RING

Oh, how I wish I had the camera in my hands yesterday. We saw a sight we had never seen before--one of nature's grand displays and our symbol of freedom too-- a BALD EAGLE (a raptor too) soaring and "circling down the breeze" right overhead. At the first sighting it was fairly low but kept moving up higher as it circled. The brilliant, pure-white tail and white head were very striking when it was at the lower level and one could tell that the head was tilted down scanning for prey. It finally flew straight north toward a large lake nearby.

We had heard that there were bald eagles around Caddo Lake and Cross Lake but we had never seen any.

What an inspiring sight this was. It made me think about the erosion of our freedom so dearly purchased in the past and urged me to redouble my support of efforts to maintain individual freedom in our country.

LET FREEDOM RING ! ! !

Arkaybee

 

[woodlandfarms]

I am no expert so take this with that in mind.

Barn owls tend to be small and fairly docile. Voles, moles mice are about what they can lift. they are not too territorial and prefer night hunting.

Great horned owls are nasty creatures who are like the shark of the air. Stories of cats and small dogs disappearing abound. Horned owls generally reuse hawk or eagles nests. High flat and exposed.

Carl

 

[jonyyuma]

LET FREEDOM RING
We had heard that there were bald eagles around Caddo Lake and Cross Lake but we had never seen any.
What an inspiring sight this was. It made me think about the erosion of our freedom so dearly purchased in the past and urged me to redouble my support of efforts to maintain individual freedom in our country.

LET FREEDOM RING ! ! !
Arkaybee

I had the same feelings a couple weeks ago at" Land-between the lakes" on Tenn-ky borders.Three mature Eagles flew by and perched on tree behind the motel. It seems they were eyeing some Coot ducks, as they would sweep down on them. I watched them for nearly an hour with my binocs.....They are very pretty..

 

[Short Game]

Thankfully, we are not free to shoot or poison the eagles and other raptors anymore. One man's regulation is another man's government intrusion. It's nice when we can agree on it, yes?

We have many eagles here and they and the ospreys have been brought back from the brink.

 

[PatasColo]

Great horned owls are nasty creatures who are like the shark of the air. Stories of cats and small dogs disappearing abound. Horned owls generally reuse hawk or eagles nests. High flat and exposed.
Carl

The Horned Owls will also take to a wooden box, but the thing is enormous and way high. We have one at my work "campus" that is almost three stories up, under a huge eave. I'd estimate the box is at least 2 feet on a side.

Every year there are "owlings" in the courtyard (and all year long, two adults hooting on top of the buildings)... this year I think they had three at once (but usually only one or two survive to maturity). In the quadrangle among the buildings, there is a healthy rabbit population, and that serves as their cafeteria.

They could easily take a chihuahua or similarly small dog. Now, I cannot speak at all for barn owls (best you Google that one, or call your local raptor society).
-Mitch

 

[jonyyuma]

The Horned Owls will also take to a wooden box, but the thing is enormous and way high. We have one at my work "campus" that is almost three stories up, under a huge eave. I'd estimate the box is at least 2 feet on a side.
-Mitch

We had a owl occupy an old shipping crate on the roof of our 3 story building. But Alas, all the spectators going up to see,finally made it give up the roost..

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Owls have no sense of smell, so skunks are tasty. :licking: