HELP FOR WILDLIFE

We can help wild hawks and owls in many ways, and at the same time have the pleasure of seeing them more often; we can watch from a distance (with binoculars) as they go through courtship,raise their families, and teach youngsters to hunt. One of the easiest ways to help these birds is to build nest boxes for the cavity nesting owls and falcons. These homes are usually constructed for Eastern Screech Owls and American Kestrels (a small falcon), but can also be designed for saw whet owls, and barred owls. Platforms and other structures are also useful for some species. To get started, a nest box for either screech owls or kestrels is a very rewarding project. Screech owls can live in small towns and villages where old trees line the city streets, and toxic sprays for insects are kept to a minimum. They will hunt at night in the surrounding woods, and make beautiful trills during spring courtship. American Kestrels often use the same sized box, but will prefer that the box be placed on the edge of an open field where they hunt for grasshoppers and mice.

Nest Boxes:

Brush Piles:

Brush piles work as cover for many small mammals, and add to the ability of an ecosystem to support a variety of wildlife. Mice, rabbits, opossum, and other critters will use these shelters as dens as well as a place to hide from predators. Because brush piles attract these smaller critters, they will also attract larger predators, who will watch the brush piles for their prey. In winter, it is interesting to watch for the tracks in the snow where little critters of many species make trails to and from the brush pile. You may even find wing marks of a hawk or owl nearby where a mouse trail ends!