Photo: Barn Owl, Michael Phillips/Audubon Photography Awards
Tina Dudley
Barn Owl, Michael Phillips/Audubon Photography Awards
The ASNV Conservation Committee is excited to announce the successful installation of a new barn owl nesting box in an unused silo in a park near Leesburg. This project was implemented by our friend and raptor advisor, Liz Dennison, in partnership with NOVA Parks.
Liz Dennison, president of Secret Garden Birds & Bees, a nonprofit, also worked with the Conservation Committee to help us install two Kestrel nesting boxes at the Lorton Landfill in 2022.
The effort to find a suitable location to install the barn owl box began at the end of last year. We investigated a few siloes close to the Lorton Landfill, but each silo proved to be problematic for different reasons. Several were completely inaccessible, welded shut in fact. Another was accessible but, due to poor drainage, had several inches of water in the bottom. This was a problem because when young barn owls fledge, they often fall from their nest as part of the process of learning to fly. We did not want to risk the fledglings drowning accidentally.
We found the perfect silo by posting a question to Reddit’s NOVA community - asking if anyone happened to know about a silo that might be suitable. One commenter replied that it was a strangely specific question to post. Luckily, one reader in the thread happened to be an employee of NOVA Parks, who contacted us with a lead on a good location.
This park, which we are not identifying to prevent harassment to any future nesting owls, is the perfect site. It has ample grassland nearby to provide a bounty of mice and voles. Barn owls have in fact been spotted in and near that park by NOVA Parks staff. The silo also is in a part of the park that is closed to the public.
Although Barn Owls prefer to nest in barns, they will use a silo because the silo helps protect the owls from the elements. Liz shared a memory of the first time she and Dave installed a barn owl box in a silo on her own property. “I did not have high expectations because I did not think we were in good barn owl territory. But I was wrong. Just a few weeks after installing the box, I stuck my cell phone through one of the silo doors and snapped a picture of the box. And there was a beautiful barn owl face looking down at me! The owls are still here and still using the box to raise their young.”
Nest box in the silo, Liz Dennison
It was Liz’s brave friend Dave Cazenas who actually climbed high up into the silo to install the box. He also brought his drone and was able to capture this great image of the silo and the surrounding habitat.
The chosen silo, Dave Cazenas
Liz explains why this location is ideal: “This silo in the park is perfect. The silo, despite missing a roof, is in good structural condition, which made installation safe. The surrounding area is perfect for hunting mice and voles. It’s quiet and away from people. And young barn owls will have plenty of sheltered places to roost as they master their flying and hunting skills. Without disturbing them, we will check for signs of the owls – owl pellets (bits of indigestible bone and fur regurgitated by the owls) and molted feathers.”
She also asks for public cooperation: “If anyone recognizes this place from the photos, please keep your distance from the silo and other structures. We want the owls to feel safe exploring the site and choosing it for their nest. It could take some time – or it could take just a few weeks. But I’m confident that a pair of barn owls will eventually make it their home.”
Many thanks to Liz and Dave, and to Emily Johnson from NOVA Parks, who suggested this location and coordinated with our volunteers who installed the nest box.
We hope to have good news of a nesting pair to report back soon!
If you know of a silo that might be suitable for another nesting box, you can contact us at info@audubonva.org with your suggestion.
We would not be able to do projects like this without the help of our donors. Thank you for your support. To contribute, you can make a donation online at https://www.audubonva.org/donate.