Pendleton Bird Club Projects
 		 
     

 

BURROWS AND OWLS

Contributed by Jenny Barnett/June Whitten

Will Burrowing Owls Return to Wanaket Wildlife Area? It has been over 7 years since Burrowing Owls were seen on Wanaket Wildlife Area. Although never abundant, one or two pairs were known to nest in the vicinity until 2001. Biologists are unsure why the owls no longer nest at Wanaket, but the decrease is consistent with a decreasing population trend reported throughout the region. Habitat fragmentation and loss, and lack of suitable, naturally occurringBurrowing Owl juveniles at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. Photo by A. Skirvin 7-29-09. nesting burrows have been suggested as possible reasons for the decline.

With hopes of solving some of the above problems, the Confederated Tribes, the U.S Fish and Wildlife, the Umatilla Chemical Depot, and the Pendleton Bird Club installed 4 artificial Burrowing Owl burrows on Wanaket Wildlife Area on August 28, 2009. The burrows were placed in two complexes of two burrows each. The burrows are close enough to Hwy. 730 to allow viewing from the road should the burrows attract owls. The equipment for the burrows was donated to the Pendleton Bird Club by Don Gillis of the Umatilla Chemical Depot.

The installations went very smoothly, with expertise provided by Don Gillis who has overseen the installation of several successful burrows on the Umatilla Chemical Depot; Mike Greg, USFWS Burrowing Owl. Photo by Bob Tapley.biologist, who has also worked with the burrows on the Chemical Depot; and David Johnson, the owl expert from Virginia, who spoke to the Pendleton Bird Club last spring. These men not only provided the technical assistance, but were heavy on the shovels as well. Rich Scheele, Tribal wildlife biologist expertly dug the holes in the sandy soil with a backhoe. Pendleton Bird Club members, also good with shovels, were Jack Simons, June Whitten, Bruce Mayfield, Katrina Susi, Angela Baylink, and photographer extraordinaire, Dave Herr. The installation went so well and quickly we did not get to eat the lunches we brought!

Installing the burrows in late summer was important. During this season, juvenile owls are actively searching for new burrows in which to nest next summer, and the owls key into areas with new soil disturbance. Next spring, Wanaket staff and some bird club members will be monitoring the burrows on a regular basis to determine if they are being used by owls. 

Three juvenile Burrowing Owls discovered in a wheat field 3 miles north of Pendleton on August 30, 2009.

Then, as if by magic, 3 Burrowing Owls were spotted by Aaron Skirvin and June Whitten on Hwy. 37, just a couple of miles out of Pendleton, on Sunday, August 30. These juvenile owls were joined by a fourth juvenile owl on Wednesday, September 2, who perhaps had been there all along but out of sight in the burrow. It is unknown if these owls were born here in this wheat field, or possibly moved in later. No adults were ever seen by the numerous people who viewed the owls.

    

     

Project Photos...2009 (all photos by Dave Herr).

 
     


Burrowing Owl artificial burrow components.

 

Hole preparation is made easier by use of a back hoe. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) provided the back hoe plus personnel.



Workers set the pre-assembled burrow nesting components into the hole.


Mike Gregg sets a five gallon plastic pail onto the blue 55-gallon plastic drum that has been cut horizontally in half. The pail will allow observation of the den and cleanout of the blue drum at the end of the nesting season..



CTUIR staff fill the burrowing hole (saving volunteers a LOT of work!).
  


Volunteers fill the hole by hand.




With enough shovels you can make a lot of dust (and move a lot of dirt).		  


Mike Gregg covers the plastic flexible tubing with sod to provide a realistic entryway.



Yours truly...Jack Simons with his favorite
gardening implement. Check out that hat!

 

 
 
Volunteers plus Wanaket Wildlife Area and CTUIR staff take a well deserved break at the conclusion of the project.