March 30th, 2013: Past two days have been lovely, mid-70's with a light breeze. Cleaned bird boxes and did tome equipment modifications, including placing PVC pipes in places around the key to be able to set up T posts where we fly the birds. Changed the telemetry to fresh batteries. Did patrols on foot and flight patrols at pool/beach area during the day. Mercedes is perfect for this, she flies back and forth, keeping birds at the pool/beach away from guest food.
Evening patrols included flying birds around 6:30 to discourage the blackbirds from coming in to roost. This strategy seems to be working. Grackles are greatly diminished in numbers. I patrol with the hawks on the cadge and periodically fly the back and forth to establish a territory that the blackbirds will see. Blackbirds, especially crows and other flocking, especially crows species send scouts to see the potential area. When there are hawks in the area, they move on.
I also spotted a bait box for rodent poison on the key. I would much rather see the use of barn owl boxes instead for rodent control. Rat poison is a terrible way to take care of rodents. For, the risk of secondary poisoning to our allies, the owls at night and the hawks and falcons during the day. Rodents when poisoned seek water sources, especially in the daytime. The ill rodent then attracts the raptors, who then die and slow and painful death from internal bleeding. A facebook page entitled RATS (Raptors are the Solution) started in the San Francisco Bay area is a great program, to encourage the installation of raptor nest boxes, (kestrels, owls, and hawk friendly nesting platform and trees). A barn owl will take 23 mice in a 1/2 hour period during nesting season, far more effective than the mis-guided use of cats, (which are an introduced species and highly destructive to our native birds and small wildlife) and a totally natural solution, using native species. My veterinarian told me that the nest boxes now used in the sugar cane fields in S. Florida have really made a dent in the pest rodent populations there.
Evening patrols included flying birds around 6:30 to discourage the blackbirds from coming in to roost. This strategy seems to be working. Grackles are greatly diminished in numbers. I patrol with the hawks on the cadge and periodically fly the back and forth to establish a territory that the blackbirds will see. Blackbirds, especially crows and other flocking, especially crows species send scouts to see the potential area. When there are hawks in the area, they move on.
I also spotted a bait box for rodent poison on the key. I would much rather see the use of barn owl boxes instead for rodent control. Rat poison is a terrible way to take care of rodents. For, the risk of secondary poisoning to our allies, the owls at night and the hawks and falcons during the day. Rodents when poisoned seek water sources, especially in the daytime. The ill rodent then attracts the raptors, who then die and slow and painful death from internal bleeding. A facebook page entitled RATS (Raptors are the Solution) started in the San Francisco Bay area is a great program, to encourage the installation of raptor nest boxes, (kestrels, owls, and hawk friendly nesting platform and trees). A barn owl will take 23 mice in a 1/2 hour period during nesting season, far more effective than the mis-guided use of cats, (which are an introduced species and highly destructive to our native birds and small wildlife) and a totally natural solution, using native species. My veterinarian told me that the nest boxes now used in the sugar cane fields in S. Florida have really made a dent in the pest rodent populations there.
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