Owl Watch Season Stats With Highs and One Low

A big high – no owls were lost during Hurricane Ian according to Brittany Piersma, biologist for Audubon of the Western Everglades (AWE) and coordinator of the Owl Watch Marco Program. Though burrows were washed out, owls started re-digging almost immediately once the water receded. 

At an Owl Watch Marco Presentation last Saturday at Mackle Park, Piersma gave a recap of the 2022 end of season stats which included the following:

Successful season: The Starter Burrows have begun to produce successful families. Volunteers Pam and Wayne Fawcett are dedicated to helping residents maintain their starter burrows 

What is the Starter Burrow Program? This is an incentive program set up with the City of Marco Island, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and AWE called Safe Harbor. Residents who want to set up “starter burrows” are provided safe nesting space on their improved lot or front yard (no vacant lot) to encourage burrowing owls to come and nest. This will help compensate for the owls’ rapid loss of habitat. 

According to Piersma, if you are interested in participating in a Starter Burrow, Owl Watch will dig a burrow for you and hope it will attract an owl to your property. You have till the end of December before nesting season. If interested, please email owlwatchmarco@gmail.com.

More chicks were fledged this season in Marco!

• 351 Total Sites
• 259 Active Sites
• 238 Pairs of Owls
• 190 Nests
• 524 Fledged Chicks (2021 – 471 Fledged Chicks)

AWE also monitored sites in Isle of Capri, Fiddlers Creek, City of Naples, Marco Executive Airport for a total of 367 sites in Collier County in 2022. 

Piersma shared that our owl population is thriving due to the teamwork of volunteers, staff, City and wildlife agencies. From the recent nesting season stats it seems owls like to stay on Marco and residents want them to stay! 

Community Service Officer (CSO) Ira Warder also thanked the volunteers and reconfirmed the department’s strong support of Marco's protected species. Piersma added “we call them all the time and they’ve responded to all our calls and assisted us with a lot of our wildlife rescues.”

Recently volunteers Cathy and Heidi along with Brittany Piersma and veterinarian Hollis Stewart from FWC were able to successfully capture an owl with an overgrown beak and multiple side effects of that abnormality. The capture was quite a challenge but, in the end, the owl was treated. Its beak was trimmed and it was then released back to its mate. Volunteers will continue to monitor the owl’s progress.

Congratulations to Holly Erker, Owl Watch Volunteer of the Year Award Winner and Joanna Metzger, Wildlife Warrior Award Winner.

Not Again! Another possible mothball poisoning! On Wednesday last week, an FWC Officer retrieved four packets of mothballs from a gopher tortoise burrow on a residential property. Earlier during the week, a nearby resident had observed the odd behavior of an owl sitting by the burrow. They took a photo along with the suspicious looking plastic bags inside the burrow and sent it to Owl Watch. FWC responded and this is under investigation by both MIPD and FWC.

According to local veterinarian, Joe Parisi, “mothballs are small balls of chemical pesticide and deodorants containing naphthalene considered a neurotoxin. The severe effects of a large number of mothballs in a very small space and the strong smell would cause birds to evade the nest and burrows, and if trapped with no fresh air, would succumb to the lethal effects. Unfortunately, individuals use these products as deterrents to animals nesting on their property.”

See something, say something or take a photo. Piersma encouraged the volunteers that if they see anything obstructing a burrow, an owl or tortoise acting oddly or items near burrows that are not supposed to be there, take a photo, note the address and send it to her at: owlwatchmarco@gmail.com. Owl Watch volunteers are looking forward to the upcoming nesting season!