It was a homecoming of sorts for a young owl who returned to The Redwoods Golf Course last week, after a month and a half at a rehab centre.
The young bird of prey was returned to the North 91原创 golf course 鈥� where he was born earlier this year.
Back in late June, one of the night security staff at the course heard a ruckus in the works yard, and discovered a pair of owls who had fallen 鈥� or more likely been pushed 鈥� out of the owl nest that exists on the peak of the course maintenance shop.
The two birds, believed to be less than a month old, were found cowering against the side of the building, next to a bank of empty planting pots.
Initially, it was thought by managing director Doug Hawley, that it best to leave the birds alone with hopes the parents would rescue them.
But one of his staff called (OWL), a non-profit organization that rehabilitates and releases birds of prey, to inquire about what should be done, if anything.
Hawley and his team quickly learned the owlets would need immediate intervention, if they were expected to survive.
鈥淭hey picked up the owls within an hour of us calling, did a fantastic job taking care of the owls, kept in contact throughout the whole process, and made such an effort to ensure that an owl was released back here at the course,鈥� Hawley elaborated.
After more than a month of rehabilitation, the owlets are old enough, and believed big enough, to now survive on their own.
He explained that the birds had been tested within the confines of the rehab centre, to ensure they could fly and hunt, and fend for themselves.
Recently, one of the orphan owls was released at the Falconglen Organic Farms in the Glen Valley area of 91原创, while the other was returned to Redwoods last Wednesday, Aug. 16.
During the release that evening 鈥� after other birds that would typically prey on baby owls had gone to bed 鈥� the nocturnal owlet was released near his parents鈥� nest. An OWL volunteer explained that the parents would likely run him out of the immediate vicinity, but that he would be expected to select a new spot not too far away.
鈥淲e were assured he can fly, and he can hunt, and he should be able to survive on his own,鈥� Hawley said, noting the bird has been tagged. He is not too sure the tag will be visible without binoculars.
At the release, Redwoods also had a surprise ready for the OWL volunteer.
They announced the donation of $500 for the non-profit society.
Redwoods runs a charity-of-the-year program where staff members and public golfers using complimentary passes donate between $2 to $5 with each round of golf played. These donations accumulate throughout the year and are awarded to a selected charity.
鈥淚t only seemed fitting that OWL became our charity of the year for 2017,鈥� Hawley said. 鈥淭hey picked up the owls within an hour of us calling, did a fantastic job taking care of the owls, kept in contact throughout the whole process, and made such an effort to ensure that an owl was released back here at the course.鈥�
The bird is not expected to return to the nest at the shop, but will likely stay in the vicinity since the golf course offers 175 acres of forest and green space.
When the course was first constructed, a bird consultant worked with Hawley and others to ensure wildlife could continue to live and flourish on the grounds.
In addition to the foot-and-a-half-square owl nest built into the maintenance shop, Redwoods has numerous bat boxes and nests around the grounds, a few woodpecker nests, as well as several roosting posts for hawks and owls. Even by developing some natural wetlands on the site, they鈥檝e lured in blue herons and other wildlife.
鈥淲e were trying to encourage wildlife that golfers would enjoy looking at,鈥� said Hawley, who believes 鈥渘ature goes hand in hand with golf.鈥�
With thick forested areas all throughout the property, Redwoods is home to a 鈥減lethora of wild animals,鈥� he said.
鈥淲hile the wildlife on the property normally exist without any human intervention, this summer was a little different for this resident family of barn owls.鈥�
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