What's Up in the Vineyard?

Owl Boxes

You can now see owl boxes 

scattered among our 15 acres of vines

and rising 12 feet into the air. 

Why?

Varmints! 

Gophers love vineyards as much as golf courses
and, unlike Bill Murray in Caddyshack,
we like to find more natural methods
to balance out the ecosystem.

Gophers burrow under vines
munching on roots
and will kill younger vines.

So earlier this year,

T. fired up the power tools
and played with the plywood.

Starting with one box,

he ended up with six ...

... and raised them 
like the flag at Iwo Jima
throughout the vineyard
where they stand sentinel 
over spring roses and grape shoots.

"If T. builds them, will they come?"

A pair of barn owls, like this one,
can consume 2,000 rodents a year ...
but only if they like the neighborhood
and the new condos. 
Was this going to be another real estate boondoggle?

One dusk night, however,

our friends, Chris and Jennifer Will,
(Jennifer volunteers at a peninsula bird sanctuary)
released a rehabilitated barn owl at Satori
and our fingers were crossed
that it would take up residence ...
and bring its friends.

The Proof is in the Pudding.

Or in the bird droppings,
and the hairball-like things
-- called pellets --
 they regurgitate
after a nosh of gopher sushi.

Barn Owls and Western Screech Owls.

How do we know we have both types?
In the middle of the night
you can hear the eerie screech of the latter
and the crisp, loud clicking of the former.
Haunting, actually,
because you rarely see them in flight;
you just hear fast-moving sounds
of predators in the darkness.

4 out of the 6 vacancies are filled!

And springtime means raptor babies (we hope).
Each night we go to bed
knowing that our vines and tomatoes
have a much better chance now of surviving to harvest
thanks to our newest bird buddies. 


satori