Pat Burke is a local retired biologist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, here in Escondido North County San Diego. Burke called his $49 nest boxes "a labor of love" for the birds that have beaten down the local population of rats. Burke estimated there are about 2,000 nest boxes in San Diego County, and said that he would like to see even more.
One of our very own chatters and viewer has a Owl Box built by Mr. Burke, and has had owls in her box..Way to go !
Tom Stephan is another maker of Barn Owl boxes here in San Diego County, and has a few different styles. His top-end box, the Hoo’s Who [$950], is a two-story barn with oak trim around the front and the edges and a manzanita branch perch. They come on a 16-foot-high galvanized steel pole set on a post that he sets in the ground.. Inside the Hoo’s Who is an infrared night-time vision video camera and microphone. It is color in the day, black and white at night, and it has audio; you plug it into your TV.” Another box runs you $500.00 and yet another model for $350.00.
As you can see the prices range, but no matter if you spend a little or a lot for a nest box, camera or no camera, in a tree or on a pole they will come. Find a Owl Box builder in your hometown, or build your own, and do your research.
Read their stories and see their boxes.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_f9666c52-e6c2-5be4-9bfb-f32cf44a49ee.html
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2008/jan/02/best-buys/
http://www.barnowlboxes.com/
