Some new additions have moved into a Summerland neighbourhood and the residents there couldn’t be happier about it.
In a man-made nest in the Murrays’ tree, a mother Great Horned Owl took up residence this March and now two fluffy babies have come along too.
It was around three years ago Allan Murray read a story about a man who had built a platform for owls to nest in. The man had instant success and got to enjoy owls in his tree.
So Murray built one himself and put branches and twigs inside of it like this man had.
A neighbour brought over his scissor lift to help put the platform into the Murary’s tree.
“We waited and waited. Three years we waited,” said Carleen Murray. They had given up that owls would use it.
Then this past February nearly every night the couple would hear owls.
Finally a Great Horned Owl made herself at home.
“Our neighbours across the street from us texted to say they thought an owl was in the platform.”
“Mamma owl was in there sitting and sitting,” she said.
Then on Easter day a baby owl was spotted.
“All of a sudden there with this white fluff ball, like a pom pom.”
The Murrays got in touch with the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society in Oliver to find out more about their owl family.
They learned that the mother can lay an egg every seven days.
Sure enough now there are two fluff balls.
Owl mom is doing a great job taking care of them, and they are growing so fast, she added.
The Murrays believe that the babies will be ready to fly mid-May. They are already standing at the edge and looking out, she said.
It’s been quite the exciting event for the neighbourhood that gets to watch the owls grow.
“The whole neighbourhood is really respectful of the owls,” Carleen added.
The hope for the neighbourhood, especially for the Murrays is that they have many more owl families for years to come.