Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Alternative Wildlife Structures

There are many golf courses out there that have chosen to erect nest boxes or bird houses in order to attract wildlife to their properties. While this is definitely a viable option for providing sanctuary for wildlife it is certainly not the only option.

In fact, there are a number of wildlife enthusiasts, birders in particular, who would rather not see artificial bird houses. The main reason for this I have been told is that bird houses can create unfair hunting ground for birds of prey, who simply need to stay near the house and wait for their dinner to arrive.

One option for creating homes for birds is to leave dead trees standing otherwise known as tree snags. Dead trees provide homes for many different species of birds, insects and mammals. Of course the most important aspect here is to ensure the tree does not pose a safety hazard to humans.

Trees that fall in out of play areas of the golf course can also create excellent wildlife habitat for birds, insects and mammals.

Another form of wildlife habitat that can be created on the golf course is brush piles. Each year golf courses collect huge amounts of branches, sticks and other forms of brush from windstorms, tree pruning or other maintenance activities. Instead of burning the wood golf superintendents should consider building brush piles in out-of-play areas of the property. Brush piles are easy to build as the material simply needs to be piled up in an area that is frequented by wildlife. Again, these structures provide homes for different species of wildlife.

One recent trend I have noticed in the golf industry is superintendents building osprey pads on their courses. The osprey pads I have seen have been built on the top of dead trees. The pad is fairly simple as it can be an old pallet that you may have laying around from sod or fertilizer. The pallet is placed on the top of the tree and supported using 2x4's. The trick is to put the pallet upside down so there are sides to the pallet so young birds cannot fall out.

Superintendents I have spoken with have said that the ospreys did not immediately come use the structure, it takes a little time as the birds figure out whether or not the new home is safe to use. They obviously do not trust the structure erected by humans.

I am sure there are many more wildlife structures out there. If you know of any that I have not mentioned please let me know so I can pass on the information and make golf courses a friendlier place for wildlife to inhabit.

1 comment:

  1. I like the idea of the osprey pads. What a great opportunity to add some extra excitement to the golf experience. I would love to see an osprey as I am golfing. I might even consider doing this on my own property!

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