Enhancing Nature at Olde Florida Golf Club

In 2013 Olde Florida Golf Club began a program to enhance nesting opportunities for Purple Martins, Screech Owls and Eastern Bluebirds. Working with an ornithologist, Olde Florida installed and monitors seven Screech Owl boxes, two Purple Martin nesting structures and two Eastern Blue Bird boxes. 

Ornithologist, Brian Beckner
Founder, Native Bird Boxes, Inc.

Screech Owl Box, 14 Green

Screech Owl’s are a robin-sized night bird. They are common in city parks and suburbs, where many human residents are often unaware they have an owl for a neighbor. The owl spends the day roosting in holes, nesting boxes or in dense cover and become active at dusk. 

This mother, affectionately named "Stink eye" once again returned to her nesting box behind 12 tee

"Stink eye" shortly after one of her two hatchlings emerged from the egg

"Sleepy" also returned to her nesting box in front of the clubhouse 

"Ginger" cuddling with one of her hatchlings
"Ginger" has utilized the nesting box behind 5 green for many years  

Of the seven Screech Owl "Native Bird Boxes" at Olde Florida, this year four are being utilized. Screech owls often return to the same nest each year. All four of this years mothers have previously utilized their nesting box and this year they have laid a combined seven eggs. 

"Sleepy's" two hatchlings will be leaving the nest soon

Olde Florida also installed and maintains two Purple Martin structures and once again both are being fully utilized. When inspected this week there were 19 nests with a combined 82 eggs/hatchlings. 

A few of this years Purple Martin hatchlings 

Purple Martins migrate each winter to South America. However, they remain incredibly faithful to their colony (nesting) sites each year, often returning to the United States about the same date.

Purple Martins are quite friendly and prefer to nest in close proximity to people, which make golf courses a perfect location for the bird. Interestingly, Purple Martins are the only bird species that is totally dependent on human supplied nest boxes. Qualities that make the martins desirable are they nest in colonies and have fascinating social behavior. Their vocalizations are also quite beautiful, they are extremely graceful in flight and they consume vast quantities of insects.