March 11, 2016
The Geneva owl legacy continues
Among nature nerds, there’s an unwritten code of conduct surrounding sensitive organisms. If there are rare orchids growing in a natural area, you don’t advertise the location. If someone poaches prairie seeds, you don’t publicize the act, lest others come with similar mal intent.
This code extends to wildlife too容specially those in vulnerable breeding mode葉o allow them to go about their business in peace. But every once in a while an opportunity comes along that will not only allow people rare glimpses of interesting behaviors, but also the chance to learn more about our wild neighbors.
The famous Geneva owls come to mind.
Remember them? For several years a pair of great horned owls chose to nest in the trees on the north side of the Kane County Courthouse in Geneva. Right off of Third Street, for all to see.
Their appearance was a surprise, at first. After all, what could a busy shopping and dining district offer a grand bird of prey?
The answer, it soon became apparent, was right there in the name: Prey. Downtown Geneva and its surrounding environs offered plenty of it.
Rodents. Rabbits. Birds. You could tell what was on the owls’ menus by observing the bits of bones and fur as well as the copious quantity of owl pellets羊egurgitated wads of indigestible parts葉hat appeared below the occupied tree.
The evidence extended beyond the immediate area too. I recall seeing a large hunk of cottontail by the stop sign at Third and James. And a fair amount of pigeon feathers to the west of the trees, by the rear courthouse parking lot.
As the years went on葉he owls nested in that vicinity from 2005 to 2008葉heir celebrity status grew as well. The fine folks at Kane County Audubon brought spotting scopes and binoculars, and scheduled volunteers to help educate people about owls’ roles in local ecosystems. An orange snow fence was set up to keep people from standing directly below the nest.
Then, in 2009, the owl pair did not return. Did they choose another, less prominent location to rear their family? Had they aged beyond their breeding years? No one knows for sure.
Without a doubt, though, the Geneva owl legacy continues預lbeit in a different location.
Here’s where that code of conduct comes into play. I feel funny publishing, for all to see, the location of a great horned owl nest, even though it’s not really “news.・Owls actually have been nesting there since 2012. It’s in a very public location.
But what if that information got into the wrong hands, and the owls were subject to harassment? Their angst would weigh heavily on my conscience.
Luckily, like most unwritten codes, this one has some unwritten loopholes. I’m going to take advantage one in particular, an adjunct that allows you to hint heavily, as long as you don’t say the name outright.
So here you go folks, a set of clues that will lead you right to an active owl nest. Use your knowledge of our area to figure them out:
・The owls inhabit a forest preserve that was once an estate known as Riverbank.
・Their nest is in a tree on the west side of the preserve.
・The tree is situated, conveniently, between a picnic shelter and a comfort station ranked by several area Nature Nerds as Best Outhouse in Kane County.
・Once slated for removal, the tree has a white X painted on one side.
Perhaps most telling is the orange fencing that surrounds the area, erected, as was the courthouse fence, to keep observers a polite distance away from the owl and her brood. A sign wired to the fence reminds visitors to Watch Owls From Shelter.
If you’ve deciphered the clues預nd I’m pretty sure you have預nd decide to pay a visit, remember to abide by a few other principles of that unwritten code. Keep your voices down and movements to a minimum. Leave your pup at home, or at least in the car. Bring some binoculars, so you can keep your distance.
Last but not least, keep your own comfort in mind and dress appropriately. If it’s wet out, bring rain gear; if the temperatures drop, bundle up. You wouldn’t want to catch a・ode・
Pam Otto is the manager of nature programs and interpretive services at the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center, a facility of the St. Charles Park District. She can be reached at 630-513-4346 or potto@stcparks.org.
A female great horned owl peers from her nest inside a tree cavity in a very public location.