Posted by Don on March 01, 2003 at 15:08:45:
Here at "Raptor Ranch", as I call it, the raptors stop into this 325 acre backyard. This is my property in South Florida not far from Homestead. Raptors flourish here, and other birds, because of the varied habitats here. The canal attracts Osprey and the occasional Bald Eagle. The hammocks are home to a pair of Barred Owl and a couple Screech Owls. The 50 acre field homes screech owls, about 4, but who knows how much are down below the mounds. White-tailed and Swallow-tailed Kites flyover frequently, and a migrating Mississippi Kite stayed around for 3 days in '94, and a Swainson's Hawk pair stays almost every winter. In the Slash Pines, Great Horned Owls stay year-round aswell as screech owls. Cooper's, Sharp-shinned, Short-tailed, Red-tailed, Florida Red-shouldered Hawks stay around too. Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures stay mainly in the winter, but a couple stay year-round. Kestrals and Peregrine Falcons stay here too. A farm down the road sometimes gives me exotic norway rats from his barn, aswell as exotic European house mice. These mice and rats are killed because they harm the enviroment and are not protected, so he sometimes gives me a couple. These mice are tossed live to the raptors every other week or so, and the Mexican Migrants, who I let stay in my back house for free every winter, enjoy feeding the raptors too. I dont over feed the raptors, so they arnt distracted from their regular diet, but its fun once in a while. Greetings from Raptor Ranch