Area residents are not the only species flocking to the Morgan Hill Aquatics Center to seek refuge from the summer heat.
Recently, Aquatics Center staff spotted a pair of barn owls who built their nest in a cubby underneath the top of the high water slide — a popular attraction for young, thrill-seeking swimmers.
Staff immediately contacted the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center, or WERC, which recognized the importance of moving the nestling owlet (a bird that is too young to leave its nest) to a safer location. WERC was granted special permission by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to bring the owlet to WERC’s facility in rural Morgan Hill for rehabilitation.
Scott Martin, a Morgan Hill police officer and WERC volunteer, as well as fellow volunteer Rick Smith “went above and beyond the call of duty to rescue the owlet from its precarious nesting spot,” said WERC Executive Director Sue Howell.
After the two rescuers used a long net to scoop up the owlet and remove it from harm’s way, the frightened, downy little raptor was warmed up and fed a nourishing meal of rodents. Within days, it was eating on its own and, to prevent it from becoming imprinted on humans, the owlet was placed in an enclosure with Barnadette, WERC’s non-releasable, educational barn owl, Howell explained.
WERC plans on releasing the Aquatic Center owl on a clear evening in early autumn.
