Low flying Owls on Sanibel Island

One of Sanibel's best and biggest claims to fame is its heart for our winged and four legged creatures.

Every road on the island is posted with caution signs.

Tortoise crossings are well marked.

Bayous all have "beware of alligators" designated in signage.

Snowy Plover nests are protected with roping and warnings.

Postings on beaches clearly demonstrate that collecting shells is fine, as long as they have no living inhabitants.

And the whole Island, end to end, has no street lights to assure that the sea turtles do not get distracted and lose their way to the water.

Sanibel is a tropical spot designed to protect and preserve non human species of all kinds.

And now, there is one more feathered friend under the Island's safety net.

The Screech Owl.

This small and  beautiful owl was being reported as road kill in record numbers.  And an alert Sanibel resident already interested and active in its preservation on her own property, made the connections of place and timing and took an advocacy role in making her findings known.

She eventually was in contact with the Sanibel Natural Resource director Holly Milbrandt about the increasing screech owl deaths occurring by car strikes between mile markers five and seven.

Milbrandt said the number of screech owls being killed as result of flying low to the ground during the night hours was alarming. "Although we don't have any records of screech owl population on the island, anytime there is that much reduction, it is concerning," Milbrandt added. The Sanibel City Council voted 5-0 to install two lighted signs, with the warning of: "Slow! Low Flying Owls" between mile markers five and seven. The LED lighted signs are 30-inch across, with eight lights framing it. The lights are solar powered and will have a dusk to dawn sensor to activate it, and a motion sensor to stop blinking 30 seconds after a car has passed it.

We are happy our resident was so aware and willing to fight the battle for these owls and appreciate the efforts made by the Sanibel Natural Resource Director and the Sanibel City Council.  Now , we are hopeful that the sign is observed and we can witness an increase in the number of Screech Owls on our little island.