I am an avid and novice bird watcher and in our Silver Lake neighborhood we have quite a few Great Horned Owls. They begin their distinctive hoot, hoot calls around sundown and can be seen high, high up in the tallest trees or telephone poles scouting the Silver Lake Resevoir open space for a tasty squirrel, mouse or rat. It’s breathtaking to see the fly silently overhead. While we have alot of birds in and around our golf course, we’d like to attract more numbers and variety. Planting trees and shrubs will help. So will getting certified with Audubon’s Cooperative Sanctuary Program.

Red Whiskered Bulbul spotted in Silver Lake

Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf is an award-winning education and certification program that helps golf courses protect our environment and preserve the natural heritage of the game of golf. The program is centered around six basic concepts: Environmental Assessment & Planning, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Chemical Use Reduction & Safety, Water Conservation, Water Quality Management, and Outreach & Education. Currently, they have about 2,000 golf courses who are members with just over 900 who hold certification indicating they are compliant with the six basic concepts indicated above. We hope to be one of the certified courses in the next 2-3 years.