Owls Raising Family In Rafters Of Auburn Waste Transfer Station

AUBURN (CBS13) - A pair of owls and their brand new chicks are nesting in an unusual spot - a waste transfer station in Auburn.

They survived the Highway 49 Fire and now two owls have expanded their family and are calling the waste transfer station their new home.

"We noticed them flying in early in the morning coming off the field and come inside around 5 o'clock," said transfer station operator Garry Riley.

TVs, propane tanks and trash end up at the Recology waste transfer station in Auburn, but no one expects a family of owls to make it their home.

But those four baby owls and proud parents have been cuddling in a nest in the rafters above all the trash.

"The adults have been living here for a couple years," Riley said. "And we've never seen the babies before until about three weeks ago."

The adult owls have been here ever since their original habitat was destroyed in the Highway 49 Fire three years ago. The loud trucks coming in and out, dumping waste and recycables, don't seem to bother the owls.

"I think they're OK with the noise and what's going on around them," Riley said. "They found a comfortable area to raise their babies and they're doing ok."

According to the Department of Fish and Game, it's common for barn owls to nest on ledges or man-made structures, but it's quite a surprise for people who come out to the waste station.

"It's because we keep taking their places. They have to land somewhere," one birdwatcher said.

And the owls are doing their fair share of work too. They help keep the rodent population down.

"There's plenty of food," one visitor to the waste station said. "There must be a lot of mice and things like that in there."

People who work here say they don't usually tell anyone about these owls. They say they want to respect their privacy and avoid any disruption to the family. But now that the secret is out, more owl lovers have come out to take a peek.