Circle mowed around burrowing owl nest leaves Cape Coral homeowner seeking answers

Brian Amaya is looking for answers after someone mowed a large circle around a burrowing owl nest in his front yard in Cape Coral.

"It's private property. So I wonder why would someone step onto private property to mow it," said Amaya.

Amaya took the mystery to social media and posted his concerns on Facebook.

"I knew if I posted on there, someone that loves nature or someone that knows about the owls and stuff like that will point me in the right direction," said Amaya.

That's when volunteers with Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife stepped in.

"We don't mow around burrows. When I saw the post, I responded to Brian and requested some additional information to find out what was going on," said CCFW volunteer Dawn Cardascia.

When Cardascia visited the site, one detail stood out to her.

"It does look like it was a riding mower and not hand-trimmed. The main concern is the weight of the mower and that it can potentially crush a burrow," said Cardascia.

Cardascia says the situation is highly unusual, and the group is now investigating.

"We don't go on private property without the owner's permission. So it was concerning," said Cardascia.

If you need to maintain your lawn around a Cape Coral burrowing owl nest, CCFW recommends using a lightweight, handheld weed trimmer.

Keep all work at least 10 feet away from the burrow entrance during non-nesting season, and expand that buffer to 33 feet during nesting season.

The City of Cape Coral said it does not maintain burrowing owl burrows, and it is trying to gather additional information.

Amaya hopes people take the time to educate themselves about burrowing owls and the importance of protecting their nests.

"Hopefully whoever did it sees it and knows to do their homework and research before they do something like this," said Amaya.