If you have been around the large live oak tree behind the 9th tee of Briarwood Executive Golf Course recently you have probably encountered the Owl Lady. Who is she?
Rosalie Rutkowski, who lives in the Village of Briar Meadow, bought in The Villages about four years ago. She is a retired judge after about 36 years sitting on the bench. She describes herself as Judge Judy before there was a Judge Judy.
Right after buying she was informed there was a tree with owls, and owlets, nearby. She visited the tree and thought “this would be nice to show the grandchildren when they come to visit.”
Well they came to visit shortly thereafter and they visited the tree. Rosalie said, “the grandchildren had lots of questions about the owls she didn’t know the answer to.” That set her off to gain as much knowledge about Great Horned Owls as she could. She became the “resident expert” about these owls, so the next time the grandchildren visited she could answer their questions.
Rosalie says that when the female sits on the eggs, usually in February, she starts visiting the tree daily. Sometimes she spends as much two to three hours a day there. She loves pointing out the nest to people passing by from the two golf courses, and people using the Springdale Fitness Trail. Also, in addition to the nest, she can usually locate and point out the male Great Horned Owl sitting high in the tree.
She has learned so much from observing this Great Horned Owl nest over the past four years. She estimates when the Owlets will be hatched by observing when the female lays in the nest. Rosalie says “when I notice she lays in the nest constantly, the eggs have probably been laid.” The incubation period usually lasts about 32-34 days. Then the real fun begins.
“Momma owl had 3 owlets, the year before she did not hatch any owlets,” Rosalie said. She is not sure why.
After she points out the nest, usually by saying “stand right here behind me” as she points with her hand towards the tree, “it’s right there in that crotch of the tree”, then she starts telling them stories of the owls. Sometimes she may even bend over and pick something off the ground and say “look, here is a pellet. Great Horned Owls can’t digest bones, fur, and feathers, so they throw these up once a day or so.”
One lady came up to Rosalie and said “I have been looking for days to see the momma owl in her nest without success!” Rosalie goes through her normal “stand right here” speech and the onlooker says “Oh I see her” within seconds. It took the expert.
Now that the owlets are present in the nest, there are lots of smiles from the onlookers, and “The Owl Lady” spends even more time around her favorite tree.
Rosalie describes her husband as a “Owl-widow” this time of year.
