Screech owlet makes a surprise June appearance
We’ve had a lot of screech owls nest in our owl box over the past 10 years. But after we lost our owl tree and had to relocate the box, it sat empty all last year, to our disappointment. And until two days ago, I didn’t even realize we had a nesting female again. But we do, and there’s at least one owlet in the box!
Here’s mama owl, whom we’d seen in the doorway on occasion, although she’s so skittish she’d hide as soon as we stepped outdoors. Past owls have been content to doze in the doorway all day, once the chicks get big and are taking up all the space in the bottom of the box. But not this mama, even though the box is now farther away from our house. Also, previous owlets have always fledged around Memorial Day, so we thought it was simply too late to expect to see chicks.
But on Friday, as I glanced out my office window at the box, I saw the fuzzy, white-gray head of an owlet peering out. What joy! I took a few photos through the window with my zoom lens, fearful of scaring it off if I stepped outside.
He or she bobbed and gazed around at the big new world. I kept hoping for a glimpse of another owlet, but I only saw the one. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s another one in there, working up the courage or strength to peer out.
At twilight, I walked down to the pool patio and sat quietly in a chair for about 45 minutes, listening to the faint trills from the parents in the trees behind our property. Mom or dad was sitting on a juniper branch just beyond the fence.
As it got darker, the owl opened its eyes and grew more alert, at one point lifting its wing to scratch an itch.
With a hungry owlet to be fed, soon it was time to hunt.
Although I couldn’t locate the second adult, I assume that both parents are feeding the chick. Just before it grew dark, I watched two feedings at the box, as a silent-winged parent swooped low through the garden and onto the tree limb, then hopped over to the opening with whatever small rodent, insect, or reptile it had captured. My guess is always tree roach. There are plenty to go around.
Last evening, from the far side of the pool, our family watched the dark shapes of swooping owls making another feeding run. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see owls nesting in our garden again!
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Digging Deeper
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So glad for you and so glad for the owls! Hopefully this means your owl box will start to have families every year again. Thanks for posting, they are wonderful to see.
I hope that will be the case, Carmen. I’m grateful to see this year’s fierce little family.
Great news! How wonderful to have screech owls again, and babies, too. May they eat lots of tree roaches.
Amen!
So thrilled for you! Several years ago you inspired us to build and put up an owl box. We never had any inhabitants except squirrels. The tree blew down in a storm last year. Not sure if we will try again, but glad you have a new family in yours.
Oh, that’s a bummer, Gretchen. It’s frustrating when an owl box sits empty year after year. I have two friends for whom that’s been the case also. One recently discovered that ringtail cats will eat owl chicks, and she has a resident ringtail in her garden and thinks that’s why the owls have stayed away. 🙁
Congratulations!
Thanks and yippee!
How exciting!!! I would love to have such a family in our garden. Like Gretchen I only get squirrels and house sparrows in boxes with holes large enough for owls to be in.
We’ve had squirrels and bees in our box. We had the bees relocated, and we sheathed the owl box in metal flashing to make it less grippy for the squirrels.
Great news, Pam! They should help keep your rodent population under control, as well as insects.
That’s my hope!
Congratulations and best wishes to all!
They are so fun to watch.
It’s a wonderful time of year, with so many new-born animals bringing real joy. I put up birdhouses for swallows and blue birds. So far, I’ve seen swallows but they aren’t nesting in the new houses. Maybe next year.
Fingers crossed for you, Pat. Our little owl family was a surprise for us this spring.
Im very happy to hear you have your owls back- do you think it is the same pair each year who nest with you?
Im assuming by now the owlets have fledged?
All the best
I actually don’t think it’s the same pair every year, Owen. We’ve seen differently colored owls over the years. And the owls exhibit different personalities from year to year. Some are very comfortable with us being near the box and others aren’t. I think it must be a new pair every year or at least from time to time.
And yes, the owlet left the nest in mid-June.