New Box….New Owl

Site 1

It has been 2 years since a screech owl was seen on this site, and that was pretty much just a drive by(once in a motion capture cam at night in the box, and once roosting in tree near by.) the last sustained activity was April 2015. So it was nice to see an occupant here, I first saw an owl in this box early in the month, but alas I left the camera in my wife car. Also last spring I replaced the box and moved it to a different tree. The tree the old box was on was branching in a way that thwarted the squirrel resistance of the box. I needed a cleaner straighter trunk. I made a ‘wood duck’ type entrance, 4.5″ wide x 3″ high oval entrance, just to play around. I also was able to use up some scrap pieces of vinyl flashing to finish the squirrel resistance off.

2020 Summary

Overall a good year for owls breeding. The mild winter seemed to have fledgling 1-2 weeks ahead of normal which is usually (end of May into early June)

Total: Owlets 15+

Site 1
Massachusetts
No Nesting this year

Site 2
Massachusetts
No screech owls…but local barred owls are heard regularly. BUT did have a first successful Bluebird nesting. The pair attempted 3 nesting, the first 2 got raided by a house wren. The 3rd nesting they were able to fledge 1 bluebird.

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Site 3
Massachusetts
Screech Owls: M,F both red phased, successful nesting

Total: 4 owlets fledged around 5/22/2020

Site 4

Relocated for 2019 season:
Screech Owls: Female Gray. Successful nesting
Total: 3 owlets fledged by May 19th.

Site 5
Maryland no owls, box fell down.

Site 6
Massachusetts
Screech Owls: Female Red, Successful nesting

Total: 2+ Owlets Fledged

photo from 2/21/2020

Site 7
Massachusetts :Relocated for 2017 season
2020: Screech owls active in winter, seemed to nest elsewhere, activity stopped early march, no nesting this year.

Site 8
Massachusetts

Screech Owls: Female Gray. Successful nesting
Total: 2+ owlets, timing not recorded.

Site 9
Screech owls: Female Gray, Successful nesting

Total: 4 owlets fledged by 5/20/2020