Relocated Site 1 about 2 years ago, Recently was looking to upgrade the box here as well, but before I swapped it out for a new version of squirrel resistant box, I did a quick check of the the older box so I would not be surprised on a ladder, good thing too as a den of 3 flying squirrels had moved in. I have seen flying squirrels on cam at night in boxes, but I have never had them set up shop in a box. So this was a first. I felt bad I had to dislodge them but they quickly scurried and found natural hollows to shelter in, one did pause long enough on a tree trunk to get a good pic as well. This also means no screech owls around or using the box, as flying squirrels are small enough for a Screech to prey upon flying squirrels.
Screech owls: Successful Nesting Female Gray, Male Gray
Total: 3 owlets fledged by 5/23/2023
Site 6 Massachusetts Screech Owls: Female Red, male Gray Did not nest in box this year, box used in fall and winter
Total: 0
Site 7 Massachusetts :Relocated for 2017 season 2022: Screech owls active in winter, seemed to nest elsewhere, activity stopped early march, no nesting this year.
Seemed a average year for screech owls nesting. 3 sites with screech owl nesting, with 4 owlets each, 1 owlet predated soon after fledging by a presumed opossum.
Total: Owlets 12 (one predated soon after fledging)
Total Owlets Since 2010: 134+
Barred Owls:
Total 2 Owlets, first ever!
Site 1 Massachusetts No Nesting this year, Need to find new Site 1.
Site 2 Massachusetts No screech owls…but local barred owls are heard regularly.
Site 3 Massachusetts Screech Owls: M,F both red phased, successful nesting in nest box 700 feet from original site
Total: 4 owlets fledged around 5/25/2021 (look closely 2 red phased owlets on bottom right and upper left(slightly warmer color beneath the gray downy feathers in appearance) owlets and 2 gray phased upper right and lower left (can only see the tails of the 2 owlets on the left)
Screech owls: Successful Nesting Female Gray, Male Gray
Total: 4 owlets fledged
Site 6 Massachusetts Screech Owls: Female Red, male Gray Did not nest in box this year, box used in fall and winter
Total: 0
Site 7 Massachusetts :Relocated for 2017 season 2022: Screech owls active in winter, seemed to nest elsewhere, activity stopped early march, no nesting this year.
Total: 4 owlets (2 fledged 5/20/2022, one was predated by morning, 2 fledged 5/24/2022) presumed opossum attack, tried to get into box, but failed but most likely able to get to the owlet after fledging, evidence found near box on ground)
Seemed a average year for owls breeding. Although my record keeping was below average. But had the exciting orphan owlet being fledged with the family at Site 9 !
Total: Owlets 9+
Total Owlets Since 2010: 122+
Site 1 Massachusetts No Nesting this year, Need to find new Site 1.
Site 2 Massachusetts No screech owls…but local barred owls are heard regularly.
Site 3 Massachusetts Screech Owls: M,F both red phased, successful nesting
Site 6 Massachusetts Screech Owls: Female Red, Successful nesting
Total: Presumed nest, but did not get owlet sighting
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.
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.
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)
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.
Site 3 Massachusetts Screech Owls: M,F both red phased, successful nesting
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.
I should have realized this sooner, but the 2019 nesting season was my 10th season. So I went back through my data and the minimum owlets that have fledged from the sites that I have monitored in Northeast Massachusetts is 98+. I know of numerous other owlets that have fledged from Massachusetts boxes that are not technically part of this trail so I can ‘say’ over 100 fledglings. Not to mention these do not account for the box in Maryland that was part of this project. Figured I keep it to NE massachusetts boxes. Anyway here are some photos. And I know I need to get going on the 2020 season site updates as well!
The recent saw-whet owl was near by, but seemed to have only stayed in that roost for 1 day. I thought I had re-found it when I heard a cacophony of scolding nuthatches, chickadees,titmice,cardinals, and a single white-throated sparrow. Their ire was directed at small-mid sized well-foliated norway maple. Scanning the tree for the suspect owl, I finally got a glimpse of the culprit, but it wasn’t the saw-whet. It was a red phased screech owl. Most likely the same red phased owl that the box camera caught back on September 24th. The owl had not been back to the box since that day, but it would seem its still in the area, as the maple tree roost is about 700-800 feet away from the box.
red phased screech owl, through the only foliage window.
Owl Oasis Trail 