2023 Nesting Summary

Seemed a good year for screech owls nesting. 4 sites with 15 owlets fledging.

Total: Owlets 15

Total Owlets Since 2010: 149+

Barred Owls:

None this year.

Total: 2 Owlets,(2022)

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. Female red phased Male Gray, successful nesting.

Total: 4 owlets fledged around 5/29/2023 (Photo from 5/28/23)

Site 4

Screech Owls: Pair M,F Gray. Successful nesting.
Total: 5 eggs, 4 owlets successfully fledged 5/23-5/25/2023

After owls left, a pair of Flickers laid eggs in June, unfortunately they were unviable

Site 5
Relocated in 2022 to Massachusetts

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.

Site 8
Massachusetts

Screech Owls: Female Red

Presummed nesting in box not part of my trail.

Site 9

Massachusetts

Screech Owls: M,F Gray

Total: 4 owlets, 4 eggs one egg unviable, but a recently hatched owlet was adopted into the nest so 4 owlets fledged by 5/31/2023. See https://owloasis.wordpress.com/2023/06/10/baby-owlet-rescue/ for full story.

9 eggs and a Presumed Nest

Site 9 (4 eggs), Site 4 (5 eggs), and Site 3.

Site 9, first egg was March 26th, and currently there are 4 eggs that should be hatching in about a week.

Site 4, first egg was March 22nd and currently there are 5 eggs that should be hatching any day now, also a nice night video of a raccoon investigating the nest, hopefully the squirrel resistance will be enough to thwart the other predators as well. Pay attention to the top right, see the owl fly to attack the raccoon, and turn volume up and listen to the defensive bill clacking.

Site 3, presumed nest, if so this is the male that spends most if not all day in entrance as not to crowd the female on eggs.

2022 Nesting Summary

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)

Site 4

Relocated for 2019 season:
Screech Owls: Female Gray. no nesting
Total: one of pair pressumed predated on by Great Horned Owl

Site 5
Relocated in 2022 to Massachusetts

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.

Site 8
Massachusetts

Screech Owls: Female Red

Presummed nesting in box not part of my trail.

Site 9

Massachusetts

Screech Owls: Female Gray, Male Gray

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)

Barred Site 2

Barred owls: after 10 years, first successful Barred Owl Nesting

2 Barred Owlets fledged!

2021 Nesting Summary:

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

Total: 3+ owlets fledged around 5/25/2021

Most Likely Male Owl

Presumed Last Owlet fledged.

Site 4

Relocated for 2019 season:
Screech Owls: Female Gray. Successful nesting
Total: 2 owlets fledged by May 14th, 2021.

Site 5
Maryland no owls, box fell down.

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.

Site 8
Massachusetts

Screech Owls: Female Gray.

Presumed nesting no owlet records.

Site 9
Screech owls: Female Gray, Successful nesting

Total: 3 owlets + 1 foster owlets fledged by 6/22/2020

Getting Kicked Out of the House

Site 4.

I don’t know what he did, but its not good. Maybe a dozen voles would help?

from the owner:

“This is a funny video. We saw the male leaving the box last night while it was still quite light, and we were wondering why he left so early…..now we know! You can see the leg of the female extending out of the box as the male is flying out. Apparently she was getting hungry and didn’t want to wait another 10 minutes until his usual departure time. Pushy little thing!“

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.

• 

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

A Bit Early, Owlets showing, and Vid of Squirrel Resistance

Site 4

First owlet of the season is showing at the entrance here, although another site (update soon) is also showing an owlet as well, seems the mild winter may have the screech owl nesting clocks in the area a couple weeks ahead of schedule.

and a clip from december of a squirrel sliding off the roof. It is the first video I have seen of the box at work with squirrels. Its nice to have the visual!

10 Years and 98 Fledglings

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!

SONY DSC

Children, all three are there

 

Tardy 2019 Totals

Late getting this up this year, hopefully get caught up on the activity from over the winter soon.

2019 Decent year but record keeping a bit difficult this year plus a little site relocations.

Site 1
Massachusetts
No Nesting this year, A red phased seen a couple times on a screen capture at night in box, and once in late fall foliage nearby.

Site 2
Massachusetts
No screech owls…but calling of barred owls are heard regularly.

Site 3
Massachusetts
Screech Owls: female red phased, successful nesting

Total: 2+ owlets fledged around 5/31/2019

Site 4

Relocated for 2019 season:
Successful nesting total: 3 owlets fledged by 6/7/2019

Site 5
Maryland no owls, box fell down.

Site 6
Massachusetts
at least 1 red phased screech owl at site all winter into spring.

Total: nesting was never confirmed, may have been a lost mate from last year.

photo from 3/2/2019

Site 7
Massachusetts :Relocated for 2017 season
2019: Red and Gray pair
Total: Fledged 3+ owlets late may.

Site 8
Massachusetts
Total 2019: Did nest 2+ owlets fledged by early June.

Site 9
No Nesting most likely nested in a near by natural hollow, as they were heard through out the spring
.

2019 Totals:
screech owl fledged….. 10+ (massachusetts).

New Site #4, winter defense of box and First Confirmed Nesting

Site 4

This is prime egg laying/incubation time. Over the winter a new site #4 was located, since the old one was discontinued. The owner has set up and external trail cam to catch the action out side the box, and has recorded some food transfers from the male (the food provider) and the female as she incubates the presumed eggs.

let see if the embed videos work.
First is a February defense of the box against a pesky starling. The talon thrust seems quite effective!

Next is a food delivery from 4/13/19 hopefully good things to come from this new site location!