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.
This is the second foster family success story for this site. The first one was with an older a few days away from fledging owlet 2 years ago. This time it was due to an untimely tree cut with a screech owl nest in it. (From a nesting bird perspective spring is a dangerous time to prune or cut trees and bushes). Anyway, as timing would have it Site 9 had 3 recently hatched owlets with an egg that did not hatch. It seemed like a perfect fit. The raptor rehabilitator was able to introduce the orphan recently hatched owlet into the foster family. The little one was integrated into the family 5/1/2023. Two owlets fledged 5/25/2023 and the other two fledged (one was the orphan) 5/27/2023. (important that this type of fostering activity is done only through a licensed raptor rehabilitator. )
The very young owlet at Cape Ann Wildlife. (photo used with permission)
Staging to introduce the owlet into the nest box. The owlet is safely in the carrier under the towel. (5/1/2023)
Quick video of the owlet joining its new foster family
All the owlets grew and fledged successfully, A day before the first 2 owlets fledged, one owlet is in the entrance, 3 are on the floor, with mom who is in the lower left corner of the picture
The last 2 owlets that fledged, we are thinking the cuddled up one is the orphan.
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.
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.
This has to be the best report/post I have been able to do on this trail I hope I do it justice! As a site wrap up, this was an interesting year from the start. It seems the pair that was at this site all fall and winter chose somewhere else to nest by April. Only about a week later, a different owl pair back filled the un-occupied/defended box. This delayed nesting with the new pair proved to be quite beneficial for an orphaned owlet…If this box nesting was on usual timing, the owlets here would have fledged before the orphaned owlet could have joined their family…
When a Raptor Rehabilitator rehabilitates an injured/orphaned owlet, once the owlet is treated back to health, if possible they try to integrate to a foster owl family if the original family’s whereabouts is unknown. There are several critical criteria that have to be met in order for this to be successful. The owlets must be about the same size, and the foster family must not have a large family of its own (do not want to over burden parents suppling food with one more mouth to feed). Anyway, I wanted to share some of the prep work behind the scenes and the success story of a Family with 3 owlets that became a Family with 4 owlets!
June 12th, Site 9 owner:
“Hi, An animal rehabber that watches this Owl Box (camera) has an owlet around the same ages as our owlets that are going to fledge next week and she wants to put it in the box, it’s an orphan and she’s bringing it back to health. Is there any risk of harm to our owlet’s by doing this? I asked her and she said oh no screech owls are wonderful foster parents but we don’t want anything to happen to our Owlets. Please let us know your thoughts on this thank you.”
My Response: (June 12th)
“I dont have any personal experience with it. But do know it is common practice to place orphan owlets in with foster owl families when possible. We know a retired raptor rehabilitated we could double check with. As well as follow a Shrewsbury rehabber to get some second opinions. Otherwise from what I have heard it should be fine.“
“We have a new development! A local raptor rehabber asked if they could place this little rescue male screech owl in the box with our babies! I guess Screech owls readily accept orphans and we are going to attempt to place the little guy in the box at dusk! Hoping they are close in size! Fingers crossed! Keep and eye out at dusk!“
“Mom will be surprised when she finds 4 owlets instead of 3 ! Mom Was scared by the ladder but the rehabber left mice for her ! She will be back when it is dark outside!“
June 20th:
“The owlets are still here this morning! The stayed up in the slot for a long time last night! Mom tried to flyin but the slot was full and sort of bounced off the box and then onto the wood pile holding poles . We were able to get a good look at her ( she was looking at us too). She is so tiny!“
June 22nd:
“Everyone fledged last night …… We will miss them and hope they will be safe. We believe that the last one to fledge was little orphan Owlie! So glad we were able to help him out!“
On June 25th:
“We were able to see mom, dad and all 4 babies! They are all ok and in the trees surrounding the box. Three of the owlets were with dad and one with mom! The babies all look fine and healthy! Mom looks tired! ”
“Remember the itsy bitsy screech owlet that was near death a few weeks ago?? Well, he has fully recovered and since the original nest cavity could not be located, he was placed with surrogate screechowl family. The owlets are all very close to fledgling/branching stage and soon they will be out flying and learning how to hunt with the parents! “-Erin H.
***Please note if you find an baby raptor on the ground please contact us!! They will need to be assessed and medically cleared before either being put back in original nest, or considered a candidatefor a surrogate family. Each case is unique and should be handled and conducted by a wildlife rehabilitator Thank you!!!!“
I will end with… Now is a good time to look up your local rehabilitor if you have a screech owl box (or any type of owl nest structure ) in your yard. If an owlet does fall out of a nest even if it is your own box, call a licensed raptor rehabilatator to get an assesment. if the owlet is healthy they will put it back with its family, but it may need treatment before returning to the nest.
“Hi! Mating has occurred and hopefully they owls will pick the box again this year! They are still coming and going!“
From Feb 13th, from the owner:
“Hi We have the brownish morph female again and the little gray male! They have been taking turns in the nest box and now the female is depending every day in the box! Last night her mate showed up and they are following a similar pattern to last year! Fingers crossed they stay!“
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.
Nice to have some good news… This site has been active all fall-winter,
From Jan 15th.
We have had an interesting owl season so far and it is very different from other years. Starting in October we first had a lengthy visit from a female gray morph owl. She stayed off and on for a month. We then have had a red male owl who frequents the box quite often ( staying for hours), then disappears for a few weeks. The little red male recently left a mouse in the box and then retrieved it 2 days later. Around the same time the mouse was left a female joined the male in the box for a minute! We don’t know what It all means and considering the last 2 years 2 owls stayed in the box almost every night ( actually 5 years) but left on March 20 and set up house somewhere else. The previous years we had 3 sets of owlets that fledged successfully. Fingers crossed that they will decide to stay.
Looks like the pair has decided to nest in the box 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!
Owl Oasis Trail 