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!

There are 2.

Quick update on Barred Site 2.

There are 2 barred owlets,

The absolutely Fantastic Photo courtesy of box owner:

First Barred Success

Barred Site 2.

Very pleased to get documentation that after a decade barred owl site 2(went up sept 2012) has had a successful nesting! very cool indeed. So far one confirmed owlet.

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

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

2 Points to Tie (Owling Challenge) + Lots of Photos

Score: 2 to 2

It has been a better than average year for snowy owl sightings so we took our first family walk of the season along a local beach and trails on a mild December day.  Now my wife stopped to help out our youngest put some layers of clothes into a backpack and I casually walked up a head.  My wife did not like the apparent cheating by me looking for owls while she was helping out.  She quickly filed a complaint to the rules committee.  The committee quickly sent out a ruling that this did not violate any rules and it was indeed a fair part of the challenge.  This ruling would comeback to haunt me a little later on as I helped our youngest up the trail of a larger dune. My wife took the competitive advantage, scampered to the top to get a good view and quickly found 2 snowy owls before anyone else reached the top.   We are now tied with 2 owl points a piece, but it seems like this year is a better owl year for us, as there have been plenty of owl sightings the were not counted as points.  Especially barred owls seem to be around in good numbers this season. So hopefully more points to come.

First snowy owl, 1 point for wife.

Second snowy owl, 1 point for wife

the rest of these owls were not found with-in challenge parameters so no points.

barred owl (solo owl walk, no points)

This screech owl was in a hollow used last year, (no points)

another solo find, barred owl

This barred owl seen with-in a couple hundred feet of the barred owl below(solo owl find, no points)

a saw-whet in a pine found on a solo owl hunt (no-point)

Owling Challenge 2018

Last years challenge was a bit of a pitcher’s duel, not many owls for points. I won last years challenge 1-0, with a road side barred owl. This year is off to a faster start. The first point for 2018 was also a road side barred owl, unfortunately it was too dark, and the docu-pic is in question. The ruling on the field is 1 point, but it maybe up for protest at the end of the season based on the poor quality of documentation. The second point was for a saw-whet owl that I was alerted to by tufted titmice. otherwise never would have seen it. So right now the score is 2 points for me, 0 points for my wife.

The questionable docu-shot for a barred owl, can almost make out the tail and the top of its head??? maybe a protest review if there is a tie.

Saw-Whet Owl 1 point for me

Site 9 story and 2017 recap

After taking a bit of a break from owl-land, I think I am ready for a new owling season, but before the new season is too far advanced here is some of last years loose ends tied up.

Here is the Run Down from the site 9 owner:

Here is the run down

10/31 Gray/Brown morph female was in the box for until 11/28/16 when the camera fell down and I had to retrieve it. When we opened the box, there was an owl there so we were quiet and closed the box and left them alone.

December 29, 2016 we had a gray male visits the box at night as well as a red female who moves in on January 16, 2017. We are able to record the activities at night with our owl cam that has an SD card so we can replay the events from the evening. All is well until the female stopped coming to the box. The male came every night over and over calling for the red female but she did not return ( something must have happened to her).  The male continues to call until 3/26/2017 when a gray female appears in our box in the morning. We had a bad storm that night and a lot of trees came down. We now have 2 gray( brown morphs) phase owls.

 On 4/8/2017 the female laid her first egg today and then every 2 days laid an egg for a total of 4 eggs.

 5/6/2017 the first egg hatched at 28 days.  5/17 the 2^nd egg came, 5/8/17 the 3^rd egg- but the 3^rd owlet died on 5/11/17 then a 4^th owlet was born on 5/12/17.

 All 3 babies were up in the slot on 6/7/17the first owlet fledged into the tree, 2^nd owlet fledged on 6/8/17 and the little one ,  6/12/17 number 4 owlet  ( much smaller than its siblings) fledged at 8:55 pm

 It was an exciting owl season and these owls were amazing parents and so dedicated to their owlets. In fact when Blue Jays and Crows tried to get the owls, daddy came into the box with the whole family to lay flat and stay small to protect his family.

and the 2017 nesting summary:

It was a decent year, site 5 (maryland) site 8, and site 9 had successful nesting. Site 3 had activity into the winter but something happened to the owl that was using the box so there was no nesting attempt.

Site 1
Massachusetts
No Nesting this year, no screech owls present at all for the first time since box has been up. Both a Barred owl and Great Horned Owl appeared near by during the winter.

Site 2
Massachusetts
No screech owls…still(recent) calling of barred owls through out year.

Site 3
Massachusetts
Screech Owls: Red phase was present october-january but disappeared before nesting season…. no nesting this year.

Site 4

Discontinued

Site 5
Maryland successful nesting but details lacking
Screech Owls,
Male= ?
Female=red phased
First Egg ???
# of Eggs…………. ??
First Hatch ???
# Hatched ………… at least 2
Fledged ……………. at least 2

Site 6
Massachusetts
No screech owls, great horned owl(s) still heard occ.

Site 7
Massachusetts
Relocated for 2017 season
Male=
Female=
First Egg …………?
# of Eggs…………?
First Hatch…………?
# Hatched …………at least 3
Fledged ……………. at least 3

Site 8
Massachusetts
Screech Owls, nesting occurred,
Male= Gray phased (browner)
Female=Gray phased
First Egg …………?
# of Eggs…………?
First Hatch…………?
# Hatched …………at least 3
Fledged ……………. 3 (almost certain)

Site 9
Massachusetts
site 9 relocated back in 2014, Some owl turnover through the years, but ended up with successful nesting.
Male= gray phased
Female= gray phased
First Egg:…4/8/17
# of Eggs……………. 4
First Hatch: ….5/6/17
# Hatched…………….4
Fledged ……………….3

2017 Totals:
screech owl eggs ……10 + (massachusetts) + Maryland
screech owl fledged…..9+ (massachusetts)+ Maryland.

Strange ‘Normal’

Site 1 (near by)

Looks like a great horned owl has moved in a least for the day.  Very close to  where the barred owl in the last post had been roosting, and its not the first winter here that both great horned and barred owls have been using these urban woods to spend the winter. I am a bit confused as to why these urban woods are so ‘owly’ but it won’t stop me from enjoying it while it last. (No points for these owls towards the challenge.)

Almost Back to ‘Normal’

Site 1

Well no screech owls here, but after last year almost complete absence of owls, (one great horned owl disappeared after one day) a barred owl has decided to winter near by. Other than last year this has been a regular occurrence. Now all we need is a pair of screech owl to fill in the void that was left by the last pair.