Quick update on Barred Site 2.
There are 2 barred owlets,
The absolutely Fantastic Photo courtesy of box owner:
There are 2.
predator resistant
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.
Barreds Again
But this time from a quick update fromBarred Site 2
Our Barred Owl visitor. We hadn’t seen for for a couple of weeks but have seen him a lot these last two nights.
Barred Site 2 Active
a short but sweet message with an attached phone photo
Owl in CT, near owl house
Unlike screech owls, barred owls seldom use cavities to roost in, and so if they use it, it will won’t be until nesting season March-June time frame, but they are still in the area. So hopefully plenty of time for them to check the box out and get acclimated to it.
Barred Owl Site 2
Barred Site 2
Was able to set up a second barred owl site over the weekend, it is in Eastern Connecticut. If there was a check list for barred owl box placement, this site seemed to have most if not all the checks in the right places…
1) clear flight path
2) right habitat
3) known barred owl near by.
4) space between box and nearest yard activity
So this should be a good test to barred owl acceptance with this style, let call it predator resistant, box. I am still figuring out the dimensions, this version is a bit larger area wise than the first site, giving it a 16″ x 16″ floor. This way I didn’t have to ‘rip’ any wood in half. I could use the 10″ wide couple with 8″ wide boards to make the sides, so the front and back could be two 8″ wide boards (although with this box I turned the boards 90 degrees on the front). It has ~7.5″ x 16″ slot but the entrance used some scrap wood that was quite uneven, I figured the owls wouldn’t mind if it was uneven. It is a large, heavy box, but I guess there is no way around that with barred owls. Again the pulley system, plus an extra set of hands made it a relatively easy installation.
Here is a shot of a barred owl with a phone cam, one of a few times they saw one in the yard this summer, nice that there is some scale with the person in the foreground.
a few shots of the installation and location
pulley close up
finished
Barred Owl Still Around
This morning I saw a Barred Owl roughly 200 or so yards from site 2. Looked to be hunting by a near by farm, and was easily seen from the road. A Barred Owl was last heard at site Oct 11, 2010. Whether or not its the same one, who knows, but one seems to be sticking around. Maybe its time to see if a box can be added near by?
Barred Site
Barred Site 1
Finally got a scaled up Box,for the Barred owl, installed. It has ~14″ square floor inside (16″ square on the outside), since the roof is larger and longer, I think I went with a 38 degree slope on the roof (the screech box is a full 45 degree slope) The back is 33″ high, front 22″ to roof, 8″ x 14 ” slot entrance, 14″ front, leaving just about 13″ from opening to floor. plus a couple inches of wood chips. Its covered with the same material as the screech boxes to protect from raccoon and fisher predation. There has been sightings of barred owl 3 times in this location this fall and reports of a family being seen a couple years ago. It is fairly( = 45-50 feet) close to a house. So we will see how this site goes.
Barred Site 1
Owls = Reports of Family of Barred from a couple years ago, sightings of barred owls 3 times this fall.
Location = MA
Habitat = rural, woods, scatter houses, near ponds/lakes
Cavities = 1 predator resistant barred owl slot box
Nesting = reports of fledgling (being fed) a couple years ago
Owl Oasis Trail 