Got one in!

I have 4 owl boxes up and I usually get screech owls around October, I was so dissapointed to have not gotten any this year ~ Untill Today! A bit late this year, But, At least one's here!! ~This is a Eastern Screech Owl ~

Great capture (photo) Iris!

Maybe I'll look into owl boxes. I love owls.

Cool photo. Wild owl pics are about as rare as pterosaur pics. I think there are more pics of Nessie. Owls, the first "stealth" fliers. You might feel a wing beat but not hear a thing as the owl picks a mouse off your hat.

IRIS great capture, You done good!!!!!!! Donna

Thanks all!
Darius, I love owls too, I'm planning on putting a couple more up in the pines in the back area of my house.
The boxes have visitors through-out the year ~ They get Wooducks in the spring, wood peckers and squrrels through the summer and owls in the fall/winter, It's been my experience that the more weathered the wood is for the house, The more it attracts wildlife.

Frankay, I think I'm behind a bit on english, What does pterosaur mean? lol
And 'quiet they are!' You might see one fly in, But never hear one fly in!

Donna, Thankyou. I wish I could have gotten his 'red coloring' better, But, He usually only pops his head out at dusk and dawn ( though,he does this sometimes during the day too) and I just can't quite catch the coloring in that low light.

I just love the little screech owls. My girlfriend has them in a nesting box on her property each year. They nest, then the squirrels use it, then the owls use it on the coldest days. She was all excited recently when we had a cold snap and the whole owl family settled into the box for the night.
If you have a good strong flashlight (and a third hand to hold it) you can shine it on the bird...it truly doesn't seem to bother them. I worried at first aabout their eyes but they stay in the trees and let us use a spot to light them up.
Great picture, catching this one with it's ear tufts up!

Thank's Floridan,
I many times go in search of owls in the evening in different areas of my town and usually ( Not always) have pretty good luck, I have a spot light but I never shine it directly in there eyes because I've read in a couple books that 'It does' bother there eyes. When I think about it, If someone where to flash a light in my eyes at night, It would definately bother me and an owls eyes are a lot stronger then mine and most people use a strong light to view the owls with ....I would either put red cellophone plastic on the lens of the light or shine the light to the right or the left of the owl- It still lights them up nicely without the light being directly in there eyes. Unfortunatey, My cam-corder needs good light for a descent picture, But for now, I'm pretty content to be able to just see them when I get the oppertunity.

Iris, Pterosaurs haven't been around for a few million years. They were one of the first warm blooded creatures to fly. (Bugs were first) Only a joke on the rarity of owl pics. Again, good job! Frank

I had a feeling it had something to do with the ice-age but wasn't sure, Thank's for the up-date Frank LOL!

Lucky You! Great photograph! My kids loved your photo! We're all standing here looking at it right now! Thanks for posting it!

Hello Iris:
I would like to put up some owl boxes. How big are the ones that you put up and how high are they? Thanks.
Mary

Equilibrian, Thankyou, Here are some photos that I had taken at a show last week ~http://www.wtv-zone.com/irislynx/Owls/OwlShow.index.html ~ Thought maybe you and your kids would enjoy them.

Mary, I'll be posting on the sizes in a few minutes

Here's her site in hyperlink:
http://www.wtv-zone.com/irislynx/Owls/OwlShow.index.html

(Iris, if you'd put a space between the "~" and "Http" it would be an active link.)

Nice photos!

Thankyou Darius :)

Mary, There are different sized boxes for different owls, I have had good luck with the boxes I've made at 10x10 square by 26" high with a 3" oval hole that are 10-12 ft. up in the tree, Drill a few (several) holes (1/4") in the floor for drainage and a few in the side 's of the box (Under the roof) for vetilation. I have had screech owls, wood-ducks, woodpeckers, squirrels, And believe it or not Nuthatches use these box's through out the year. I have noticed that the more worn (weathered) the box is, The more attractive it seems to these birds. I put about 2" of wood chips in the bottom of the box, Though when the squirrels use the box, They bring all kinds of sticks in but the owls dont seem to mind at all, They use it anyway. I placed most the boxes on the edge of the woods and a couple more into the woods. I have one thats placed in a tree by a running brook and thats the one that I get most of the wooducks in ( And owls and everything else too) What I'm trying to say by that is that I only get wooducks in the box thats by the water. Screech owls like to be close to water also because amongst other things they do like to eat fish and crayfish and frogs and such. The box that the owl is in right now is on a tree thats at the edge of the woods in the middle part of my yard. I find that many times birds and animals use boxes that were meant for certain other species, So you'll never know what your going to find when you put different size boxes up lol. I have flying squirrels and normal grey nesting in birdhouses, I have woodpeckers that use bluebird boxes for winter roosts, I have long boxes wth 4 apartments that have had squirrels and nuthatches nesting in it at the same time ect. Lot of very interesting sights when you put a few boxes up. But to get back to where I'm suppose to be~ I find screech owls like there box 10-12ft up ....If you wanted to try an attract Barred Owls, The size would be 12x12square 23" high whith a 3 1/2" radius by 7" wide and that would hav to be 20-30ft up in a living tree that is at least 12" diameter. I'll post some photos later on to show you how mine are placed so you could get some ideas for yours, If I forgot anything that you'd like to know that I might be able to answere, Let me know, I'll be back ~Iris

Here's the box thats by the stream that gets a lot of activity~ You'll have to excuse the pics, It's only 30 degree's out and overcast~

IRIS... this thread reminds me that I wrote and asked you 2-3 years ago if you could find an owl bolus or two for me... I had forgotten all about it!

Here's the one in the middle of my backyard, This is the one that the screech owl is in now ~ Where you see the all leave's on the ground is a gravel driveway/path that goes from the back of my house up to the top of the back of the hill where our garage is ( about 150ft) and this box is right about in the middle at the edge of the woods ( Pretty much in open sight)

This one is almost directly 'across' the yard from the second one~

And this one is in the 'very back' of our land and is actually about 20ft up the tree, This one is for Barred Owls ~

Hi Iris:

Thank you so much for all your help. It takes some time to write and put on those pics. I printed out your recommendations and will be placing one after the holidays.
Mary

Your Very Welcome Mary, I'm glad I could help and I wish you much luck with your owl boxes!

Great pic Iris....I have friends who put up a flicker box and they were fortunate enough to get a boreal owl set up residence through the fall-winter. It was my first time seeing a boreal owl and I've seen two since, also in flicker boxes! To this day, I've only ever seen the head of a boreal owl as they peered down at me with discust for disturbing them during their daytime rest! LOL!

Oh Iris! Lovely. How small and vulnerable the little Screech Owls are! We used to have a few around here so our kids know how tiny they really are but it was good you photographed the hand with the bird perched for comparison. Great photos!

IRIS, did you miss my post in the midle of your last batch of photos?

Todd, Thankyou! It's funny sometimes that you can set up just the right box and yet you'll get a bird that would normally use something totally different lol! If you ever get a picture of a Boreal owl, please post it, I've seen them in books but never other then that. I've been trying to catch this screech owl coming in or going out of his box, But I've noticed that he won't fly out untill it's 'dark' and he's allready back by the tme it's light enough to get a picture! But, In the early evening hours before dark, He streetches his body out a ways from the box scanning the ground for any (potential meal) movement, So I might be able to get a picture eventually of a little more then his head, I'm going to give it a try as soon as I get a chance.

Equiilbrum, Yes, They indeed are small, They certainly do look a whole lot bigger when there head is sticking out of a box, It can really be decieving lol.

Darius, My God! I'm so sorry! ~I did miss your post up there!! I knew someone asked me about a bolus a while back but I forgot who it was! Now, I'm back on track and will definately see what I can get for you! One of the people who run the 'owl walks' has been into owls and birds forabout 30? years, So if I can't find it, I'm relativly sure he could, I'll be going again onthe 18th and see what I can find out.

Cool! I love the little eastern screech owls. We've had them in our yard for quite a few years

They started out in an old dead tree. When we had to have the tree cut we built them a box. They immediately moved into the box and we've had a pair of them in it just about every year since.

Somewhere I've got a bunch of pics of them from both the tree, the box, some babies etc through the years.

One year DH set up a camcorder on the garage roof to film the tree "hole" at night. We got some very neat pics. Even got a flying squirrle landing just inches from the hole, LOL.

Oh what fun! Thanks for the picture of your little one!

Jody neat pic! Yours shows the nice red coloring better then mine. I really like the fact that these owls usually come back every year, I always enjoy seeing them and I'm sure you do too! It must have been so neat to see the babies!
How did you DH get a shot at night on the camcorder? ~ He must have used 'night-shot'?, But night-shot only comes out in black&white right? ~Plus you have to be petty close no? Did he use a night/spot light to light the area up a bit? I hope you post some of your other owl photo's if you get a chance, Would love to see them!!
I've got Flying squirrels nesting in two different bird houses right now, I am a bit worried about them now that the screech owl is back around, But not much I can do to protect them so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed.

Yes, he has night something or other on the camcorder. I'm not too "techie" so don't really know, but it was pretty much black and white. It was fairly close, he put it on the garage roof which was only about 6'-8' from the tree.

I never knew we had flying squirrles until we caught it on film. I have never seen one other than that, before or since.

I'll look for some of the older pics. We lost most of them in the flood last year, but somewhere we still have the video and if I can get DH to take the time he can get a couple of still shots from it. All I have at the moment are pics from this past winter and spring.

It's hard to catch a pic of the babies, they rarely peek out. At least I rarely see them peek out. We did get to see them all fledge one year. They are so adorable, all gray and fuzzy looking ;)

Yes, I do enjoy having them in the back yard very much. The male stays in a fir tree not far from the box and keeps a constant watch on the box. In the very early evenings he lands just below the box and the two of them talk to each other and then go hunting.

Thank you, everyone, for this wealth of pictures, plans and information. What strikes me most is that one can place boxes rather close to the house and they will still move in. I will be trying some boxes, if nothing else, to bring in their night-time calls!

I didn't realize this Forum existed. I'll be a regular visitor now.

Peter

Peter, welcome to this forum! Somewhere there is a disclaimer stating that it is addictive, so be warned. LOL
Pati

Jody, I was wondering abou night-shot because I have it too and it's black and white for night shot ( I wanted to get a close up of that 'red color' on him) But seeing the box is so out in the open, It's hard to get close and I don't want to scare him off.
Flying squirrels are pretty neat and kinda docile, They sometimes feed on the bird-feeders at night and you can get pretty close to them without them getting skittsy. They nest in bird-boxes here every year, I have two in two different boxes right now, They are the cutest little things!
Any pics would be interesting -even if they are older ( Sorry to hear you lost pictures 'and I'm sure other things' in a flood)
It must have been soo exciting seeing the babies fledge!! I hope one of these days I get the opportunity to see a sight like that with owls.
Do you have any shots of the male and female at the box together?
...Peter, Your Welcome! And "Welcome To The Forum!' The owls sometimes do nest pretty close, The one that I posted, I can see from my back door. I love the calls too, The screech owl makes such a distnctive errie call! ~( And Patti's right! ...This forumcan be 'Very Addictive! LOL!)

Here's a cap of a flying squirrel looking out of it's box ( Actually a bird house that it uses every year and is using right now.
http://www.wtv-zone.com/irislynx/Photos_Wildlife/flying-aquirrel-881.jpg

Here's another that I had taken during the summer
http://www.wtv-zone.com/irislynx/Photos_Wildlife/flyingSquirrel-Intree-98.jpg

I don't think you need to worry about scaring them off. I stand right under the tree and talk to them. The tree is only a couple of feet from my greenhouse, out in the open. They don't even usually acknowledge me.

They love to sit in the hole in the box and watch everything going on but not much seems to phase them at all. (If you look real close at the pics you can actually see their little feet, they really are quite small.)

I searched the house high and low today looking for some of my pics. And couldn't find any. Maybe I'll get lucky and find some in the boxes that are still packed. I used to have a couple years worth in my journal, 2000 forward but I deleted them last year. :( I did print them out before deleting them though, but they are only thumbnail size. I'll see if I can get the pages scanned in at the least. I really want you to see one of the night shots. His eyes look soooo huge and bright as headlights!

I don't have any pics of them together. The only time I see them together is at dusk and it's almost dark. It's hard to get a good pic, and they don't stay around too long. He joins her at the tree, they greet and take off for the night.

One morning when I looked out I saw that they brought dinner home ;)

Fortunately I had posted this pic in the hosta forum last year so I was able to retrieve it :)

Dinner å la carte?

This message was edited Dec 15, 2004 9:51 PM

Oh my! Another person who talks to their critters. I thought I was the only one. I have had some pretty interesting conversations with the Turkey Vultures as well as the squirrels and chipmunks.

We're sold. My kids are standing around looking at all the new photos that have been posted and we're going to check into trying to attract back a few Screech Owls by providing nesting boxes. We'd like to start with one and we like the addition of the ledge underneath the entrance.

Thank you all for the photos!

I'll have to try and get a little closer to the box and get a better pic, Sometimes when he see's me he stays out, Other times he ducks down in the box.
It's amazing how big they look in the front but yet how small they actually are!
I hope sometime you do come across the photos your looking for, Especially the one that shows 'the big eyes' Seems right now we both got the pics of when they are in there 'sleepy state' lol.
Your right about getting a pic when they are active as they usually wont come out untill it's almost dark and there back before it's light out, I would go out there before it was dawn and try to get a good early morning shot if it were a different time of year but right now a 10 degee's, It's a little too cold for me!
Thats a nice shot showing showing prey but I have a small screen here and I can't quite make out what it is, Is it a mouse?
I noticed in your picture's that the boxes are different, How many owl boxes do you have?

..Equalibrian, Your Welcome, I'm glad you and your children are enjoying the posts! If you put up some boxes make sure you let us know when you get some winged/or unwinged visitors, It will be nice to all share stories and pictures, It's fun and interesting!
This is a pic I got a short while back of a Barred Owl, It's a bit over-exposed because it was taken when it was almost dark and I had the cam on the highest light setting to try and get the pic
http://www.wtv-zone.com/irislynx/Owls/owl-03.jpg

We a Barred Owl over here! Way too far away for me to ever get a photo of it.

Hi, everybody--

Speaking of the Boreal Owls-- there is an Owl count project going on this year because of their irruption to the south here in the States--if you want to know a little more about it check out this Owl thread... http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/486689/ where I first posted the link. Mary and Equil., you may be particularly interested because the Boreals have been showing up in your area especially.

I just discovered your Owl thread Iris--so much good information and pics about placing the boxes and fun pictures of the screech owls, too. Thanks for showing us. t.

Your Welcome! ~"Thankyou", For the link and info you have added! It's nice for all to be informed and up-dated to whats happening in the natural world around us.