Dueling Owl Cams

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In January, an Eastern Screech Owl, as well as some other neighborhood wildlife, were making use of our backyard owl nest box as a critter b-n-b. Our owl (named Uptown Girl–I’m pretty sure we’ve hosted the same couple for a few years now) only stayed in the box for one day. I’d see and hear her from time to time, but realized that when she trilled, there was no answering call, and that observation, along with the fact that she didn’t stay in the box again, led me to believe that her mate (Shy Guy) had disappeared. Eastern Screech owls mate for life and co-parent their chicks.

Well, that’s a sad, sad thought: no owl family in our back garden for the year, unless Uptown Girl finds another mate or another couple moves into the territory.

Recently, an Eastern Screech has rested in the nest box during the days and last night we heard a rich, deep Screech trill–does she have a new mate? Is this an entirely new pair? Time will tell whether there’s a Screech Owl family in the making, but typically, Screeches don’t hang out in nest boxes unless they’re in the family way.

At the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Athena, the resident Great Horned Owl, has also set up her nursery. Each year, for the past 14 years, a Great Horned Owl has nested atop the main entry way to the courtyard of the garden, much to the delight of visitors and staff. The owl is always named ‘Athena’. This year, excited wildflower geeks and bird nerds can intimately observe Athena and her (so far) two eggs. The LBJWC partnered with Cornell Lab of Ornithology and have installed a camera which you can read about here, to watch the beautiful owl and her offspring. Folks (like me!) from all over the world are thrilled!

In my case, I am enjoying dueling owl cams: our little Screech paired with lovely Athena, each on different monitors all day, each day, and during the evening. I’m not obsessed, no siree!

The Cornell camera is a significantly better camera than ours–if that’s not obvious from this photo. (Maybe Cornell could offer one of their cams for our backyard?). But I can watch my own little owl and appreciate her resting time in the nest box, beak snuggling in a comforting corner, safe from annoying Blue Jays.

I’ve learned to observe and appreciate, but also understand that nature is not always cooperative or kind, and the world is tough for wildlife. I hope both Athena and our owl (Uptown Girl?) both have healthy chicks and successful fledglings. And this spring, no matter the outcome, I’ll have a front-row seat to their lives as parents.

14 thoughts on “Dueling Owl Cams”

    • I got a notice last Wednesday or Thursday and, in fact, was at the center last Thursday afternoon and chatted with some of the employees there and they were excited about it. 

      Yes, our camera does have infrared. Last year, before the ice storm and the predation of the owls’ eggs, I could see the eggs when mama left for the evening. Fingers-crossed that we’re able to watch a full spring owl show this year.

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  5. I love watching nest cams, one of the big bonuses of new tech. I think Cornell does excellent work and have supported them since 1986, almost 40 years… wow, where’d the time go?
    Hope your own little screech has great luck with her new family.

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    • The folks at Cornell are just awesome! Like you, I’m a supporter and also participate in Feeder Watch and other bird count events. The cams are really great and have been an excellent teaching tool for folks to learn about bird biology. 

      I hope they have a successful run, too!

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  6. I recently learned that a pair of Great-horned Owls has been nesting in a big tree at Brazos Bend State Park for several years. They’re back this year, and by now the eggs should have hatched. The last time I was there, a clutch of photographers with the biggest lenses I’ve ever seen were standing around the tree, waiting: albeit outside the yellow tape they’ve used to keep people at a distance. It’s too bad they don’t have a camera, like yours. I watch the Cornell cams from time to time; they’re wonderful. I hope Uptown Girl (or a new pair) has a successful year for you. What fun!

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    • That’s exciting, I hope you can get some shots of the owls and their eventual fledglings. And I agree–those Cornell cams are just fantastic!

      Some of those photographers have cameras that look like monsters. I wonder if they really get good enough photos for what the cameras cost. My son is a journalist, specifically, he is a documentary film maker. Quite a bit of his equipment he gets second hand, and even with that, it’s pricey stuff.

      The little owl isn’t in the box today, so I have a sad about that, but these birds definitely have their own agenda. Maybe she’ll be back, maybe not. We cleaned our pond yesterday (the hardest gardening chore–by far–and the one I always dread). I was so weary last night, I slept soundly and didn’t hear any trilling, so that’s not great either. 

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  7. I’m not usually into duels but am happy to make an exception for the dueling views of the two nest sites. I’m hoping with you that both owl families will have a successful nesting season (provided your screech owl has a partner).

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    • Athena at the wildflower center is sitting pretty on her eggs. Our little owl is no longer in our box, but she was trilling in the back garden last night. I don’t think she’ll have a family, but maybe she’ll stick around for a while.

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